1In the meantime a huge crowd gathered together, so many that they trod on one another. Jesus began to speak to his disciples first of all: "Be on your guard against the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy."
2For there is nothing covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing hidden that will not be made known.
3So whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light. What you have whispered in someone's ear behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops.
4"And I say to you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more."
5But I will warn you whom you should fear. Fear him who, after he has killed, has power to throw into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.
6Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God.
7Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.
8"Also I say to you, whoever acknowledges me before other people, the Son of man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God."
9But whoever denies me before other people will be denied before the angels of God.
10Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of man will be forgiven. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
11When they bring you to the synagogues, and to rulers and those in power, do not worry about how or what you will answer, or what you will say.
12"For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that same hour what you ought to say."
13One of the crowd said to him, "Master, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."
14But Jesus said to him, "Man, who made me a judge, or a divider of goods, over you?"
15Then he said to them, "Take care, and be on your guard against greed. A man's life does not consist of the many things he owns."
16And he told them a parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a great crop."
17He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no room to store my crops.'
18And he said, 'This is what I will do. I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones. There I will store all my grain and my goods.
19And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have plenty of good things stored up for many years. Take it easy; eat, drink and be merry.'
20But God said to him, 'You fool, this night your soul will be demanded from you. Then whose will those things be that you have got ready?'
21"That is how it is with anyone who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."
22Then he said to his disciples, "So I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about your body, what you will wear."
23Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothes.
24Think about the ravens. They do not sow or reap. They have no storehouse or barn, and God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than the birds!
25And which of you can add one cubit to his height by worrying?
26If you cannot do even that little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
27Think about the lilies, how they grow. They do not work or spin thread. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was dressed like one of these.
28If God clothes the grass like this, which is in the field today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, you of little faith!
29So do not go looking for what you will eat, or what you will drink, and do not be anxious in your mind.
30For the nations of the world chase after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them.
31Seek the kingdom of God instead, and all these things will be added to you.
32"Do not be afraid, little flock. It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."
33Sell what you have, and give to the poor. Get yourselves purses that do not wear out, a treasure in heaven that never runs out, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.
34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
35"Be dressed ready for work, and keep your lamps burning."
36Be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding. When he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once.
37Blessed are those servants whom the master finds watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and wait on them.
38And if he comes in the second watch of the night, or in the third, and finds them ready, blessed are those servants.
39Know this: if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would have kept watch, and would not have let his house be broken into.
40"So you must be ready too, for the Son of man is coming at an hour when you do not expect him."
41Then Peter said to him, "Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?"
42And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will put in charge of his household, to give them their share of food at the right time?"
43Blessed is that servant whom his master finds doing so when he comes.
44Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of everything he has.
45But suppose that servant says in his heart, 'My master is taking a long time to come.' Suppose he begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink and get drunk.
46The master of that servant will come on a day when he is not expecting him, and at an hour he does not know. He will cut him in pieces, and give him a place with the unbelievers.
47The servant who knew his master's will, and did not get ready, and did not do what his master wanted, will be beaten with many blows.
48But the one who did not know, and did things that deserved a beating, will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required. And from the one who has been trusted with much, even more will be asked.
49"I have come to send fire on the earth. How I wish it were already burning!"
50But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how hard pressed I am until it is finished!
51Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division.
52From now on there will be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.
53"The father will be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."
54He also said to the people, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, 'A shower is coming,' and so it happens."
55And when the south wind blows, you say, 'It will be hot,' and it happens.
56You hypocrites! You know how to read the face of the sky and of the earth. Why is it that you cannot read this present time?
57And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?
58When you are going with the one who accuses you to the ruler, try hard on the way to settle with him. Otherwise he may drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.
59"I tell you, you will not get out of there until you have paid the very last mite."