[1] At that time, when thousands of the people had come together, in such
numbers that they were crushing one another, he said first to his
disciples, Have nothing to do with the leaven of the Pharisees, which is
deceit. [2] But nothing is covered up, which will not come to light, or
secret, which will not be made clear. [3] So, whatever you have said in the
dark, will come to men's hearing in the light, and what you have said
secretly inside the house, will be made public from the house-tops. [4] And
I say to you, my friends, Have no fear of those who may put the body to
death, and are able to do no more than that. [5] But I will make clear to
you of whom you are to be in fear: of him who after death has power to send
you to hell; yes, truly I say, Have fear of him. [6] Are not five sparrows
given in exchange for two farthings? and God has every one of them in mind.
[7] But even the hairs of your head are numbered. Have no fear: you are of
more value than a flock of sparrows. [8] And I say to you that to everyone
who gives witness to me before men, the Son of man will give witness before
the angels of God. [9] But if anyone says before men that he has no
knowledge of me, I will say that I have no knowledge of him before the
angels of God. [10] And if anyone says a word against the Son of man, he
will have forgiveness: but for him who says evil words against the Holy
Spirit, there will be no forgiveness. [11] And when they take you before
the Synagogues and the authorities and the rulers, take no thought about
what answers you will give, or what you will say: [12] For the Holy Spirit
will make clear to you in that very hour what to say. [13] And one of the
people said to him, Master, give an order to my brother to make division of
the heritage with me. [14] But he said, Man, who made me a judge or a maker
of decisions for you? [15] And he said to them, Take care to keep
yourselves free from the desire for property; for a man's life is not made
up of the number of things which he has. [16] And he said to them, in a
story, The land of a certain man of great wealth was very fertile: [17] And
he said to himself, What is to be done? for I have no place in which to put
all my fruit. [18] And he said, This I will do: I will take down my
store-houses and make greater ones, and there I will put all my grain and
my goods. [19] And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have a great amount of
goods in store, enough for a number of years; be at rest, take food and
wine and be happy. [20] But God said to him, You foolish one, tonight I
will take your soul from you, and who then will be the owner of all the
things which you have got together? [21] So that is what comes to the man
who gets wealth for himself, and has not wealth in the eyes of God. [22]
And he said to his disciples, For this reason I say to you, Take no thought
for your life, about what food you will take, or for your body, how it may
be clothed. [23] Is not life more than food, and the body than its
clothing? [24] Give thought to the ravens; they do not put seeds into the
earth, or get together grain; they have no store-houses or buildings; and
God gives them their food: of how much greater value are you than the
birds! [25] And which of you by taking thought is able to make himself any
taller? [26] If, then, you are not able to do even that which is least, why
are you troubled about the rest? [27] Give thought to the flowers: they do
no work, they make no thread; and still I say to you, Even Solomon, in all
his glory, was not clothed like one of these. [28] But if God gives such
clothing to the grass in the field, which today is living, and tomorrow
will be burned in the oven, how much more will he give clothing to you, O
men of little faith? [29] And do not give overmuch thought to your food and
drink, and let not your mind be full of doubts. [30] For the nations of the
world go in search of all these things: but your Father has knowledge that
you have need of them. [31] But let your chief care be for his kingdom, and
these other things will be given to you in addition. [32] Have no fear,
little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the
kingdom. [33] Give what property you have in exchange for money, and give
the money to the poor; make for yourselves money-bags which will not get
old, wealth stored up in heaven which will be yours for ever, where thieves
will not come nor worms put it to destruction. [34] For where your wealth
is, there will your heart be. [35] Be ready, dressed as for a journey, with
your lights burning. [36] And be like men who are looking for their lord,
when he comes back from the bride-feast; so that when he comes to the door,
it will be open to him quickly. [37] Happy are those servants who are
watching when the lord comes; truly I say to you, he will make himself
their servant and, placing them at the table, he will come out and give
them food. [38] And if he comes in the second division of the night or in
the third, and they are watching for him, happy are those servants. [39]
But be certain of this, that if the master of the house had had knowledge
of the time when the thief was coming, he would have been watching, and
would not have let his house be broken into. [40] So be ready: for the Son
of man is coming at a time when you are not looking for him. [41] And Peter
said to him, Lord, are these words said to us only, or to all men? [42] And
the Lord said, Who then is the wise and responsible servant whom his lord
will put in control of his family, to give them their food at the right
time? [43] Happy is that servant who, when his lord comes, is doing so.
[44] Truly I say to you, he will put him in control of all his goods. [45]
But if that servant says to himself, My lord is a long time coming; and
goes about giving blows to the men-servants and the women-servants,
feasting and taking overmuch wine; [46] The lord of that servant will come
at a time when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not
ready for him, and he will have him cut in two and will give him his part
in the fate of those who have no faith; [47] And the servant who had
knowledge of his lord's desires and was not ready for him and did not do as
he was ordered, will be given a great number of blows; [48] But he who,
without knowledge, did things for which punishment is given, will get only
a small number of blows. The man to whom much is given, will have to give
much; if much is given into his care, of him more will be requested. [49] I
came to send a fire on the earth, and it may even now have been lighted.
[50] But there is a baptism which I have to undergo; and how am I kept back
till it is complete! [51] Is it your opinion that I have come to give peace
on earth? I say to you, No, but division: [52] For from this time, a family
of five in one house will be on opposite sides, three against two and two
against three. [53] They will be at war, the father against his son, and
the son against his father; mother against daughter, and daughter against
mother; mother-in-law against daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against
mother-in-law. [54] Then he said to the people, When you see a cloud coming
up in the west, straight away you say, There will be rain; and so it is.
[55] And when you see a south wind blowing, you say, There will be heat;
and so it is. [56] O false ones! the face of the earth and the heaven is
clear to you; how is it that the signs of these times are not as clear to
you? [57] And why are you, in your hearts, unable to be judges of what is
right? [58] For if anyone has a cause at law against you, and you are going
with him before the ruler, make an attempt, on the way, to come to an
agreement with him, for if you do not, he may take you before the judge and
the judge will give you up to the police, and they will put you in prison.
[59] I say to you, You will not come out of it till you have made payment
to the very last farthing.
