Luke 12:1-32

¹Meanwhile the people had gathered in thousands, so that they trod on one another, when Jesus, addressing himself to his disciples, began by saying to them, “Be on your guard against the leaven — that is, the hypocrisy — of the Pharisees.

²There is nothing, however covered up, which will not be uncovered, nor anything kept secret which will not become known.

³So all that you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear, within closed doors, will be proclaimed on the housetops.

⁴To you who are my friends I say, Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but after that can do no more.

⁵I will show you of whom you should be afraid. Be afraid of him who, after killing you, has the power to fling you into Gehenna. Yes, I say, be afraid of him.

⁶Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? Yet not one of them has escaped God's notice.

⁷No, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.

⁸Everyone, I tell you, who publicly acknowledges me, the Son of Man, also, will acknowledge before God's angels;

⁹but the person who publicly disowns me will be altogether disowned before God's angels.

¹⁰Everyone who will say anything against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but for the person who slanders the Holy Spirit there will be no forgiveness.

¹¹Whenever they take you before the synagogue Courts or the magistrates or other authorities, do not be anxious as to how you will defend yourselves, or what your defense will be, or what you will say;

¹²for the Holy Spirit will show you at the moment what you ought to say.”

¹³“Teacher,” a man in the crowd said to Jesus, “tell my brother to share the property with me.”

¹⁴But Jesus said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or an arbiter between you?”

¹⁵And then he added, “Take care to keep yourselves free from every form of covetousness; for even in the height of their prosperity a person's true life does not depend on what they have.”

¹⁶Then Jesus told them this parable — “There was once a rich man whose land was very fertile;

¹⁷and he began to ask himself ‘What will I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?

¹⁸This is what I will do,’ he said; ‘I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and store all my grain and my goods in them;

¹⁹and I will say to myself, Now you have plenty of good things put by for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.’

²⁰But God said to the man ‘Fool! This very night your life is being demanded; and as for all you have prepared — who will have it?’

²¹So it is with those who lay by wealth for themselves and are not rich to the glory of God.”

²²And Jesus said to his disciples, “That is why I say to you, Do not be anxious about the life here — what you can get to eat; or about your body — what you can get to wear.

²³For life is more than food, and the body than its clothes.

²⁴Think of the ravens — they neither sow nor reap; they have neither storehouse nor barn; and yet God feeds them! And how much more precious are you than birds!

²⁵But which of you, by being anxious, can prolong your life a moment?

²⁶And, if you cannot do even the smallest thing, why be anxious about other things?

²⁷Think of the lilies, and how they grow. They neither toil nor spin; yet, I tell you, even Solomon in all his splendor was not robed like one of these.

²⁸If, even in the field, God so clothes the grass which is living today and tomorrow will be thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, you of little faith!

²⁹And you — do not be always seeking what you can get to eat or what you can get to drink; and do not waver.

³⁰These are the things for which all the nations of the world are seeking, and your Father knows that you need them.

³¹No, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added for you.

³²So do not be afraid, my little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.