Luke 12:4-21

⁴I tell you, my friends, don't be afraid of those who kill the body, for once they've done that there's no more they can do.

⁵Let me make it clear whom you should be afraid of. You should be afraid of the one who after he has killed has the power to dispose of them in Gehenna. That's the one you should be afraid of.

⁶Aren't five sparrows sold for two pennies? But God doesn't forget a single one of them.

⁷Even the hairs on your head have been counted. Don't be afraid—you're worth more than many sparrows!

⁸I tell you the truth, those who declare they belong to me, the Son of man will also declare they belong to him before God's angels,

⁹but those who deny me will be denied before God's angels.

¹⁰Everyone who speaks against the Son of man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

¹¹When you're brought to trial before synagogues, rulers, and authorities, don't worry about how to defend yourself, or what you should say.

¹²The Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what's important to say.”

¹³Someone in the crowd asked Jesus, “Teacher, please tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.”

¹⁴“My friend,” Jesus replied, “Who appointed me as your judge to decide how your inheritance should be divided?” He told the people,

¹⁵“Watch out, and beware of all greedy thoughts and actions, for a person's life isn't summed up by all the things they own.”

¹⁶Then he told them a story as an illustration. “Once there was a rich man who owned land that was very productive.

¹⁷The man said to himself, ‘What shall I do? I've nowhere to store my crops.

¹⁸I know what I'll do,’ he decided. ‘I'll pull down my barns and build bigger ones, and then I'll be able to store all my crops and everything I own.

¹⁹Then I'll tell myself: You have enough to live on for many years, so take life easy: eat, drink, and enjoy yourself!’

²⁰But God said to him, ‘You foolish man! Your life will be demanded back this very night, and then who will get everything you've stored up?’

²¹This is what happens to people who hoard up wealth for themselves but are not rich as far as God is concerned.”