Open English Translation LUKE Chapter 12

12 [ref]By then the crowd had grown to many thousands, so much so that they were trampling on each other. Meanwhile Yeshua told his followers, “Make sure that you’re not influenced by the hypocrisy of the Pharisee party—it spreads around like yeast in bread dough. 2 [ref]But everything that’s covered up now, will be uncovered in the future, and everything that’s now hidden will revealed. 3 Anything that you whispered in the dark will be heard in the light, and anything that was only for certain ears in a private room will be announced from the rooftops.

4 “And I’m telling you, my friends, that you shouldn’t be afraid of those who can kill your body (and after that they don’t have anything more that they can do). 5 But I’ll tell you who you should be afraid of: Be afraid of the one who has the authority to throw you into hell after you’re dead—yes, that’s who you should be afraid of.

6 “Aren’t five small birds sold for just a couple of small coins? Yet not one of those birds is forgotten by God. 7 Yes, God even knows the number of hairs on your head so don’t worry, each one of you is of more value than a whole flock of birds.

8 “I’m telling you that everyone who admits in public to following me, so too humanity’s child will tell your name to God’s messengers, 9 but anyone who disowns me in public will be disowned in front of God’s messengers.

10 [ref]“Everyone who says something against humanity’s child will be forgiven, but those who speak against the holy spirit won’t be forgiven.

11 [ref]“Whenever you get dragged into the meeting halls or in front of rulers or authorities, don’t worry about how you’ll defend yourselves or what you’ll say, 12 because the holy spirit will show you all the right thing to say at the right time.”

13 Then someone in the crowd said, “Teacher, tell my brother to give me a share of our father’s estate.”

14 “Man,” Yeshua responded, “who said that I’m the judge or arbitrator over you all?” 15 Then he told them, “Keep alert to avoid all greediness, because a person’s life is not about gaining lots of possessions.”

16 Then he told them all this parable, “One time a rich man’s farm produced a really good harvest. 17 So he started figuring out what do do, ‘What should I do because I don’t have anywhere to store my harvest.’ 18 ‘Ah,’ he said, ‘I know what I’ll do. I’ll knock down my barns and build bigger ones, and then I’ll store all my grain and other produce in there. 19 Then I’ll be able to tell my soul: Soul, you’ve got enough good things now to be able to relax for many years of resting, eating, drinking, and being happy.’ 20 But God said to him, ‘How foolish! Tonight I’ll be demanding your soul and then who will everything you stored up go to?’

21 “So that’s the end of someone who accumulated so much for himself, but wasn’t rich in God’s eyes.”

22 Then Yeshua told his followers, “That’s why I’m telling you all not to worry about your lifestyle: what to eat or what to wear, 23 because your life is more than food and your body is more than clothing. 24 Look at the ravens. They don’t plant seeds or harvest crops and they have no storerooms or barns, yet God keeps them fed, and humans are worth a lot more than birds. 25 Which of you can add even an hour to your life by spending more time worrying? 26 So if you can’t even do something small like that, why worry about bigger things. 27 [ref]Look at how the lilies grow. They don’t go to work or make fabric, yet even King Solomon at the height of his fame wasn’t dressed as well as one of them. 28 So if God dresses the weeds in the paddock that are here today and incinerated tomorrow, how much more would he look after you all—you with little faith?

29 “So don’t all be looking for what to eat or to drink, and don’t waste time by worrying 30 because people in every country in the world are looking for that, but your father already knows that you need those things. 31 Rather you should be striving to enter his kingdom, and then all these things will come as a bonus.

32 “Don’t be afraid, little flock, because actually your father takes pleasure in giving you the entire kingdom. 33 Sell what you own and give to the poor and so store your wealth in heaven where it won’t deteriorate or get lost or stolen from you, 34 because where your wealth is stored, that’s where your mind will be focused.

35 [ref]“Get up and get dressed and get the lamps burning 36 [ref]like someone who’s waiting for their master. When he leaves the wedding celebrations and comes and knocks, you’ll be ready to immediately open the door. 37 The master would bless the slaves that are ready, watching for when he arrives. I can assure you that he’ll dress himself and then he’ll seat them on couches and come and serve them there himself. 38 If he arrives around midnight or even in the small hours of the morning, he’ll find them ready. Yes, they’ll be blessed. 39 [ref]But you should also know this: if the home-owner knew what time the thief would arrive, he’d be ready watching and not allow his house to be burgled. 40 So you all need to be ready because you don’t know when I, humanity’s child, am going to arrive.”

41 Then Peter asked, “Master, is that parable just for us, or is it for everyone?”

42 The master answered, “So what would a faithful and wise slave be like, that the master might make into a manager over all his slaves, the one to give them their rations? 43 That slave will be blessed when his master arrives and finds him doing everything he should. 44 I can assure you all that the master will put him in charge of everything he owns. 45 In contrast, if that slave thought to himself that the master might be away for a long time, he might start beating the slave boys and slave girls, and start ordering feasts, and drinking and getting drunk, 46 then his master is sure to arrive when he’s not expecting him, and the master will give him a gruesome execution and he’ll be in hell with the unbelievers.

47 “Any slave who knows what their master wants, yet doesn’t get anything ready or start doing what’s wanted, they’ll get a good beating, 48 yet a slave that didn’t know what was expected, even if they might have done things worthy of a beating, they’ll just get a couple of blows. Everyone who’s given much is expected to do much, and everyone who’s entrusted with many things, will have much more expected back from them.

49 “I came to throw fire onto the earth, and how I wish that it was already kindled, 50 [ref]but I have to undergo an immersion into suffering, and until it’s achieved, the weight of it coming crushes my soul. 51 You all probably expect that I came to bring peace to the earth? No, I’m telling you, not peace but conflict, 52 because from now on, if there’s five people in one house, they’ll be split with three against two and two against three. 53 [ref]Fathers will be in conflict with their sons, and sons with fathers, mothers against daughters and daughters against mothers, mothers-in-law against their daughters-in-law and daughters-in-law against mothers-in-law.”

54 Yeshua also told the crowds, “Whenever you see a cloud coming from the west, you all say that it’s going to rain, and sure enough it does.” 55 Likewise if there’s a wind from the south, you all say that it’s going to be a scorcher, and sure enough it is. 56 Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the sky and the ground, but you all don’t know how to scrutinise this time period.

57 “Even for yourselves, can’t you judge what is right and wrong? 58 Because as you’re on the way with your opponent to an arbitrator, think hard about how to resolve the case, because if you don’t, he might drag you off to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the constable, and the constable will toss you into a prison cell. 59 I’m telling you that you won’t get out of there until every last penny has been repaid.”