Luke 12 :: New International Version (NIV)

Warnings and Encouragements

(Mat 10:26, 27 )

Luk 12:1Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: “Be[fn] on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

Luk 12:2

Luk 12:2There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.

Luk 12:3

Luk 12:3What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.

(Mat 10:8–31 )

Luk 12:4

Luk 12:4“I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.

Luk 12:5

Luk 12:5But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.

Luk 12:6

Luk 12:6Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.

Luk 12:7

Luk 12:7Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

(Mat 10:32, 33 )

Luk 12:8

Luk 12:8“I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God.

Luk 12:9

Luk 12:9But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned before the angels of God.

Luk 12:10

Luk 12:10And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

Luk 12:11

Luk 12:11“When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say,

Luk 12:12

Luk 12:12for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”

The Parable of the Rich Fool

Luk 12:13

Luk 12:13Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

Luk 12:14

Luk 12:14Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?”

Luk 12:15

Luk 12:15Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

Luk 12:16

Luk 12:16And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest.

Luk 12:17

Luk 12:17He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

Luk 12:18

Luk 12:18“Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain.

Luk 12:19

Luk 12:19And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ’

Luk 12:20

Luk 12:20“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

Luk 12:21

Luk 12:21“This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

Do Not Worry

(Mat 6:19–21, 25–34 )

Luk 12:22

Luk 12:22Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear.

Luk 12:23

Luk 12:23For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.

Luk 12:24

Luk 12:24Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!

Luk 12:25

Luk 12:25Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life[fn]?

Luk 12:26

Luk 12:26Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

Luk 12:27

Luk 12:27“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

Luk 12:28

Luk 12:28If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith!

Luk 12:29

Luk 12:29And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it.

Luk 12:30

Luk 12:30For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them.

Luk 12:31

Luk 12:31But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

Luk 12:32

Luk 12:32“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.

Luk 12:33

Luk 12:33Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.

Luk 12:34

Luk 12:34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Watchfulness

(Mat 24:42–51 )

Luk 12:35

Luk 12:35“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning,

Luk 12:36

Luk 12:36like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him.

Luk 12:37

Luk 12:37It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.

Luk 12:38

Luk 12:38It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak.

Luk 12:39

Luk 12:39But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.

Luk 12:40

Luk 12:40You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

Luk 12:41

Luk 12:41Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?”

Luk 12:42

Luk 12:42The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time?

Luk 12:43

Luk 12:43It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns.

Luk 12:44

Luk 12:44Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

Luk 12:45

Luk 12:45But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk.

Luk 12:46

Luk 12:46The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

Luk 12:47

Luk 12:47“The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows.

Luk 12:48

Luk 12:48But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

Not Peace but Division

(Mat 10:34–39 )

Luk 12:49

Luk 12:49“I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!

Luk 12:50

Luk 12:50But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed!

Luk 12:51

Luk 12:51Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.

Luk 12:52

Luk 12:52From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three.

Luk 12:53

Luk 12:53They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

Interpreting the Times

(Mat 16:1–4 )

Luk 12:54

Luk 12:54He said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does.

Luk 12:55

Luk 12:55And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is.

Luk 12:56

Luk 12:56Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?

Luk 12:57

Luk 12:57“Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?

Luk 12:58

Luk 12:58As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled on the way, or your adversary may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.

Luk 12:59

Luk 12:59I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.”

See the NIV Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).

NIV Footnotes

(12:1)

Or speak to his disciples, saying: “First of all, be

(12:25)

Or single cubit to your height

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