Luke 12

⁷Get rid of the old leaven, that you may be a new unleavened batch, as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

⁸Therefore let us keep the feast, not with the old bread, leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and of truth.

¹Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander.

¹⁷But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peace-loving, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere.

⁶“Watch out!” Jesus told them. “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

⁷They discussed this among themselves and concluded, “It is because we did not bring any bread.”

¹⁵“Watch out!” He cautioned them. “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod.”

¹⁶So they began to discuss with one another the fact that they had no bread.

⁵⁶You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and sky. Why don’t you know how to interpret the present time?

²²For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light.

¹⁰For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad.

¹⁷For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be made known and brought to light.

¹⁴For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.

²⁶So do not be afraid of them. For there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known.

²⁷What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops.

⁵Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.

²⁷What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops.

²⁰Do not curse the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich even in your bedroom, for a bird of the air may carry your words, and a winged creature may report your speech.

³⁶But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.

¹²The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool consume him.

¹³The beginning of his talk is folly, and the end of his speech is evil madness.

¹⁴When daylight is gone, the murderer rises to kill the poor and needy; in the night he is like a thief.

¹⁵The eye of the adulterer watches for twilight. Thinking, ‘No eye will see me,’ he covers his face.

¹⁴Enoch, the seventh from Adam, also prophesied about them: “Behold, the Lord is coming with myriads of His holy ones

¹⁵to execute judgment on everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of every ungodly act of wickedness and every harsh word spoken against Him by ungodly sinners.”

²⁸Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

⁸Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you,” declares the Lord.

¹⁰Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will suffer tribulation for ten days. Be faithful even unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

²⁸without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a clear sign of their destruction but of your salvation, and it is from God.

¹⁴But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear; do not be shaken.”

⁷Listen to Me, you who know what is right, you people with My law in your hearts: Do not fear the scorn of men; do not be broken by their insults.

⁸For the moth will devour them like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool. But My righteousness will last forever, My salvation through all generations.”

⁴For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them deep into hell, placing them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment;

²⁸Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

⁷And he said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come. Worship the One who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and the springs of waters.”

¹⁷The wicked will return to Sheol—all the nations who forget God.

³¹It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

²⁶He who fears the Lord is secure in confidence, and his children shall have a place of refuge.

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

⁹He provides food for the animals, and for the young ravens when they call.

¹⁵The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in season.

¹⁶You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.

²⁹Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.

⁵Who is like the Lord our God, the One enthroned on high?

⁶He humbles Himself to behold the heavens and the earth.

¹⁰for every beast of the forest is Mine—the cattle on a thousand hills.

¹¹I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are Mine.

³⁰And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

³¹So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

²⁶Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

³For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your place.

⁴Because you are precious and honored in My sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you and nations in place of your life.

¹¹“Please,” she replied, “may the king invoke the Lord your God to prevent the avenger of blood from increasing the devastation, so that my son may not be destroyed!” “As surely as the Lord lives,” he vowed, “not a hair of your son’s head will fall to the ground.”

¹⁸Yet not even a hair of your head will perish.

⁴⁵But the people said to Saul, “Must Jonathan die—he who accomplished such a great deliverance for Israel? Never! As surely as the Lord lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for with God’s help he has accomplished this today.” So the people rescued Jonathan, and he did not die.

³²Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father in heaven.

³³But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in heaven.

²³Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well.

⁹that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

¹⁰For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.

¹²if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He will also deny us;

¹⁰In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”

⁴But you do have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments, and because they are worthy, they will walk with Me in white.

⁵Like them, he who overcomes will be dressed in white. And I will never blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and His angels.

¹²if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He will also deny us;

³⁸If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in His Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

³³But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in heaven.

²⁶If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

²³Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’

⁸I know your deeds. Behold, I have placed before you an open door, which no one can shut. I know that you have only a little strength, yet you have kept My word and have not denied My name.

³¹Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.

³²Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the one to come.

¹⁶If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he should ask God, who will give life to those who commit this kind of sin. There is a sin that leads to death; I am not saying he should ask regarding that sin.

¹³I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man; yet because I had acted in ignorance and unbelief, I was shown mercy.

²⁸Truly I tell you, the sons of men will be forgiven all sins and blasphemies, as many as they utter.

²⁹But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of eternal sin.”

⁴It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit,

⁵who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age—

²⁶If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains,

²⁷but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume all adversaries.

¹⁷But beware of men, for they will hand you over to their councils and flog you in their synagogues.

¹⁸On My account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.

⁵The next day the rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem,

⁶along with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and many others from the high priest’s family.

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.

¹²But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. On account of My name they will deliver you to the synagogues and prisons, and they will bring you before kings and governors.

¹³This will be your opportunity to serve as witnesses.

³⁴Because of this, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and others you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town.

⁹So be on your guard. You will be delivered over to the councils and beaten in the synagogues. On My account you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them.

¹⁰And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all the nations.

¹⁵For I will give you speech and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.

²⁰For it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

⁸Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people!

¹⁰but they could not stand up to his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.

¹¹And the Lord said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Or who makes the mute or the deaf, the sighted or the blind? Is it not I, the Lord?

⁵⁵But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

⁵and constant friction between men of depraved mind who are devoid of the truth. These men regard godliness as a means of gain.

⁴⁵The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.

³¹So My people come to you as usual, sit before you, and hear your words; but they do not put them into practice. Although they express love with their mouths, their hearts pursue dishonest gain.

¹⁸When Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money.

¹⁹“Give me this power as well,” he said, “so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

¹⁴from such men, O Lord, by Your hand—from men of the world whose portion is in this life. May You fill the bellies of Your treasured ones and satisfy their sons, so they leave their abundance to their children.

²⁰But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, “Why did You make me like this?”

³So when you, O man, pass judgment on others, yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?

¹⁵Then Jesus, realizing that they were about to come and make Him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by Himself.

¹⁴But the man replied, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you planning to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “This thing I have done has surely become known.”

¹You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on another. For on whatever grounds you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.

²⁰When Jesus saw their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

⁵Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”

⁶Of course, godliness with contentment is great gain.

⁷For we brought nothing into the world, so we cannot carry anything out of it.

³⁶Turn my heart to Your testimonies and not to covetous gain.

³⁷Turn my eyes away from worthless things; revive me with Your word.

¹⁶How much better to acquire wisdom than gold! To gain understanding is more desirable than silver.

¹⁶Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure with turmoil.

²⁵Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?

²⁶Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

¹²Now Isaac sowed seed in the land, and that very year he reaped a hundredfold. And the Lord blessed him,

¹³and he became richer and richer, until he was exceedingly wealthy.

⁴⁷During the seven years of abundance, the land brought forth bountifully.

⁴⁸During those seven years, Joseph collected all the excess food in the land of Egypt and stored it in the cities. In every city he laid up the food from the fields around it.

⁸For she does not acknowledge that it was I who gave her grain, new wine, and oil, who lavished on her silver and gold—which they crafted for Baal.

¹²Behold, these are the wicked—always carefree as they increase their wealth.

⁴⁵that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

⁶The tents of robbers are safe, and those who provoke God are secure—those who carry their god in their hands.

⁴²Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

⁷Isn’t it to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your home, to clothe the naked when you see him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

¹³Share with the saints who are in need. Practice hospitality.

⁶Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

⁷Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not out of regret or compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver.

³⁰Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

¹⁶By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

¹⁵Such wisdom does not come from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

¹⁵Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that.”

⁶And the Lord said, “Listen to the words of the unjust judge.

²¹This is how it will be for anyone who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich toward God.”

¹⁴from such men, O Lord, by Your hand—from men of the world whose portion is in this life. May You fill the bellies of Your treasured ones and satisfy their sons, so they leave their abundance to their children.

⁴For a while he refused, but later he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect men,

¹Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.

¹³Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business, and make a profit.”

¹⁴You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

¹⁹Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

²⁰But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

³²If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for human motives, what did I gain? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”

¹⁹Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things.

¹¹Woe to those who rise early in the morning in pursuit of strong drink, who linger into the evening, to be inflamed by wine.

⁸For what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off, when God takes away his life?

¹¹Like a partridge hatching eggs it did not lay is the man who makes a fortune unjustly. In the middle of his days his riches will desert him, and in the end he will be the fool.”

⁷For we brought nothing into the world, so we cannot carry anything out of it.

⁶Surely every man goes about like a phantom; surely he bustles in vain; he heaps up riches not knowing who will haul them away.

¹⁴You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

¹⁶Though he heaps up silver like dust and piles up a wardrobe like clay,

¹⁷what he lays up, the righteous will wear, and his silver will be divided by the innocent.

¹⁹Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

²⁰But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

³³Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide yourselves with purses that will not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.

⁵Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him?

¹Come now, you who are rich, weep and wail over the misery to come upon you.

²Your riches have rotted and moths have eaten your clothes.

¹⁸Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, and to be generous and ready to share,

¹⁹treasuring up for themselves a firm foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

⁹I know your affliction and your poverty—though you are rich! And I am aware of the slander of those who falsely claim to be Jews, but are in fact a synagogue of Satan.

²⁵Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?

²⁶Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

⁶Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

⁵Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”

³²I want you to be free from concern. The unmarried man is concerned about the work of the Lord, how he can please the Lord.

²⁹And do not be concerned about what you will eat or drink. Do not worry about it.

⁶“Very well,” said the Lord to Satan. “He is in your hands, but you must spare his life.”

⁸Riches may ransom a man’s life, but a poor man hears no threat.

⁴“Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give up all he owns in exchange for his life.

¹⁸We were tossed so violently that the next day the men began to jettison the cargo.

¹⁹On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands.

¹²“Very well,” said the Lord to Satan. “Everything he has is in your hands, but you must not lay a hand on the man himself.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

¹⁷As soon as the men had brought them out, one of them said, “Run for your lives! Do not look back, and do not stop anywhere on the plain! Flee to the mountains, or you will be swept away!”

⁷And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

³¹So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

⁹He provides food for the animals, and for the young ravens when they call.

⁴¹Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God as they wander about for lack of food?

¹⁵The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in season.

¹⁶You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.

¹¹who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds of the air?’

²⁷Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

³⁶Nor should you swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black.

⁷Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

⁶Surely every man goes about like a phantom; surely he bustles in vain; he heaps up riches not knowing who will haul them away.

¹³Consider the work of God: Who can straighten what He has bent?

²⁸And why do you worry about clothes? Consider how the lilies of the field grow: They do not labor or spin.

²⁹Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these.

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

¹Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to test him with difficult questions.

²She arrived in Jerusalem with a very large caravan—with camels bearing spices, gold in great abundance, and precious stones. And she came to Solomon and spoke to him all that was on her mind.

¹Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon, she came to test him with difficult questions. She arrived in Jerusalem with a very large caravan—with camels bearing spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones. And she came to Solomon and spoke with him about all that was on her mind.

²And Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for him to explain.

¹⁰But the one who is rich should exult in his low position, because he will pass away like a flower of the field.

¹¹For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its flower falls and its beauty is lost. So too, the rich man will fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

⁶A voice says, “Cry out!” And I asked, “What should I cry out?” “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field.

³¹Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and took hold of Peter. “You of little faith,” He said, “why did you doubt?”

³⁰If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

²⁴For, “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,

²⁰“Because you have so little faith,” He answered. “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

⁸Aware of their conversation, Jesus said, “You of little faith, why are you debating among yourselves about having no bread?

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.

³¹Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’

³⁵Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you out without purse or bag or sandals, did you lack anything?” “Nothing,” they answered.

⁷Stay at the same house, eating and drinking whatever you are offered. For the worker is worthy of his wages. Do not move around from house to house.

⁸If you enter a town and they welcome you, eat whatever is set before you.

³²For the Gentiles strive after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

⁸Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

¹⁷So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.

³²Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.

²Consequently, he does not live out his remaining time on earth for human passions, but for the will of God.

³For you have spent enough time in the past carrying out the same desires as the Gentiles: living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and detestable idolatry.

⁵not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God;

³³But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.

⁵Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”

⁹Fear the Lord, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack nothing.

¹¹So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this instead of requesting long life or wealth for yourself or death for your enemies—but you have asked for discernment to administer justice—

¹²behold, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been another like you, nor will there ever be.

²⁷Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.”

⁸For physical exercise is of limited value, but godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for the present life and for the one to come.

²⁸Therefore, since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us be filled with gratitude, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.

³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

⁴and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for you,

⁶who has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and power forever and ever! Amen.

¹³For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.

²¹At that time Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was well-pleasing in Your sight.

³⁴Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

²¹Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”

⁴⁵Selling their possessions and goods, they shared with anyone who was in need.

²²On hearing this, Jesus told him, “You still lack one thing: Sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”

³⁴There were no needy ones among them, because those who owned lands or houses would sell their property, bring the proceeds from the sales,

³⁵and lay them at the apostles’ feet for distribution to anyone as he had need.

¹⁹Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

²⁰But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

⁹I tell you, use worldly wealth to make friends for yourselves so that when it is gone, they will welcome you into eternal dwellings.

²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

¹Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, strive for the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

²Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

²⁰But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,

¹³Therefore prepare your minds for action. Be sober-minded. Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

¹⁴Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed,

⁴But the wise ones took oil in flasks along with their lamps.

⁵When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

¹“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

¹⁶In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

²⁷None of them grows weary or stumbles; no one slumbers or sleeps. No belt is loose and no sandal strap is broken.

²⁰But you, beloved, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,

²¹keep yourselves in the love of God as you await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you eternal life.

⁷Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer awaits the precious fruit of the soil—how patient he is for the fall and spring rains.

⁸You, too, be patient and strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near.

²⁰Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me.

²⁵The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.

²⁶It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

⁴From ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides You, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.

³⁴It is like a man going on a journey who left his house, put each servant in charge of his own task, and instructed the doorkeeper to keep watch.

³⁵Therefore keep watch, because you do not know when the master of the house will return—whether in the evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or in the morning.

¹⁴Therefore, beloved, as you anticipate these things, make every effort to be found at peace—spotless and blameless in His sight.

⁴²Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day on which your Lord will come.

⁴So He got up from the supper, laid aside His outer garments, and wrapped a towel around His waist.

⁵After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel that was around Him.

⁴⁵Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the others their food at the proper time?

⁴⁶Blessed is that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.

⁹Rather, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.”

²⁶If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, My servant will be as well. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.

⁴But you, brothers, are not in the darkness so that this day should overtake you like a thief.

⁵For you are all sons of the light and sons of the day; we do not belong to the night or to the darkness.

⁶At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

³Remember, then, what you have received and heard. Keep it and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know the hour when I will come upon you.

¹⁰But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid bare.

¹⁵“Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who remains awake and clothed, so that he will not go naked and let his shame be exposed.”

⁴³But understand this: If the homeowner had known in which watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.

⁴⁴For this reason, you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.

²For you are fully aware that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

³While people are saying, “Peace and security,” destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

¹⁹Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

⁶So then, let us not sleep as the others do, but let us remain awake and sober.

¹³Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

¹¹And do this, understanding the occasion. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

⁴⁴For this reason, you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.

⁷Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him the glory. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready.

¹²as you anticipate and hasten the coming of the day of God, when the heavens will be destroyed by fire and the elements will melt in the heat.

¹³But in keeping with God’s promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

³⁷And what I say to you, I say to everyone: Keep watch!”

⁷The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear-minded and sober, so that you can pray.

³⁷Then Jesus returned and found them sleeping. “Simon, are you asleep?” He asked. “Were you not able to keep watch for one hour?

⁴⁵Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the others their food at the proper time?

⁴⁶Blessed is that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.

¹⁷Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they watch over your souls as those who must give an account. To this end, allow them to lead with joy and not with grief, for that would be of no advantage to you.

¹So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

²Now it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.

¹⁰As good stewards of the manifold grace of God, each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another.

¹As a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings, and a partaker of the glory to be revealed, I appeal to the elders among you:

²Be shepherds of God’s flock that is among you, watching over them not out of compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not out of greed, but out of eagerness;

¹⁵When he returned from procuring his kingship, he summoned the servants to whom he had given the money, to find out what each one had earned.

¹⁶The first servant came forward and said, ‘Master, your mina has produced ten more minas.’

²⁹And I bestow on you a kingdom, just as My Father has bestowed one on Me,

³⁰so that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

⁴⁷Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

¹⁷His master replied, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, you shall have authority over ten cities.’

¹⁸The second servant came and said, ‘Master, your mina has made five minas.’

²And many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, but others to shame and everlasting contempt.

³Then the wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever and ever.

¹⁸I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, white garments so that you may be clothed and your shameful nakedness not exposed, and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.

⁴⁸But suppose that servant is wicked and says in his heart, ‘My master will be away a long time.’

⁴⁹And he begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.

⁷As much as she has glorified herself and lived in luxury, give her the same measure of torment and grief. In her heart she says, ‘I sit as queen; I am not a widow and will never see grief.’

⁸Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and grief and famine—and she will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.”

⁸‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord God, because My flock lacks a shepherd and has become prey and food for every wild beast, and because My shepherds did not search for My flock but fed themselves instead,

²he had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put in the stocks at the Upper Gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the Lord.

²²“Son of man, what is this proverb that you have in the land of Israel: ‘The days go by, and every vision fails’?

⁶The rest seized his servants, mistreated them, and killed them.

¹⁵“Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who remains awake and clothed, so that he will not go naked and let his shame be exposed.”

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

⁵¹Then he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

⁵The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked; His soul hates the lover of violence.

⁹For the evildoers will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

¹⁹Then I will say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry!”’

²⁰But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’

¹⁷Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do, yet fails to do it, is guilty of sin.

⁴¹“If you were blind,” Jesus replied, “you would not be guilty of sin. But since you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”

²²If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin.

²³Whoever hates Me hates My Father as well.

⁴⁸There is a judge for the one who rejects Me and does not receive My words: The word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.

²If the guilty man deserves to be beaten, the judge shall have him lie down and be flogged in his presence with the number of lashes his crime warrants.

³He may receive no more than forty lashes, lest your brother be beaten any more than that and be degraded in your sight.

³⁰Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere to repent.

¹Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.

¹⁷If someone sins and violates any of the Lord’s commandments even though he was unaware, he is guilty and shall bear his punishment.

¹⁰Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.

¹¹So if you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will entrust you with true riches?

¹⁴For it is just like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted them with his possessions.

¹⁵To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent—each according to his own ability. And he went on his journey.

¹²Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

²²If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin.

¹“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble; the day is coming when I will set them ablaze,” says the Lord of Hosts. “Not a root or branch will be left to them.”

¹⁰The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

¹¹I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

²But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire, like a launderer’s soap.

³And He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will present offerings to the Lord in righteousness.

⁵¹Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but division.

⁵²From now on, five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three.

³⁰I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke.

³¹The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the Lord.

⁴but with righteousness He will judge the poor, and with equity He will decide for the lowly of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth and slay the wicked with the breath of His lips.

²⁷Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? No, it is for this purpose that I have come to this hour.

²⁸Father, glorify Your name!” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”

³⁰When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished.” And bowing His head, He yielded up His spirit.

³⁴Jesus explained, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work.

⁶Therefore Jesus told them, “Although your time is always at hand, My time has not yet come.

⁷The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me, because I testify that its works are evil.

³²As they were going up the road to Jerusalem, Jesus was walking ahead of them. The disciples were amazed, but those who followed were afraid. Again Jesus took the Twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to Him:

³³“Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes. They will condemn Him to death and will deliver Him over to the Gentiles,

⁸I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart.”

³⁴Do not assume that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

³⁵For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

⁴⁹I have come to ignite a fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!

⁷Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

⁸All these are the beginning of birth pains.

¹⁰Next I took my staff called Favor and cut it in two, revoking the covenant I had made with all the nations.

¹¹It was revoked on that day, and so the afflicted of the flock who were watching me knew that it was the word of the Lord.

¹⁴Then I cut in two my second staff called Union, breaking the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

⁷So I pastured the flock marked for slaughter, especially the afflicted of the flock. Then I took for myself two staffs, calling one Favor and the other Union, and I pastured the flock.

⁸And in one month I dismissed three shepherds. My soul grew impatient with the flock, and their souls also detested me.

¹⁸If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first.

¹⁹If you were of the world, it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.

¹At Iconium, Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue, where they spoke so well that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed.

²But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.

⁵Do not rely on a friend; do not trust in a companion. Seal the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms.

⁶For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man’s enemies are the members of his own household.

²They will put you out of the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.

²⁴Some of them were convinced by what he said, but others refused to believe.

¹⁹Again there was division among the Jews because of Jesus’ message.

²⁰Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and insane. Why would you listen to Him?”

⁶For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. A man’s enemies are the members of his own household.

²¹Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rise against their parents and have them put to death.

²²You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.

¹⁰At that time many will fall away and will betray and hate one another,

²And on that day, declares the Lord of Hosts, I will erase the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered. I will also remove the prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land.

³And if anyone still prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will say to him, ‘You shall not remain alive, because you have spoken falsely in the name of the Lord.’ When he prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will pierce him through.

²But He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘The weather will be fair, for the sky is red,’

³and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but not the signs of the times.

⁴⁴On the seventh time the servant reported, “There is a cloud as small as a man’s hand rising from the sea.” And Elijah replied, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’”

⁴⁵Meanwhile, the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and a heavy rain began to fall. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel.

¹²‘These men who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.’

¹⁷You whose clothes get hot when the land lies hushed under the south wind,

³and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but not the signs of the times.

³²Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branches become tender and sprout leaves, you know that summer is near.

³³So also, when you see all these things, you will know that He is near, right at the door.

²⁵At that time Jesus declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.

³²From Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do: 200 chiefs with all their kinsmen at their command.

⁴²and said, “If only you had known on this day what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes.

⁴³For the days will come upon you when your enemies will barricade you and surround you and hem you in on every side.

²⁴Seventy weeks are decreed for your people and your holy city to stop their transgression, to put an end to sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place.

²⁵Know and understand this: From the issuance of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Messiah, the Prince, there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of distress.

²⁴Stop judging by outward appearances, and start judging justly.”

²⁹If only they were wise, they would understand it; they would comprehend their fate.

¹⁴Doesn’t nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him,

²⁶Brothers, children of Abraham, and you Gentiles who fear God, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent.

²⁷The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning Him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath.

⁴⁰With many other words he testified, and he urged them, “Be saved from this corrupt generation.”

³⁰When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near.

²³So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,

²⁴leave your gift there before the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

²⁴“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able.

²⁵After the master of the house gets up and shuts the door, you will stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Lord, open the door for us.’ But he will reply, ‘I do not know where you are from.’

⁷Then an upright man could reason with Him, and I would be delivered forever from my Judge.

⁶Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.

⁸do not bring hastily to court. Otherwise, what will you do in the end when your neighbor puts you to shame?

⁹Argue your case with your neighbor without betraying another’s confidence,

⁶Therefore let all the godly pray to You while You may be found. Surely when great waters rise, they will not come near.

⁴²Then one poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amounted to a small fraction of a denarius.

³⁴In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should repay all that he owed.

⁴⁶And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

⁴¹Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

³We are obligated to thank God for you all the time, brothers, as is fitting, because your faith is growing more and more, and your love for one another is increasing.

²⁶And besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that even those who wish cannot cross from here to you, nor can anyone cross from there to us.’