Study Desk

In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

Under these circumstances, after so many thousands of people had gathered together that they were stepping on one another, He began saying to His disciples first of all, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.

"But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.

"Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

"I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do.

"Now I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do.

But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!

"But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed someone, has the power to throw that person into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God.

"Are five sparrows not sold for two assaria? And yet not one of them has gone unnoticed in the sight of God.

Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

"But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not fear; you are more valuable than a great number of sparrows.

"And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God,

"Now I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before people, the Son of Man will also confess him before the angels of God;

but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God.

but the one who denies Me before people will be denied before the angels of God.

And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

"And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him.

And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say,

"Now when they bring you before the synagogues and the officials and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say;

for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."

for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."

Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."

Now someone in the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me."

But he said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?"

But He said to him, "You there—who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over the two of you?"

And he said to them, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

But He said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one is affluent does his life consist of his possessions."

And he told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man produced plentifully,

And He told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man was very productive.

and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?'

"And he began thinking to himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?'

And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.

"And he said, 'This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and I will store all my grain and my goods there.

And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry."'

'And I will say to myself, "You have many goods stored up for many years to come; relax, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself!"'

But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?'

"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is demanded of you; and as for all that you have prepared, who will own it now?'

So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God."

"Such is the one who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich in relation to God."

And he said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on.

And He said to His disciples, "For this reason I tell you, do not worry about your life, as to what you are to eat; nor for your body, as to what you are to wear.

For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.

"For life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.

Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!

"Consider the ravens, that they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds!

And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

"And which of you by worrying can add a day to his life's span?

If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?

"Therefore if you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about the other things?

Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

"Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither labor nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.

But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!

"Now if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You of little faith!

And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried.

"And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying.

For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them.

"For all these things are what the nations of the world eagerly seek; and your Father knows that you need these things.

Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

"But seek His kingdom, and these things will be provided to you.

"Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

"Do not be afraid, little flock, because your Father has chosen to give you the kingdom.

Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.

"Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor does a moth destroy.

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

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

"Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning,

"Be prepared, and keep your lamps lit.

and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks.

"You are also to be like people who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door for him when he comes and knocks.

Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them.

"Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will prepare himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and he will come up and serve them.

If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants!

"Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.

But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into.

"But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

"You too, be ready; because the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not think He will."

Peter said, "Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?"

Peter said, "Lord, are You telling this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?"

And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time?

And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time?

Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.

"Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.

Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.

"Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk,

"But if that slave says in his heart, 'My master will take a long time to come,' and he begins to beat the other slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk;

the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful.

then the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect, and at an hour that he does not know, and will cut him in two, and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

And that servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating.

"And that slave who knew his master's will and did not get ready or act in accordance with his will, will receive many blows,

But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

but the one who did not know it, and committed acts deserving of a beating, will receive only a few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.

"I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled!

"I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled!

I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished!

"But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!

Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.

"Do you think that I came to provide peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division;

For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three.

for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three.

They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."

"They 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."

He also said to the crowds, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming.' And so it happens.

And He was also saying to the crowds, "Whenever you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, 'A shower is coming,' and so it turns out.

And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,' and it happens.

"And whenever you feel a south wind blowing, you say, 'It will be a hot day,' and it turns out that way.

You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

"You hypocrites! You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and the sky, but how is it that you do not know how to analyze this present time?

"And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?

"And why do you not even judge by yourselves what is right?

As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison.

"For when you are going with your accuser to appear before the magistrate, on the way, make an effort to settle with him, so that he does not drag you before the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.

I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny."

"I tell you, you will not get out of there until you have paid up the very last lepton."