1 In the meantime, the vast multitude having been gathered together, so as to tread one upon another, He began to say to His disciples, first, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
2 But nothing has been covered up, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.
3 Wherefore, whatsoever ye said in the darkness shall be heard in the light; and what ye spake in the ear in the inner chambers shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.
4 "And I say to you, my friends, be not frightened by those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do;
5 but I will show you Whom ye should fear; fear Him Who, after killing, has authority to cast into Hell; yea, I say to you, fear Him.
6 "Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings? and one of them is not forgotten before God.
7 But even the hairs of your head have all been numbered; fear not, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
8 "And I say to you, every one who shall confess Me before men, him will the Son of Man confess before the angels of God;
9 but he who denied Me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.
10 And every one who shall say a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven.
11 And, when they bring you in before the synagogues, and the rulers, and the authorities, be not anxious how or what ye shall answer, or what ye shall say;
12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what ye ought to say."
13 And one out of the multitude said to Him, "Teacher, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me."
14 But He said to him, "Man, who appointed Me a judge or a divider over you?"
15 And He said to them, "Take heed, and guard yourselves from all covetousness; because one's life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses."
16 And He spake a parable to them, saying, "A certain rich man's field yielded bountifully;
17 and he reasoned within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, because I have not where to store my fruits?'
18 And he said, 'This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build larger ones; and there will I store all my grain and my goods.
19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have much goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.'
20 But God said to him, 'Senseless one! this night they require your soul of you; and the things you prepared, whose shall they be?'
22 And He said to His disciples, "Therefore, I say to you, be not anxious for your soul, what ye shall eat; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on;
23 for the soul is more than the food; and the body, than the clothing.
24 "Consider the ravens, that they neither sow nor reap; which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them! Of how much more value are ye than the birds!
25 "And who of you, by being anxious, can add one cubit to his stature?
26 If, therefore, ye cannot do the least thing, why are ye anxious about the rest?
27 Consider the lilies, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; and I say to you, even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed as one of these!
28 Now, if God so clotheth the grass in the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into an oven, how much more shall He clothe you, O ye of little faith!
29 And seek ye not what ye shall eat, and what ye shall drink; nor be troubled with anxiety;
30 for after all these things are the nations of the world seeking; and your Father knoweth that ye need these things.
31 But seek ye His Kingdom, and these things shall be added to you.
32 "Fear not, little flock; because your Father delighted to give you the Kingdom.
33 Sell what ye have, and give alms; make for yourselves purses that grow not old, a treasure unfailing in Heaven, where no thief approaches, nor moth corrupts;
34 for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
35 "Let your loins be girded about, and your lamps burning;
36 and yourselves like men waiting for their lord, when he shall return from the marriage feast; that, when he comes and knocks, they may straightway open to him.
37 Happy are those servants, whom their lord, when coming, shall find watching! Verily I say to you, that he will gird himself, and make them recline; and, coming near, he will serve them.
38 And, if he shall come in the second watch, and if in the third, and find them so, happy are they!
39 But know this, that, if the householder had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.
40 Be ye also ready; because at an hour ye think not the Son of Man cometh."
42 And the Lord said, "Who, then, is the faithful steward, the wise one, whom his lord will appoint over his household to give the portion of food in due season?
43 Happy that servant, whom his lord, when he comes, shall find so doing.
44 Of a truth I say to you, that he will appoint him over all his goods.
45 But, if that servant should say in his heart, My lord is delaying to come, and shall begin to beat the manservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;
46 the lord of that servant will come in a day when he is not expecting him, and in an hour which he knows not, and will cut him asunder, and appoint his portion with the unfaithful.
47 And that servant who knew his lord's will, and made not ready, nor did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes;
48 but he who knew not, and did things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few. And to whomsoever much is given, of him will much be required; and to whomsoever they committed much, of him they will ask the more.
49 "I came to cast fire on the earth; and what wish I, if it were already kindled?
50 But I have an immersion to be immersed with; and how am I constrained until it be accomplished!
51 Think ye that I came to give peace in the earth? I tell you, nay, but rather division.
52 For from this time forth five in one house will be divided, three against two, and two against three;
53 they will be divided, father against son, and son against father; mother against daughter, and daughter against the mother; mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against the mother-in-law."
54 And He said to the multitudes also, "When ye see a cloud rising in the west, straightway ye say 'A shower is coming!' and so it happens.
55 And, when ye see a south wind blowing, ye say, 'There will be scorching heat!' and it comes to pass.
56 Hypocrites! Ye know how to interpret the face of the earth and of the heavens but how is it ye know not how to interpret this time?
57 And why even of yourselves do ye not judge what is right?
58 For, as you are going with your adversary before the ruler, on the way give diligence to be released from him; lest he draw you to the judge, and the judge shall deliver you to the exactor, and the exactor shall cast you into prison.
59 I tell you, you will in no wise come out thence, till you shall pay even the last mite."