Luke 12

Meanwhile a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so packed together that they were stepping on one another. Jesus spoke to his disciples first: "Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy."

1In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

NoteLeaven is yeast, or more precisely a lump of fermented dough held back from the last batch and worked into the new one. A very small piece changes the whole mass, which made it a stock image for an influence that spreads unseen. The Pharisees were a lay movement devoted to keeping the law of Moses in ordinary daily life, with their own detailed traditions about purity, tithing and the sabbath. They were widely respected teachers and held no formal governing power.

2"Nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing is hidden that will not be made known."

2For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.

3"So whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and whatever you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the rooftops."

3Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.

NoteHouses had flat roofs reached by an outside stair, used for sleeping, drying grain and talking across to neighbors, so a rooftop was in effect a public platform. The "closets" of the King James are not wardrobes but the windowless inner storerooms of a house, the most private space it had.

4"I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do nothing more."

4And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.

5"But I will warn you whom you should fear: fear the one who, after killing, has the power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him."

5But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

NoteThe word is Gehenna, taken from the valley of Hinnom just outside Jerusalem, a place with a grim history that had become the standard name for the place of final punishment. It is a different word from Hades, which means the general realm of the dead.

6"Aren't five sparrows sold for two small coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them."

6Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?

NoteThe coin is the assarion, a small copper piece worth roughly a sixteenth of a day's wage for a laborer. Sparrows were the cheapest meat in the market, sold strung together for people who could afford nothing else.

7"Even the hairs on your head are all counted. So do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows."

7But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

8"I also tell you this: whoever says openly in front of others that he belongs to me, the Son of Man will say the same about him in front of God's angels."

8Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:

Note"Son of Man" is the title Jesus regularly uses of himself in the Gospels. In ordinary Aramaic the phrase can simply mean "a human being," but it also echoes the figure in Daniel 7 who is given lasting authority, and both senses stay in play.

9"But whoever says in front of others that he does not know me will be disowned in front of God's angels."

9But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.

10"And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven."

10And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.

Note"Holy Ghost" in the King James does not mean an apparition. In 1611 "ghost" was the ordinary English word for spirit, and this is exactly what modern translations call the Holy Spirit.

11"When they bring you before the meeting places, the officials, and the authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourself or what you will say."

11And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say:

NoteThe synagogue was the local assembly, and it was also a local court: it could hear charges and order floggings. "Magistrates and powers" covers the layers of authority above that, from local rulers to the Roman administration.

12"For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very moment what you ought to say."

12For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.

13Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to share the family inheritance with me."

13And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.

NoteProperty passed to the sons, with the eldest taking a double share and often controlling the undivided estate. Asking a respected teacher to arbitrate a family property dispute was normal. The man is not requesting a ruling on the law so much as asking Jesus to lean on his brother.

14Jesus answered him, "Man, who made me a judge, or the one who divides property between you?"

14And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?

15Then he said to them, "Be careful. Guard yourselves against greed of every kind. A person's life is not made up of how many things he owns."

15And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

16Then he told them a story: "The land of a certain rich man produced a huge crop."

16And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:

17"He thought to himself, 'What should I do? I have no place to store my crops.'"

17And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

18"Then he said, 'Here is what I will do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.'"

18And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.

19"'Then I will say to myself: You have plenty of good things saved up for many years. Relax. Eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.'"

19And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

NoteThe word the King James renders "soul" here is the ordinary Greek word for a person's life or self, the same word in God's reply in the next verse. The man is talking to himself, not to some inner part of himself.

20"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded back from you. Then who will get everything you stored up?'"

20But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

21"That is how it is for anyone who stores up riches for himself but is not rich toward God."

21So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

22Then Jesus said to his disciples, "So I tell you, do not worry about your life, about what you will eat, or about your body, about what you will wear."

22And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.

Note"Take no thought" in the King James does not mean "give it no consideration." In 1611 it meant to be anxious or worried about something, which is the sense of the Greek.

23"Life is worth more than food, and the body is worth more than clothing."

23The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.

NoteIn the King James "meat" means food of any kind, not flesh in particular, and "raiment" means clothing.

24"Think about the ravens. They do not plant or harvest, and they have no storeroom or barn, yet God feeds them. You are worth far more than birds."

24Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?

NoteRavens were among the birds Israelites were forbidden to eat, so they had no market value and no use to anyone. The choice of bird sharpens the comparison.

25"And which of you, by worrying, can add a single hour to your life?"

25And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?

NoteThe King James is literal here. The Greek says "add one cubit," a cubit being about eighteen inches, the length of a forearm, and the noun for what is being added can mean either bodily height or length of life. Both readings are ancient: "stature" takes it as height, "a single hour to your life" takes it as lifespan. The next verse calling it the smallest of things fits a span of time better than half a yard of height, but the wording itself does not settle it.

26"If you cannot do such a small thing as that, why do you worry about the rest?"

26If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?

27"Think about how the lilies grow. They do not work or spin thread. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these."

27Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

NoteSpinning meant twisting raw wool or flax into thread by hand, constant daily labor and usually women's work. Solomon was Israel's proverbially wealthy king, remembered for the scale of his display.

28"If God dresses the grass this way, which is in the field today and thrown into the oven tomorrow, how much more will he clothe you! You have so little faith."

28If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?

NoteDried grass and stubble were the ordinary fuel for a clay baking oven. The plant that looks glorious in the morning is firewood the next day.

29"So do not go chasing after what you will eat or what you will drink, and do not be anxious about it."

29And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.

30"All the nations of the world chase after these things, and your Father knows that you need them."

30For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.

Note"The nations" translates the word usually rendered "Gentiles," the peoples other than Israel. Here it carries the wider sense of the world at large, those who do not know the God just called Father.

31"Instead, seek God's kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well."

31But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

32"Do not be afraid, little flock, because your Father is glad to give you the kingdom."

32Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

33"Sell what you own and give the money to the poor. Get yourselves money bags that do not wear out, a treasure in heaven that never runs out, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys."

33Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.

NoteMuch of a household's wealth was held in cloth: good robes, hangings and bedding were valuable and were passed on by inheritance. That is why moths stand beside thieves as a threat to treasure.

34"For wherever your treasure is, that is where your heart will be too."

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

35"Stay dressed and ready for work, and keep your lamps burning."

35Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;

NoteThe King James is literal. Men wore a long loose robe, and to work or move quickly they pulled the hem up and tucked it into the belt, "girding the loins." The phrase means simply to be ready for action. The lamps are small oil lamps that need refilling and trimming to burn through a night.

36"Be like servants waiting for their master to come home from a wedding feast, so that when he arrives and knocks, they can open the door for him at once."

36And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.

NoteWedding celebrations ran for days and the feasting went late, so the household could not know which night the master would return, or which hour of it. Doors were barred from the inside, so someone had to be awake to open.

37"Those servants are blessed if the master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will tie back his own clothes to serve, seat them at the table, and wait on them."

37Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.

Note"Gird himself" is the same picture as in verse 35: he hitches up his own robe the way a working servant would. Diners reclined on couches at a proper meal, so "make them to sit down to meat" means settle them at table for dinner and wait on them, which was a slave's job.

38"Even if he comes in the second watch of the night, or the third, and finds them ready, those servants are blessed."

38And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.

NoteThe night was divided into watches. On the Jewish reckoning of three watches, the second runs roughly from ten at night until two in the morning and the third from two until dawn: the dead middle of the night, when staying awake is hardest.

39"Understand this: if the owner of the house had known what hour the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into."

39And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.

Note"The goodman of the house" simply means the master or owner of the house. "Broken through" is literal: house walls were mud brick, and a thief dug through the wall rather than forcing the door.

40"You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you are not expecting him."

40Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.

41Then Peter said, "Lord, are you telling this story just to us, or to everyone?"

41Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all?

42The Lord answered, "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, the one his master puts in charge of the household staff to give them their share of food at the right time?"

42And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?

NoteA steward was the head of the household staff, very often a slave himself, trusted with the keys, the accounts and the rationing out of food to everyone else. The scene assumes a large household run for an owner who is away.

43"That servant is blessed if his master finds him doing this when he comes home."

43Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

44"I tell you the truth, the master will put him in charge of everything he owns."

44Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.

45"But suppose that servant says to himself, 'My master is taking a long time to come,' and he starts beating the other servants, both men and women, and eating and drinking and getting drunk."

45But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;

NoteThe "menservants and maidens" of the King James are the household's other slaves, the very people the steward was given authority over.

46"The master of that servant will come on a day he is not expecting and at an hour he does not know. He will cut him to pieces and put him with those who are not faithful."

46The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

Note"Cut him in sunder" is literal: the Greek verb means to cut in two. It may describe an actual punishment or may be a violent idiom for cutting someone off from the household, and translators differ. The word behind "unbelievers" can mean either those who do not believe or those who cannot be trusted, and the second sense fits a story about a servant who broke faith.

47"That servant who knew what his master wanted, but did not get ready or do what his master wanted, will be beaten with many blows."

47And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

NoteStripes are lashes from a whip or rod. Beating was the standard punishment for a household slave, and the number of strokes was set to match the offense, which is the distinction being drawn here.

48"But the servant who did not know, and did things that deserved a beating, will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required. From the one who has been trusted with much, even more will be asked."

48But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

49"I came to set fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already burning!"

49I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?

NoteThe second half of this sentence is genuinely hard in Greek. The King James gives it word for word, "what will I, if it be already kindled." The construction is usually taken as a wish, "how I wish it were already burning," but it can also be read as a question about what he wants, and the grammar does not decide between them.

50"But there is a baptism I must go through, and I am under great strain until it is finished."

50But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!

NoteThe root sense of the word baptism is dipping or being plunged in, and it is used here for something he will be submerged in and overwhelmed by. "Straitened" is old English for hemmed in and under pressure, not narrow-minded.

51"Do you think I came to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, I came to bring division."

51Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:

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

52For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.

53"They will be split apart: father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her son's wife and the son's wife against her mother-in-law."

53The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

NoteThe list is close to a quotation of Micah 7:6, where a family turning on itself is the sign of a society coming apart. Households were extended: a married son normally brought his wife into his parents' house, which is why the mother-in-law and the son's wife are named as a pair.

54He also said to the crowds, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say right away, 'A rain shower is coming,' and it does."

54And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is.

NoteWeather moving in from the west comes off the Mediterranean and brings rain. This is everyday local knowledge, the sort of thing any farmer could read at a glance.

55"And when the south wind blows, you say, 'It is going to be hot,' and it is."

55And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass.

NoteA wind from the south comes off the desert and brings dry heat, the counterpart to the rain-bearing wind off the sea.

56"You hypocrites! You know how to read the look of the earth and the sky. So why can't you read what this present time means?"

56Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?

NoteThe word behind "this time" is not the general word for passing time but the one for a particular moment, a season with something at stake in it, the way we say "the moment has come."

57"And why don't you decide for yourselves what is right?"

57Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?

58"When you are going with someone who has a case against you to see the official, try hard to settle with him on the way. Otherwise he may drag you to the judge, the judge may hand you to the officer, and the officer may throw you in prison."

58When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison.

NoteThe picture is a debt case on its way to court. The "officer" of the King James is the court's collection officer, whose duties included holding a debtor in prison until the family paid what was owed. Settling on the road was the last chance to stay out of his hands.

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

59I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite.

NoteThe mite is the lepton, the smallest coin in circulation, worth only a few minutes of a laborer's work. The point is the final fraction of the debt, not a token payment.