1 In circumstances when crowds numbering in the tens of thousands had assembled so that they were trampling one another, He {Iesous, Divine Teacher} began to say to His disciples first, “Beware for yourselves of the leaven {zyme: corrupting influence} of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.”
2 But there is nothing that has been covered {synkekalymmenon: deliberately concealed} that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden {krupton: kept secret} that will not be known.
3 Therefore, whatever you have spoken in the darkness {skotia: secrecy or hiddenness} shall be heard in the light, and what you have spoken to the ear {ous: private hearing} in the inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.
4 But I {Iesous, Source of Courage} say to you, my friends {philos: dearly beloved ones}, do not fear those who kill the body, and after these things they can do nothing more.
5 But I will show you whom you must fear: Fear the one who, after He {Theos, Righteous Judge} has killed, has authority to cast into Gehenna {geenna: final judgment}. Yes, I tell you, fear Him.
6 Are not five sparrows sold for two assaria {assarion: Roman copper coins}, and not one of them is forgotten before God {Theos, All-Knowing Guardian}?
7 But even the hairs {triches: individual strands} of your head are all numbered; do not fear, for you are more valuable {diapherete: exceed in value} than many sparrows.
8 But I {Iesous, Faithful Witness} say to you, everyone who confesses Me before people, the Son of Man will also confess him before the angels of God {Theos, Heavenly Judge}.
9 But the one who denies Me before people {anthropon: human witnesses} will be denied before the angels of God {Theos, Divine Arbiter}.
10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man {anthropou: shared human nature} will be forgiven; but whoever has blasphemed against the Holy Spirit {hagion pneuma, Divine Witness} will not be forgiven.
11 But whenever they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious {merimnao: troubled concern} about how or what you should defend yourselves {apologeomai: formal reply}, or what you should say.
12 For the Holy Spirit {pneuma hagion, Guiding Teacher} will teach you in that very hour what you must say {eipein: speak out}.
13 But someone from the crowd said to Him {Iesous, Wise Dispute Arbiter}, “Teacher {didaskalos: spiritual instructor}, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
14 But He {Iesous, Questioned Teacher} said to him, “Man, who appointed Me a judge {krites: legal decision-maker} or a divider over you?”
15 And He {Iesous, Divine Teacher} said to them, "Watch and guard yourselves against every form of covetousness, for one's life {zoe: true human existence} does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
16 And He {Iesous, Parable Giver} spoke a parable to them, saying, “The land of a certain rich man produced abundantly {euphoresen: yielded plentifully}.”
17 And he was reasoning {dielogizeto: sustained self-questioning} within himself, saying, “What shall I do, because I do not have a place where I may store my fruits {karpous: harvested yield}?”
18 And he said, “This is what I will do: I will pull down my barns {apothekas: storage buildings} and build larger ones, and there I will gather all my grain and my goods {agatha: accumulated wealth}.”
19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many good things {agatha: beneficial possessions} laid up for many years; rest, eat, drink, rejoice {euphrainou: joyful celebration}.”
20 But God {Theos, Sovereign Judge} said to him, “Fool {aphron: lacking true understanding}, this very night your soul is being demanded from you; and the things you have prepared—who will they belong to?”
21 So it is with the one who stores up treasure {thesaurizon: stored wealth} for himself and is not rich toward God {Theos, Righteous Evaluator}.
22 And He {Iesous, Divine Teacher} said to His disciples, “Because of this I say to you, do not be anxious for your life {psyche: whole self}, what you may eat, nor for your body what you may put on.”
23 For life {psyche: whole living being} is more than food, and the body is more than clothing {enduma: outer garment}.
24 Consider the ravens {korakas: scavenging birds}; they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, yet God {Theos, Faithful Provider} feeds them. How much more do you differ from the birds?
25 But which one of you, by being anxious, is able to add a cubit {pechys: ancient measure} to his stature {helikia: age or stature}?
26 If then you are not even able to do the least {elachiston: smallest task}, why are you anxious concerning the rest {merimnate: burdened with worry}?
27 Consider the lilies, how they grow; they do not labor nor do they spin. Yet I {Iesous, Insightful Teacher} say to you, not even Solomon {Solomon: splendid Israelite king} in all his glory was arrayed like one of these.
28 But if God {Theos, Caring Provider} so clothes the grass in the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, by how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith {oligopistoi: lacking trust}?
29 And you, do not seek {zeteite: habitual pursuit} what you will eat or what you will drink, and do not be anxious {meteorizesthe: emotionally unsettled}.
30 For all the nations of the world seek after these things, but your Father {pater, Caring Provider} knows that you need them {chrezete: essential need}.
31 But instead, seek His {Theos, Sovereign Ruler} kingdom, and these things {tauta: daily necessities} will be added to you.
32 Do not fear, little flock, because your Father {pater, Tender Provider} has been pleased to give you the kingdom {basileia: divine reign}.
33 Sell your possessions and give alms; make for yourselves moneybags {ballantia: secure purses} which do not wear out, a treasure unfailing in the heavens, where no thief approaches nor moth {sēs: cloth destroyer} destroys.
34 For where your treasure {thesauros: valued possession} is, there also your heart {kardia: inner self} will be.
35 Let your loins be girded {periezosmenai: prepared for action}, and your lamps burning {lychnoi: lamps kept lit}.
36 And you also must be like men who are waiting for their master {Kyrios: Household Authority}, when he returns from the wedding feast {gamos: Marriage Celebration}, so that when he comes and knocks, they may open to him at once.
37 Blessed are those servants whom the master {kyrios: household master}, when he comes, will find watching; truly I say to you that he will gird himself {perizosetai: humble service} and make them recline, and coming forward he will serve them.
38 Even if he comes in the second watch {phylake: night guard}, or even in the third watch, and finds them so, blessed are those {ekeinoi: faithful servants}.
39 But know {ginoskete: perceive clearly} this: if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into {diorychthenai: break in secretly}.
40 And you also must be ready {hetoimoi: fully prepared}, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man {huios tou anthropou: Messianic Judge} will come.
41 But Peter said, “Lord {Kyrios, Master Teacher}, is it to us that You are speaking this parable {parabole: symbolic story}, or also to all?”
42 And the Lord {Kyrios, Master Teacher} said, “Who then is the faithful {pistos: reliably loyal} and wise steward, whom the master will appoint over his household servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time?”
43 Blessed is that servant {doulos: faithful attendant} whom, when his master {kyrios: household authority} comes, he will find so doing.
44 Truly {alethos: solemn affirmation}, I {Iesous, Truthful Teacher} say to you that he will appoint him over all his possessions {huparchousin: all that he owns}.
45 But if that servant says in his heart {kardia: inner reasoning}, ‘My master {Kyrios, Returning Judge} is delaying His coming,’ and begins to strike the male servants and the female servants, and to eat and to drink and to become drunk.
46 The master {kyrios: human authority} of that servant will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not know, and he will cut him in two and assign his portion with the unbelievers {apiston: those without faith}.
47 But that servant who knew the will of his master {kuriou: ruling owner} and did not prepare {hetoimasas: arrange in advance} or act in line with it will be beaten with many blows.
48 But the one who did not know and yet did things deserving blows will be beaten with few blows {plegon: deserved punishment}. From the one to whom much was given {edothe: generous bestowal}, much will be required; and from the one to whom much was entrusted, more will be demanded.
49 I {Iesous, Bearer of Fire} came to cast fire {pur: purging judgment} upon the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!
50 But I {Iesous, Resolute Sufferer} have a baptism {baptisma: suffering ordeal} to undergo, and how I am pressed until it is accomplished.