警戒门徒
1这时，成千上万的人聚集在一起，甚至互相践踏。耶稣先对门徒说：“你们要提防法利赛人的酵，就是他们的伪善。 2掩盖的事终会暴露出来，隐藏的秘密终会被人知道。 3你们在暗处说的，将在明处被人听见；你们在密室里的私语，将在屋顶上被人宣扬。
4“朋友们，我告诉你们，不要惧怕那些杀害人的身体后再也无计可施的人。 5我告诉你们应该惧怕谁，要惧怕上帝——祂有权终结人的生命，并把人丢在地狱里。是的，我告诉你们，要惧怕祂！
6“五只麻雀不是只卖两个铜钱吗？但上帝连一只麻雀也不会遗忘。 7其实就连你们的头发都被数过了。不要害怕，你们比许多麻雀要贵重！
8“我告诉你们，凡在人面前承认我的，人子在上帝的天使面前也必承认他。 9凡在人面前否认我的，人子在上帝的天使面前也要否认他。 10说话得罪人子的，还可以得到赦免，但亵渎圣灵的，必得不到赦免！ 11当人押你们到会堂，或到官员和当权者面前时，不要顾虑如何辩解，或说什么话， 12因为到时候圣灵必指示你们当说的话。”
无知富翁的比喻
13这时，人群中有人对耶稣说：“老师，请你劝劝我的兄长跟我分家产吧。”
14耶稣答道：“朋友，谁派我做你们的审判官或仲裁，为你们分家产呢？” 15接着，祂对众人说：“你们要小心防范一切的贪心，因为人的生命并不在于家道富足。”
16耶稣又讲了一个比喻，说：“有一个富翁，他的田里大丰收， 17于是心里盘算，‘我储藏农产的地方不够了，怎么办呢？’ 18于是他说，‘不如把原有的仓库拆掉，建几座更大的，好储藏我所有的粮食和财物！ 19那时，我就可以对自己说，“你积存这么多财产，一生享用不尽，现在大可高枕无忧、尽情地吃喝玩乐吧！”’ 20但上帝对他说，‘无知的人啊，今晚就要取走你的命！你所预备的一切留给谁享用呢？’”
21耶稣说：“这就是那些只顾为自己积财、在上帝面前却不富足之人的写照。”
不要为衣食忧虑
22耶稣继续对门徒说：“所以，我告诉你们，不要为生活忧虑，如吃什么，也不要为身体忧虑，如穿什么。 23因为生命比饮食重要，身体比穿着重要。 24你们看，乌鸦不种也不收，没仓也没库，上帝尚且养活它们，你们比飞鸟不知要贵重多少！
25“你们谁能用忧虑使自己多活片刻呢？ 26既然你们连这样的小事都无能为力，又何必为其余的事忧虑呢？ 27看看百合花如何生长吧，它们既不劳苦，也不纺织，但我告诉你们，就连所罗门王最显赫时的穿戴还不如一朵百合花！
28“野地的草今天还在，明天就要被丢在炉中，上帝还这样装扮它们，何况你们呢？你们的信心太小了！ 29你们不要为吃什么喝什么忧虑， 30因为这些都是外族人的追求，你们的天父知道你们需要这些。 31你们要寻求祂的国，祂必供给你们的需要。
32“你们这一小群人啊，不要怕！因为你们的天父乐意把祂的国赐给你们。 33要变卖你们的家产去周济穷人，要为自己预备永不破损的钱袋，在天上积攒取之不尽的财宝，那里没有贼偷，也没有虫蛀。 34因为你们的财宝在哪里，你们的心也在哪里。
警醒预备
35“你们要束上腰带，准备服侍，要点亮灯， 36像奴仆们等候主人从婚宴回来。主人回来一叩门，奴仆就可以立即给他开门。 37主人回来，看见奴仆警醒等候，奴仆就有福了！我实在告诉你们，主人必束上腰带请他们坐席，并亲自服侍他们。 38无论主人在深夜或黎明回家，若发现奴仆警醒等候，奴仆就有福了。
39“你们都知道，一家的主人若预先知道贼什么时候来，一定不会让贼入屋偷窃。 40同样，你们也要做好准备，因为在你们意想不到的时候，人子就来了。”
忠仆和恶仆
41彼得问：“主啊！你这比喻是讲给我们听的，还是讲给众人听的呢？”
42主说：“谁是那个受主人委托管理家中大小仆役、按时分粮食给他们、又忠心又精明的管家呢？ 43主人回家时，看见他尽忠职守，他就有福了。 44我实在告诉你们，主人一定会把所有产业都交给他管理。 45但如果他以为主人不会那么快回来，就殴打仆婢、吃喝醉酒， 46主人会在他想不到的日子、不知道的时辰回来，严厉地惩罚12:46 “严厉地惩罚”或作“腰斩”。他，使他和不忠不信的人同受严刑。 47明知主人的意思却不准备，也不遵行主人吩咐的仆人，必受更重的责打。 48但因不知道而做了该受惩罚之事的仆人，必少受责打。多给谁，就向谁多取；多托付谁，就向谁多要。
家庭分裂
49“我来是要把火丢在地上，我多么希望这火已经燃烧起来。 50我有要受的‘洗礼’，我何等迫切地想完成这‘洗礼’啊！ 51你们以为我来是要使天下太平吗？不，我告诉你们，我来是要使地上起纷争。 52从今以后，一家五口会彼此相争，三个人反对两个人，或是两个人反对三个人， 53父子相争，母女对立，婆媳反目。”
明辨是非
54然后，祂又对众人说：“你们看见云从西方升起，就说，‘快下雨了！’果然如此。 55南风一起，你们就说，‘天必燥热’，你们也说对了。 56你们这些伪善的人！既然知道观察天色、预测天气，为什么不知道观察这个世代呢？ 57你们为什么不自己明辨是非呢？ 58如果你和控告你的人要去对薄公堂，要尽量在路上跟对方和解，以免被拉到审判官面前，审判官派差役把你关进监牢。 59我告诉你，除非你付清所欠的每一分钱，否则休想出监牢。”
Warnings and encouragements
1Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: ‘Be12:1 Or speak to his disciples, saying: ‘First of all, be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 3What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.
4‘I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5But I will show you whom you should fear: fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. 6Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 7Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
8‘I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. 9But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned before the angels of God. 10And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
11‘When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, 12for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.’
The parable of the rich fool
13Someone in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.’
14Jesus replied, ‘Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?’ 15Then he said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.’
16And he told them this parable: ‘The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17He thought to himself, “What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.”
18‘Then he said, “This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’ ”
20‘But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?”
21‘This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich towards God.’
Do not worry
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. 23For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24Consider the ravens: they do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life12:25 Or single cubit to your height? 26Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
27‘Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. 28If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you – you of little faith! 29And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
32‘Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Watchfulness
35‘Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will make them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. 38It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or towards daybreak. 39But understand this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.’
41Peter asked, ‘Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?’
42The Lord answered, ‘Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? 43It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. 44Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45But suppose the servant says to himself, “My master is taking a long time in coming,” and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. 46The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.
47‘The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
Not peace but division
49‘I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed! 51Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53They 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.’
Interpreting the times
54He said to the crowd: ‘When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, “It’s going to rain,” and it does. 55And when the south wind blows, you say, “It’s going to be hot,” and it is. 56Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?
57‘Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? 58As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled on the way, or your adversary may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. 59I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.’
