Luke 12 - Easy To Read Version

¹ Many thousands of people came together. There were so many people that they were stepping on each other. Before Jesus spoke to the people, he said to his followers, “Be careful of the yeast {\cf2\super [221]} of the Pharisees. {\cf2\super [222]} I mean that they are hypocrites. {\cf2\super [223]}

² Everything that is hidden will be shown. Everything that is secret will be made known.

³ The things you say in the dark (secretly) will be told in the light (openly). The things you whisper in a private room will be shouted from the top of the house.”

⁴ Then Jesus said to the people, “I tell you, my friends, don’t be afraid of people. People can kill the body, but after that they can do nothing more to hurt you.

⁵ I will show you the One to fear. You should fear him (God) who has the power to kill you and also to throw you into hell. Yes, he is the One you should fear.

⁶ “When birds are sold, five small birds cost only two pennies. But God does not forget any of them.

⁷ Yes, God even knows how many hairs you have on your head. Don’t be afraid. You are worth much more than many birds.

⁸ “I tell you, if any person stands before other people and is willing to say that he believes in me, then I {\cf2\super [224]} will say that person belongs to me. I will say this before the angels of God.

⁹ But if any person stands before people and says he does not believe in me, then I will say that person does not belong to me. I will say this before the angels of God.

¹⁰ “If a person says something against the Son of Man, {\cf2\super [225]} he can be forgiven. But a person that says bad things against (refuses to accept) the Holy Spirit {\cf2\super [226]} will not be forgiven.

¹¹ “When men bring you into the synagogues {\cf2\super [227]} before the leaders and other important men, don’t worry about what you will say.

¹² At that time the Holy Spirit {\cf2\super [228]} will teach you what you must say.”

¹³ One of the men in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, \{our father just died\}. Tell my brother to share with me the things our father owned.”

¹⁴ But Jesus said to him, “Who said that I should be your judge or decide how to divide your father’s things between you two?”

¹⁵ Then Jesus said to them. “Be careful and guard against all kinds of greed. A person does not get life from the many things he owns.”

¹⁶ Then Jesus used this story: “There was a rich man that had some land. His land grew a very good crop of food.

¹⁷ The rich man thought to himself, ‘What will I do? I have no place to keep all my crops.’

¹⁸ Then the rich man said, ‘I know what I will do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger barns! I will put all my wheat and good things together in my new barns.

¹⁹ Then I can say to myself, I have many good things stored. I have saved enough for many years. Rest, eat, drink, and enjoy life!’

²⁰ But God said to that man, ‘Foolish man! Tonight you will die. So what about the things you prepared for yourself? Who will get those things now?’

²¹ “This is how it will be for the person that saves things only for himself. To God that person is not rich.”

²² Jesus said to his followers, “So I tell you, don’t worry about the food you need to live. Don’t worry about the clothes you need for your body.

²³ Life is more important than food. And the body is more important than clothes.

²⁴ Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest. Birds don’t save food in houses or barns. But God takes care of them. And you are worth much more than birds.

²⁵ None of you can add any time to your life by worrying about it.

²⁶ If you cannot do the little things, then why worry about the big things?

²⁷ Look at the wild flowers. See how they grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that even Solomon, the great and rich king, was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers.

²⁸ God clothes the grass in the field like that. That grass is living today, but tomorrow it will be thrown into the fire to be burned. So you know that God will clothe you much more. Don’t have so little faith!

²⁹ So don’t always think about what you will eat or what you will drink. Don’t worry about it.

³⁰ All the people that don’t know God try to get those things. Your Father (God) knows that you need those things.

³¹ The thing you should want is God’s kingdom. Then all these other things you need will be given to you.

³² “Don’t fear, little flock (group). Your Father (God) wants to give you the kingdom.

³³ Sell the things you have and give that money to people that need it. The riches of this world don’t continue. So get the kind of riches that continue. Get the treasure of heaven. That treasure continues forever. Thieves can’t steal your treasure in heaven, and moths can’t destroy it.

³⁴ Your heart will be where your treasure is.

³⁵ “Be ready! Be fully dressed and have your lights shining.

³⁶ Be like servants that are waiting for their master to come home from a wedding party. The master comes and knocks. The servants open the door for the master.

³⁷ Those servants will be blessed when their master comes home, because he sees that his servants are ready and waiting for him. I tell you the truth. The master will dress himself for work and tell the servants to sit at the table. Then the master will serve them.

³⁸ Those servants might have to wait until midnight or later for their master. But they will be happy when their master comes in and finds them still waiting.

³⁹ Remember this: If the owner of the house knew what time a thief was coming, then the owner would not allow the thief to enter his house.

⁴⁰ So you also must be ready! The Son of Man {\cf2\super [229]} will come at a time when you don’t expect him!”

⁴¹ Peter said, “Lord, did you tell this story for us or for all people?”

⁴² The Lord said, “Who is the wise and trusted servant? The master trusts one servant to give the other servants their food at the right time. Who is the servant that the master trusts to do that work?

⁴³ When the master comes and finds that servant doing the work he gave him, that servant will be very happy.

⁴⁴ I tell you the truth. The master will choose that servant to take care of everything the master owns.

⁴⁵ But what will happen if that servant is evil and thinks that his master will not come back soon? That servant will begin to beat the other servants, men and women. He will eat and drink and get drunk.

⁴⁶ Then the master of that servant will come when that servant is not ready. It will be a time when that servant is not expecting the master. Then the master will punish that servant. The master will send him away to be with the other people that don’t obey.

⁴⁷ “That servant knew what his master wanted him to do. But that servant did not make himself ready or try to do what his master wanted. So that servant will be punished very much!

⁴⁸ But what about the servant that does not know what his master wants? The servant does things that deserve punishment. But he will get less punishment than the servant that knew what he should do. Any person that has been given much will be responsible for much. Much more will be expected from the person that has been given more.”

⁴⁹ Jesus continued speaking: “I came to bring fire to the world. I wish it were already burning!

⁵⁰ I must be baptized with a \{different kind of\} baptism. {\cf2\super [230]} I feel very troubled until it is finished.

⁵¹ Do you think that I came to give peace to the world? No! I came to divide the world!

⁵² From now on, a family with five people will be divided, three against two, and two against three.

⁵³ A father and son will be divided:\par The son will be against his father.\par The father will be against his son.\par A mother and her daughter will be divided:\par The daughter will be against her mother.\par The mother will be against her daughter.\par A mother-in-law and her daughter-in-law will be divided:\par The daughter-in-law will be against her mother-in-law.\par The mother-in-law will be against her daughter-in-law.”\par

⁵⁴ Then Jesus said to the people, “When you see clouds growing bigger in the west, you say, ‘A rainstorm is coming.’ And soon it begins to rain.

⁵⁵ When you feel the wind begin to blow from the south, you say, ‘It will be a hot day.’ And you are right.

⁵⁶ You hypocrites {\cf2\super [231]} ! You can understand the weather. Why don’t you understand what is happening now?

⁵⁷ “Why can’t you decide for yourselves what is right?

⁵⁸ Suppose a person is suing you, and you are going with him to court. You should try hard to settle it on the way. If you don’t settle it, he may take you to the judge. And the judge will throw you into jail.

⁵⁹ You will not get out of there until you have paid every cent of what you owe.”