Luke · 59 verses
Luke 12
Every verse links to the people and places named in it, and to the passages readers connect it with.
The chapter
What happens here
Atlas's own reading, written from this chapter and nothing else, and published only once a person has approved it. Each scene names the verses it covers; the names inside it link to the people and places they name.
A master returns from a wedding banquet and, finding his servants awake, dresses himself to wait on them at table.
The barns, the birds, and the household treasuryvv. 1–21
A crowd so enormous that it tramples itself gathers around Jesus, who warns his disciples about hypocrisy and the day when whispers escape into daylight. He distinguishes those who can kill the body from the One with authority beyond death, counts sparrows and hairs with equal attention, and promises that the Holy Spirit will supply words before rulers. Then an inheritance dispute attempts to turn him into an executor; instead he tells of a rich man whose overflowing harvest leads to plans for larger barns and a very brief retirement. The barns are enlarged in imagination, but the man’s life is required that night.
The master who servesvv. 22–40
Jesus turns from the rich man’s storehouses to ravens, lilies, grass, food, clothing, and the anxious arithmetic of life. The disciples are called a little flock, and treasure is moved from purses that wear out to heaven, where neither thief nor moth gets at it. Then comes the night watch: servants wait for a master returning from a wedding banquet, and the astonishing reward for their vigilance is that the master dresses himself, seats them at table, and waits on them. The warning ends with a thief, an unexpected hour, and the Son of Man arriving without consulting the household clock.
A fire, a forecast, and the magistrate’s doorvv. 41–59
Peter asks whether the parable is meant for the disciples or for everyone, and Jesus answers with another servant: faithful when the master is absent, or monstrous when delay becomes an excuse to beat the household and drink. The servant who knows more is held to more, while Jesus announces fire, distress, and division—five in one household arranged with almost bureaucratic precision as three against two and two against three. The crowds can read clouds and south winds, yet fail to read the present time. Jesus finishes with an adversary on the road to court, where magistrate, judge, and officer form a brisk little procession ending in prison and the last penny.
The text
Read it
Berean Standard Bible, public domain. Names the Hebrew and Greek put in the verse link to the person, place or people they name; the address beside each verse is a link to that verse, which is what a reader copies and shares.
Luke 12:1In the meantime, a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling one another. Jesus began to speak first to His disciples: “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
Luke 12:2There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known.
Luke 12:3What you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the housetops.
Luke 12:4I tell you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.
Luke 12:5But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear the One who, after you have been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him!
Luke 12:6Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.
Luke 12:7And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Luke 12:8I tell you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will also confess him before the angels of God.
Luke 12:9But whoever denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.
Luke 12:10And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
Luke 12:11When you are brought before synagogues, rulers, and authorities, do not worry about how to defend yourselves or what to say.
Luke 12:12For at that time the Holy Spirit will teach you what you should say.”
Luke 12:13Someone in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
Luke 12:14But Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed Me judge or executor between you?”
Luke 12:15And He said to them, “Watch out! Guard yourselves against every form of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
Luke 12:16Then He told them a parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced an abundance.
Luke 12:17So he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, since I have nowhere to store my crops?’
Luke 12:18Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and will build bigger ones, and there I will store up all my grain and my goods.
Luke 12:19Then I will say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry!”’
Luke 12:20But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’
Luke 12:21This is how it will be for anyone who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich toward God.”
Luke 12:22Then 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.
Luke 12:23For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.
Luke 12:24Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storehouse or barn; yet God feeds them. How much more valuable you are than the birds!
Luke 12:25Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
Luke 12:26So if you cannot do such a small thing, why do you worry about the rest?
Luke 12:27Consider how the lilies grow: They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was adorned like one of these.
Luke 12:28If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith!
Luke 12:29And do not be concerned about what you will eat or drink. Do not worry about it.
Luke 12:30For the Gentiles of the world strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them.
Luke 12:31But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added unto you.
Luke 12:32Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.
Luke 12:33Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide yourselves with purses that will not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.
Luke 12:34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Luke 12:35Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning.
Luke 12:36Then you will be like servants waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once.
Luke 12:37Blessed are those servants whom the master finds on watch when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve and will have them recline at the table, and he himself will come and wait on them.
Luke 12:38Even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night and finds them alert, those servants will be blessed.
Luke 12:39But understand this: If the homeowner had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.
Luke 12:40You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.”
Luke 12:41“Lord,” said Peter, “are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?”
Luke 12:42And the Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their portion at the proper time?
Luke 12:43Blessed is that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.
Luke 12:44Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
Luke 12:45But suppose that servant says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and he begins to beat the menservants and maidservants, and to eat and drink and get drunk.
Luke 12:46The master of that servant will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not anticipate. Then he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.
Luke 12:47That servant who knows his master’s will but does not get ready or follow his instructions will be beaten with many blows.
Luke 12:48But the one who unknowingly does things worthy of punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from him who has been entrusted with much, even more will be demanded.
Luke 12:49I have come to ignite a fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!
Luke 12:50But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished!
Luke 12:51Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but division.
Luke 12:52From now on, five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three.
Luke 12:53They 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.”
Luke 12:54Then Jesus said to the crowds, “As soon as you see a cloud rising in the west, you say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and that is what happens.
Luke 12:55And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It will be hot,’ and it is.
Luke 12:56You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and sky. Why don’t you know how to interpret the present time?
Luke 12:57And why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?
Luke 12:58Make every effort to reconcile with your adversary while you are on your way to the magistrate. Otherwise, he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and the officer may throw you into prison.
Luke 12:59I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the very last penny.”
01 — Also here
Who else the chapter reaches
Names written in the English are linked in the text above. These are the ones that are not: an entity the Hebrew or Greek names under a spelling the translation does not use, or one reached only by an assertion about a verse of this chapter.
Named in the Hebrew or Greek somewhere in this chapter, under a form the English renders differently — the registry's Ludim against the translation's Ludites — so there is no word in the sentence to hang the link on.
02 — Read alongside
Where this is echoed
Readers' own connections, from OpenBible's crowd-voted cross-references — agreement about relevance, and not scholarly confidence. 632 passages were voted onto 58 verses of this chapter; the 16 shown lead on votes, and each is listed at the verse it was voted onto most strongly.
- 15Hebrews 13:5Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”
- 32Hebrews 12:28Therefore, since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us be filled with gratitude, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.
- 52 Peter 2:4For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them deep into hell, placing them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment;
- 151 Timothy 6:6–10Of course, godliness with contentment is great gain.
- 321 Peter 1:3–5Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
- 15Psalms 119:36–37Turn my heart to Your testimonies and not to covetous gain.
- 32Revelation 1:6who has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and power forever and ever! Amen.
- 31Matthew 6:33But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.
- 32Philippians 2:13For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.
- 15Proverbs 15:16Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure with turmoil.
- 15Proverbs 16:16How much better to acquire wisdom than gold! To gain understanding is more desirable than silver.
- 2Mark 4:22For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light.
- 32Luke 10:21At that time Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was well-pleasing in Your sight.
- 5Matthew 10:28Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
- 351 Peter 1:13Therefore prepare your minds for action. Be sober-minded. Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
- 401 Thessalonians 5:6So then, let us not sleep as the others do, but let us remain awake and sober.
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