Luke 12:32-59 Bible in Basic English

Treasure in Heaven

32  Have no fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33  Give what property you have in exchange for money, and give the money to the poor; make for yourselves money-bags which will not get old, wealth stored up in heaven which will be yours for ever, where thieves will not come nor worms put it to destruction. 34  For where your wealth is, there will your heart be.

Watchful Servants

35  Be ready, dressed as for a journey, with your lights burning. 36  And be like men who are looking for their lord, when he comes back from the bride-feast; so that when he comes to the door, it will be open to him quickly. 37  Happy are those servants who are watching when the lord comes; truly I say to you, he will make himself their servant and, placing them at the table, he will come out and give them food. 38  And if he comes in the second division of the night or in the third, and they are watching for him, happy are those servants. 39  But be certain of this, that if the master of the house had had knowledge of the time when the thief was coming, he would have been watching, and would not have let his house be broken into. 40  So be ready: for the Son of man is coming at a time when you are not looking for him.

The Unfaithful Servant

41  And Peter said to him, Lord, are these words said to us only, or to all men? 42  And the Lord said, Who then is the wise and responsible servant whom his lord will put in control of his family, to give them their food at the right time? 43  Happy is that servant who, when his lord comes, is doing so. 44  Truly I say to you, he will put him in control of all his goods. 45  But if that servant says to himself, My lord is a long time coming; and goes about giving blows to the men-servants and the women-servants, feasting and taking overmuch wine; 46  The lord of that servant will come at a time when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not ready for him, and he will have him cut in two and will give him his part in the fate of those who have no faith; 47  And the servant who had knowledge of his lord's desires and was not ready for him and did not do as he was ordered, will be given a great number of blows; 48  But he who, without knowledge, did things for which punishment is given, will get only a small number of blows. The man to whom much is given, will have to give much; if much is given into his care, of him more will be requested.

Jesus the Cause of Division

49  I came to send a fire on the earth, and it may even now have been lighted. 50  But there is a baptism which I have to undergo; and how am I kept back till it is complete! 51  Is it your opinion that I have come to give peace on earth? I say to you, No, but division: 52  For from this time, a family of five in one house will be on opposite sides, three against two and two against three. 53  They will be at war, the father against his son, and the son against his father; mother against daughter, and daughter against mother; mother-in-law against daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.

Discerning the Times

54  Then he said to the people, When you see a cloud coming up in the west, straight away you say, There will be rain; and so it is. 55  And when you see a south wind blowing, you say, There will be heat; and so it is. 56  O false ones! the face of the earth and the heaven is clear to you; how is it that the signs of these times are not as clear to you?

Agree with Your Adversary

57  And why are you, in your hearts, unable to be judges of what is right? 58  For if anyone has a cause at law against you, and you are going with him before the ruler, make an attempt, on the way, to come to an agreement with him, for if you do not, he may take you before the judge and the judge will give you up to the police, and they will put you in prison. 59  I say to you, You will not come out of it till you have made payment to the very last farthing.

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