Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees
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In the meantime, 1when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, 2"Beware of 3the leaven of the Pharisees, 4which is hypocrisy.
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5Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.
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Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in 6private rooms shall be proclaimed on 7the housetops.
Have No Fear
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"I tell you, my friends, 8do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do.
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But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him 9who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell.a Yes, I tell you, fear him!
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Why, 11even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; 12you are of more value than many sparrows.
Acknowledge Christ Before Men
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"And I tell you, 13everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge 14before the angels of God,
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And 18everyone who speaks a word 19against the Son of Man 20will be forgiven, but the one who 21blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
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22And when they 23bring you before the synagogues and 24the rulers and 25the authorities, 26do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say,
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27for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."
The Parable of the Rich Fool
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28Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."
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And he said to them, 31"Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
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And he told them a parable, saying, 32"The land of a rich man produced plentifully,
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and he thought to himself, 33'What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?'
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And he said, 'I will do this: I will tear down my 34barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.
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And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up 35for many years; relax, 36eat, drink, be merry.'
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But God said to him, 37'Fool! 38This night 39your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, 40whose will they be?'
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So is the one 41who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God."
Do Not Be Anxious
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And he said to his disciples, 42"Therefore I tell you, 43do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on.
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For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.
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44Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. 45Of how much more value are you than the birds!
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If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?
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Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,d yet I tell you, 47even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
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But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, 48O you of little faith!
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And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor 49be worried.
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For 50all the nations of the world seek after these things, and 51your Father knows that you need them.
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59Sell your possessions, and 60give to the needy. 61Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with 62a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.
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63For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
You Must Be Ready
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and be like men who are 66waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and 67knocks.
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68Blessed are those servantsg whom the master finds 69awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, 70he will dress himself for service and 71have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them.
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If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants!
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72But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour 73the thief was coming, heh would not have left his house to be broken into.
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Peter said, "Lord, 76are you telling this parable for us or for all?"
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And the Lord said, "Who then is 77the faithful and 78wise 79manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time?
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Truly, I say to you, 81he will set him over all his possessions.
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But if that servant says to himself, 'My master 82is delayed in coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and 83get drunk,
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the master of that servant will come 84on a day when he does not expect him and 85at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful.
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86And that servant who 87knew his master's will but 88did not get ready 89or act according to his will, will receive a 90severe beating.
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91But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, 92will receive a light beating. 93Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.
Not Peace, but Division
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94"I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled!
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For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three.
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They will be divided, 99father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."
Interpreting the Time
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He also said to the crowds, 100"When you see 101a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, 'A shower is coming.' And so it happens.
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And 102when you see the south wind blowing, you say, 'There will be 103scorching heat,' and it happens.
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You hypocrites! 104You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
Settle with Your Accuser
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107As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
(English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online)