1 Toe duisende van die skare ondertussen saamkom, sodat hulle mekaar vertrap het, begin Hy aan sy dissipels te sê: Pas veral op vir die suurdeeg van die Fariseërs, dit is geveinsdheid.
2 En daar is niks bedek wat nie geopenbaar sal word nie, en verborge wat nie bekend sal word nie.
3 Daarom, alles wat julle in die donker gesê het, sal in die lig gehoor word; en wat julle in die oor gepraat het in die binnekamers, sal op die dakke verkondig word.
4 En Ek sê vir julle, my vriende: Moenie vrees vir die wat die liggaam doodmaak en daarna niks meer kan doen nie;
5 maar Ek sal julle wys wie julle moet vrees: vrees Hom wat, nadat Hy doodgemaak het, by magte is om in die hel te werp; ja, Ek sê vir julle, vrees Hom!
6 Word vyf mossies nie vir twee stuiwers verkoop nie? En nie een van hulle is voor God vergeet nie.
7 Maar selfs die hare van julle hoof is almal getel. Wees dan nie bevrees nie: julle is meer werd as baie mossies.
8 En Ek sê vir julle: Elkeen wat My sal bely voor die mense, hom sal die Seun van die mens ook bely voor die engele van God.
9 Maar hy wat My verloën voor die mense, sal verloën word voor die engele van God.
10 En elkeen wat 'n woord teen die Seun van die mens sal spreek, dit sal hom vergewe word; maar vir hom wat gelaster het teen die Heilige Gees, sal dit nie vergewe word nie.
11 En wanneer hulle jul sal bring voor die sinagoges en die owerhede en die gesaghebbers, moet julle jul nie kwel oor hoe of waarmee julle jul sal verdedig, of wat julle sal sê nie;
12 want die Heilige Gees sal julle in dieselfde uur leer wat julle moet sê.
13 En een van die skare sê vir Hom: Meester, sê vir my broer dat hy die erfenis met my moet deel.
14 Maar Hy antwoord hom: Mens, wie het My as 'n regter of deler oor julle aangestel?
15 En Hy sê vir hulle: Pas op en wees op julle hoede vir die hebsug, want iemand se lewe bestaan nie uit die oorvloed van sy besittings nie.
16 Toe vertel Hy hulle hierdie gelykenis: 'n Ryk man se grond het goed gedra.
17 En hy het by homself geredeneer en gesê: Wat sal ek doen, want ek het geen plek waar ek my oes kan insamel nie?
18 Toe sê hy: Dit sal ek doen: ek sal my skure afbreek en groter bou, en ek sal daar al my opbrengste en my goed insamel.
19 En ek sal vir my siel sê: Siel, jy het baie goed wat weggesit is vir baie jare; neem rus, eet, drink, wees vrolik.
20 Maar God het aan hom gesê: Jou dwaas, in hierdie nag sal hulle jou siel van jou afeis; en wat jy gereedgemaak het, wie s'n sal dit wees?
21 So gaan dit met hom wat vir homself skatte vergader en nie ryk is in God nie.
22 En Hy het aan sy dissipels gesê: Daarom sê Ek vir julle: Moenie julle kwel oor jul lewe, wat julle sal eet, of oor jul liggaam, wat julle sal aantrek nie.
23 Die lewe is meer as die voedsel en die liggaam as die klere.
24 Kyk na die kraaie, want hulle saai nie en hulle maai nie; hulle het geen voorraadkamer of skuur nie, en tog voed God hulle. Hoeveel meer is julle nie werd as die voëls nie!
25 En wie onder julle kan, deur hom te kwel, een el by sy lengte voeg?
26 As julle dan selfs nie die geringste kan doen nie, waarom kwel julle jul oor die ander dinge?
27 Kyk na die lelies, hoe hulle groei: hulle arbei nie en hulle spin nie; en Ek sê vir julle, selfs Salomo in al sy heerlikheid was nie bekleed soos een van hulle nie.
28 As God dan die gras van die veld wat vandag daar is en môre in 'n oond gegooi word, so beklee, hoeveel meer vir julle, kleingelowiges!
29 Julle moet ook nie soek wat julle sal eet of wat julle sal drink nie, en julle nie ongerus maak nie;
30 want al hierdie dinge soek die nasies van die wêreld, en julle Vader weet dat julle hierdie dinge nodig het.
31 Maar soek die koninkryk van God, en al hierdie dinge sal vir julle bygevoeg word.
32 Moenie vrees nie, klein kuddetjie, want julle Vader het 'n welbehae daarin gehad om aan julle die koninkryk te gee.
33 Verkoop julle besittings en gee aalmoese; maak vir julle beurse wat nie oud word nie, 'n skat in die hemel wat onuitputlik is, waar geen dief by kom of mot verteer nie.
34 Want waar julle skat is, daar sal julle hart ook wees.
35 Laat julle heupe omgord wees en julle lampe aan die brand.
36 En julle moet wees soos mense wat op hulle heer wag wanneer hy van die bruilof terugkom, sodat hulle dadelik vir hom kan oopmaak as hy kom en aanklop.
37 Gelukkig is daardie diensknegte vir wie die heer wakker sal vind as hy kom. Voorwaar Ek sê vir julle, hy sal hom omgord en hulle aan tafel laat gaan en hulle kom bedien.
38 En as hy in die tweede of in die derde nagwaak kom, en dit so vind gelukkig is daardie diensknegte.
39 Maar weet dit: as die huisheer geweet het in watter uur die dief sou kom, sou hy gewaak het en nie in sy huis laat inbreek het nie.
40 Julle moet dan ook gereed wees, omdat die Seun van die mens kom op 'n uur dat julle dit nie verwag nie.
41 Toe sê Petrus vir Hom: Here, vertel U hierdie gelykenis vir ons of ook vir almal?
42 En die Here antwoord: Wie is dan die getroue en verstandige bestuurder wat die heer oor sy diensvolk sal aanstel om hulle rantsoen op tyd te gee?
43 Gelukkig is daardie dienskneg vir wie sy heer, as hy kom, so besig sal vind.
44 Waarlik, Ek sê vir julle, hy sal hom oor al sy besittings aanstel.
45 Maar as daardie dienskneg in sy hart sê: My heer talm om te kom, en hy die diensknegte en diensmaagde begin slaan, en begin eet en drink en dronk word,
46 dan sal die heer van daardie dienskneg kom op 'n dag dat hy dit nie verwag nie, en op 'n uur dat hy dit nie weet nie, en sal hom pynig en hom 'n deelgenoot maak van die ontroues.
47 En daardie dienskneg wat die wil van sy heer geken het en nie klaargemaak of volgens sy wil gedoen het nie, sal met baie slae geslaan word;
48 maar hy wat nie geweet het nie en gedoen het wat slae verdien, sal met min slae geslaan word. En elkeen aan wie veel gegee is, van hom sal veel gevorder word; en aan wie hulle veel toevertrou het, van hom sal hulle oorvloediger eis.
49 Ek het gekom om vuur op die aarde te werp, en hoe wens Ek dat dit al aangesteek was!
50 Maar Ek het 'n doop om mee gedoop te word, en hoe benoud word Ek totdat dit volbring is!
51 Dink julle dat Ek gekom het om vrede op die aarde te gee? Nee, sê Ek vir julle, maar eerder verdeeldheid.
52 Want van nou af sal daar vyf in een huis verdeeld wees, drie teen twee en twee teen drie.
53 Die vader sal verdeeld wees teen die seun en die seun teen die vader, die moeder teen die dogter en die dogter teen die moeder, die skoonmoeder teen haar skoondogter en die skoondogter teen haar skoonmoeder.
54 En Hy het ook aan die skare gesê: Wanneer julle 'n wolk in die weste sien opkom, sê julle dadelik: Daar kom reën! en dit gebeur ook.
55 En wanneer julle die suidewind sien waai, sê julle: Dit sal gloeiend warm wees! en dit gebeur.
56 Geveinsdes, die voorkoms van die aarde en die lug weet julle te beoordeel, maar hoe is dit dat julle hierdie tyd nie kan beoordeel nie?
57 En waarom oordeel julle ook nie uit julleself wat reg is nie?
58 Want terwyl jy met jou teëstander na die owerheid gaan, doen moeite op die pad om van hom los te kom; sodat hy jou nie miskien voor die regter sleep en die regter jou oorgee aan die geregsdienaar en die geregsdienaar jou in die gevangenis werp nie.
59 Ek sê vir jou, jy sal daar sekerlik nie uitkom voordat jy ook die laaste oortjie betaal het nie.
1 At that time, when thousands of the people had come together, in such numbers that they were crushing one another, he said first to his disciples, Have nothing to do with the leaven of the Pharisees, which is deceit.
2 But nothing is covered up, which will not come to light, or secret, which will not be made clear.
3 So, whatever you have said in the dark, will come to men's hearing in the light, and what you have said secretly inside the house, will be made public from the house-tops.
4 And I say to you, my friends, Have no fear of those who may put the body to death, and are able to do no more than that.
5 But I will make clear to you of whom you are to be in fear: of him who after death has power to send you to hell; yes, truly I say, Have fear of him.
6 Are not five sparrows given in exchange for two farthings? and God has every one of them in mind.
7 But even the hairs of your head are numbered. Have no fear: you are of more value than a flock of sparrows.
8 And I say to you that to everyone who gives witness to me before men, the Son of man will give witness before the angels of God.
9 But if anyone says before men that he has no knowledge of me, I will say that I have no knowledge of him before the angels of God.
10 And if anyone says a word against the Son of man, he will have forgiveness: but for him who says evil words against the Holy Spirit, there will be no forgiveness.
11 And when they take you before the Synagogues and the authorities and the rulers, take no thought about what answers you will give, or what you will say:
12 For the Holy Spirit will make clear to you in that very hour what to say.
13 And one of the people said to him, Master, give an order to my brother to make division of the heritage with me.
14 But he said, Man, who made me a judge or a maker of decisions for you?
15 And he said to them, Take care to keep yourselves free from the desire for property; for a man's life is not made up of the number of things which he has.
16 And he said to them, in a story, The land of a certain man of great wealth was very fertile:
17 And he said to himself, What is to be done? for I have no place in which to put all my fruit.
18 And he said, This I will do: I will take down my store-houses and make greater ones, and there I will put all my grain and my goods.
19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have a great amount of goods in store, enough for a number of years; be at rest, take food and wine and be happy.
20 But God said to him, You foolish one, tonight I will take your soul from you, and who then will be the owner of all the things which you have got together?
21 So that is what comes to the man who gets wealth for himself, and has not wealth in the eyes of God.
22 And he said to his disciples, For this reason I say to you, Take no thought for your life, about what food you will take, or for your body, how it may be clothed.
23 Is not life more than food, and the body than its clothing?
24 Give thought to the ravens; they do not put seeds into the earth, or get together grain; they have no store-houses or buildings; and God gives them their food: of how much greater value are you than the birds!
25 And which of you by taking thought is able to make himself any taller?
26 If, then, you are not able to do even that which is least, why are you troubled about the rest?
27 Give thought to the flowers: they do no work, they make no thread; and still I say to you, Even Solomon, in all his glory, was not clothed like one of these.
28 But if God gives such clothing to the grass in the field, which today is living, and tomorrow will be burned in the oven, how much more will he give clothing to you, O men of little faith?
29 And do not give overmuch thought to your food and drink, and let not your mind be full of doubts.
30 For the nations of the world go in search of all these things: but your Father has knowledge that you have need of them.
31 But let your chief care be for his kingdom, and these other things will be given to you in addition.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.