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St. Luke 12
And when great multitudes stood about him, so that they
trod one upon another, he began to say to his disciples:
Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed:
nor hidden, that shall not be known.
For whatsoever things you have spoken in darkness, shall
be published in the light: and that which you have spoken
in the ear in the chambers, shall be preached on the
housetops.
And I say to you, my friends: Be not afraid of them
who kill the body, and after that have no more that
they can do.
But I will shew you whom you shall fear: fear ye him,
who after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell.
Yea, I say to you, fear him.
Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not
one of them is forgotten before God?
Yea, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear
not therefore: you are of more value than many sparrows.
And I say to you, Whosoever shall confess me before
men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the
angels of God.
But he that shall deny me before men, shall be denied
before the angels of God.
And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man,
it shall be forgiven him: but to him that shall blaspheme
against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven.
And when they shall bring you into the synagogues, and
to magistrates and powers, be not solicitous how or
what you shall answer, or what you shall say;
For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour
what you must say.
And one of the multitude said to him: Master, speak
to my brother that he divide the inheritance with me.
But he said to him: Man, who hath appointed me judge,
or divider, over you?
And he said to them: Take heed and beware of all covetousness;
for a man's life doth not consist in the abundance of
things which he possesseth.
And he spoke a similitude to them, saying: The land
of a certain rich man brought forth plenty of fruits.
And he thought within himself, saying: What shall I
do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
And he said: This will I do: I will pull down my barns,
and will build greater; and into them will I gather
all things that are grown to me, and my goods.
And I will say to my soul: Soul, thou hast much goods
laid up for many years take thy rest; eat, drink, make
good cheer.
But God said to him: Thou fool, this night do they require
thy soul of thee: and whose shall those things be which
thou hast provided?
So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is
not rich towards God.
And he said to his disciples: Therefore I say to you,
be not solicitous for your life, what you shall eat;
nor for your body, what you shall put on.
The life is more than the meat, and the body is more
than the raiment.
Consider the ravens, for they sow not, neither do they
reap, neither have they storehouse nor barn, and God
feedeth them. How much are you more valuable than they?
And which of you, by taking thought, can add to his
stature one cubit?
If then ye be not able to do so much as the least thing,
why are you solicitous for the rest?
Consider the lilies, how they grow: they labour not,
neither do they spin. But I say to you, not even Solomon
in all his glory was clothed like one of these.
Now if God clothe in this manner the grass that is to
day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven;
how much more you, O ye of little faith?
And seek not you what you shall eat, or what you shall
drink: and be not lifted up on high.
For all these things do the nations of the world seek.
But your Father knoweth that you have need of these
things.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his justice,
and all these things shall be added unto you.
Fear not, little flock, for it hath pleased your Father
to give you a kingdom.
Sell what you possess and give alms. Make to yourselves
bags which grow not old, a treasure in heaven which
faileth not: where no thief approacheth, nor moth corrupteth.
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be
also.
Let your loins be girt, and lamps burning in your hands.
And you yourselves like to men who wait for their lord,
when he shall return from the wedding; that when he
cometh and knocketh, they may open to him immediately.
Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when he cometh,
shall find watching. Amen I say to you, that he will
gird himself, and make them sit down to meat, and passing
will minister unto them.
And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in
the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those
servants.
But this know ye, that if the householder did know at
what hour the thief would come, he would surely watch,
and would not suffer his house to be broken open.
Be you then also ready: for at what hour you think not,
the Son of man will come.
And Peter said to him: Lord, dost thou speak this parable
to us, or likewise to all?
And the Lord said: Who (thinkest thou) is the faithful
and wise steward, whom his lord setteth over his family,
to give them their measure of wheat in due season?
Blessed is that servant, whom when his lord shall come,
he shall find so doing.
Verily I say to you, he will set him over all that he
possesseth.
But if that servant shall say in his heart: My lord
is long a coming; and shall begin to strike the menservants
and maidservants, and to eat and to drink and be drunk:
The lord of that servant will come in the day that he
hopeth not, and at the hour that he knoweth not, and
shall separate him, and shall appoint him his portion
with unbelievers.
And that servant who knew the will of his lord, and
prepared not himself, and did not according to his will,
shall be beaten with many stripes.
But he that knew not, and did things worthy of stripes,
shall be beaten with few stripes. And unto whomsoever
much is given, of him much shall be required: and to
whom they have committed much, of him they will demand
the more.
I am come to cast fire on the earth; and what will I,
but that it be kindled?
And I have a baptism wherewith I am to be baptized:
and how am I straitened until it be accomplished?
Think ye, that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell
you, no; but separation.
For there shall be from henceforth five in one house
divided: three against two, and two against three.
The father shall be divided against the son, and the
son against his father, the mother against the daughter,
and the daughter against the mother, the mother in law
against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law
against her mother in law.
And he said also to the multitudes: When you see a cloud
rising from the west, presently you say: A shower is
coming: and so it happeneth:
And when ye see the south wind blow, you say: There
will be heat: and it cometh to pass.
You hypocrites, you know how to discern the face of
the heaven and of the earth: but how is it that you
do not discern this time?
And why even of yourselves, do you not judge that which
is just?
And when thou goest with thy adversary to the prince,
whilst thou art in the way, endeavour to be delivered
from him: lest perhaps he draw thee to the judge, and
the judge deliver thee to the exacter, and the exacter
cast thee into prison.
I say to thee, thou shalt not go out thence, until thou
pay the very last mite.
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