¶ In the mean time, when there were gathered together an¹ innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode² one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first³ of all, Beware⁴ ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which⁵ is hypocrisy.

⁶For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.

Therefore whatsoever⁷ ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed⁸ upon the housetops⁹.

And I say unto you my¹⁰ friends, Be¹¹ not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.

But I will forewarn¹² you whom ye shall fear¹³: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power¹⁴ to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

Are not five¹⁵ sparrows sold for two farthings, and¹⁶ not one of them is forgotten before God?

But even¹⁷ the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are¹⁸ of more value than many sparrows.

Also I say unto you, Whosoever¹⁹ shall confess²⁰ me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:

But he²¹ that denieth me before men shall²² be denied before the angels of God.

¶²³And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.

²⁴And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say:

²⁵For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.

¶ And one of the company said unto him, Master²⁶, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.

And he said unto him, Man²⁷, who²⁸ made me a judge or a divider over you?

And he said unto them, Take²⁹ heed, and beware of covetousness: for³⁰ a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground³¹ of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:

And he thought within himself, saying, What³² shall³³ I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

³⁴And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.

And I will say to my soul³⁵, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for³⁶ many years; take³⁷ thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

¶ But God³⁸ said unto him, Thou fool³⁹, this night thy soul shall be required of thee⁴⁰: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

So is he⁴¹ that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich⁴² toward God.

¶ And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take⁴³ no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.

⁴⁴The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.

Consider the ravens⁴⁵: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how⁴⁶ much more are ye better than the fowls?

⁴⁷And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?

If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why⁴⁸ take ye thought for the rest?

Consider the lilies⁴⁹ how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that⁵⁰ Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

If then God so clothe the grass, which⁵¹ is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye⁵² of little faith?

And seek⁵³ not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither⁵⁴ be ye of doubtful mind.

¶ For all⁵⁵ these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your⁵⁶ Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.

⁵⁷But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Fear not, little⁵⁸ flock; for it is⁵⁹ your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom⁶⁰.

Sell⁶¹ that ye have, and give alms; provide⁶² yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.

For where⁶³ your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Let your loins⁶⁴ be girded about, and your lights⁶⁵ burning;

And ye yourselves like unto men⁶⁶ that wait for their lord, when he will return⁶⁷ from the wedding; that when⁶⁸ he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.

Blessed⁶⁹ are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that⁷⁰ he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.

⁷¹And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.

⁷²And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.

¶⁷³Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.

¶ Then Peter said unto him, Lord⁷⁴, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all?

And the Lord said, Who⁷⁵ then is that faithful and wise steward⁷⁶, whom his lord shall make ruler⁷⁷ over his household, to give⁷⁸ them their portion of meat in due⁷⁹ season?

Blessed is that servant, whom⁸⁰ his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

Of a truth I say unto you, that he will⁸¹ make him ruler over all that he hath.

But and if⁸² that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat⁸³ the menservants and maidens, and to eat⁸⁴ and drink, and to be drunken;

The lord⁸⁵ of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder⁸⁶, and will appoint⁸⁷ him his portion with the unbelievers⁸⁸.

And that servant, which knew⁸⁹ his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall⁹⁰ be beaten with many stripes.

But he that knew⁹¹ not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For⁹² unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

I am come⁹³ to send fire on the earth; and⁹⁴ what will I, if it be already kindled?

¶ But I have⁹⁵ a baptism to be baptized with; and⁹⁶ how am I straitened⁹⁷ till it be accomplished!

⁹⁸Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:

⁹⁹For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.

¹⁰⁰The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the 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 people, When¹⁰¹ ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is.

¹⁰²And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass.

Ye hypocrites, ye can¹⁰³ discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that¹⁰⁴ ye do not discern this time?

¹⁰⁵Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?

When thou goest¹⁰⁶ with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give¹⁰⁷ diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge¹⁰⁸, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into¹⁰⁹ prison.

I tell thee, thou shalt¹¹⁰ not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite¹¹¹.