Luke 12:3-23

3 Whatever therefore you have said in the dark, will be heard in the light; and what you have whispered within closed doors will be proclaimed from the house-tops.

4 "But to you who are my friends I say, "`Be not afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do nothing further.

5 I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who after killing has power to throw into Gehenna: yes, I say to you, fear him.

6 Are not five sparrows sold for a penny? and yet not one of them is a thing forgotten in God's sight.

7 But the very hairs on your heads are all counted. Away with fear: you are more precious than a multitude of sparrows.'

8 "And I tell you that every man who shall have acknowledged me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God.

9 But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.

10 "Moreover every one who shall speak against the Son of Man, may obtain forgiveness; but he who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never obtain forgiveness.

11 And when they are bringing you before synagogues and magistrates and governors, do not anxiously ponder the manner or matter of your defence, nor what you are to say;

12 for the Holy Spirit shall teach you at that very moment what you must say."

13 Just then a man in the crowd appealed to Him. "Rabbi," he said, "tell my brother to give me a share of the inheritance."

14 "Man," He replied, "who has constituted me a judge or arbitrator over you?"

15 And to the people He said, "Take care, be on your guard against all covetousness, for no one's life consists in the superabundance of his possessions."

16 And He spoke a parable to them. "A certain rich man's lands," He said, "yielded abundant crops,

17 and he debated within himself, saying, "`What am I to do? for I have no place in which to store my crops.'

18 "And he said to himself, "`This is what I will do: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and in them I will store up all my harvest and my wealth;

19 and I will say to my life, "`Life, you have ample possessions laid up for many years to come: take your ease, eat, drink, enjoy yourself.'

20 "But God said to him, "`Foolish man, this night your life is demanded from you; and these preparations--for whom shall they be?'

21 "So is it with him who amasses treasure for himself, but has no riches in God."

22 Then turning to His disciples He said, "For this reason I say to you, `Dismiss all anxious care for your lives, inquiring what you are to eat, and for your bodies, what you are to put on.'

23 For life is a greater gift than food, and the body is a greater gift than clothing.