New Living Translation NLT
Wycliffe WYC
1 Meanwhile, the crowds grew until thousands were milling about and stepping on each other. Jesus turned first to his disciples and warned them, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees—their hypocrisy.
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And when much people stood about [Soothly many companies of people standing about], so that they trod each on other, he began to say to his disciples, Be ye ware of the sourdough of the Pharisees, that is hypocrisy [which is hypocrisy].
2 The time is coming when everything that is covered up will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all.
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For nothing is covered, that shall not be showed; neither hid, that shall not be known.
3 Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear!
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For why those things that ye have said in darknesses, shall be said in light; and that that ye have spoken in [the] ear in bedchambers [and that that ye have spoken in the ear in couches], shall be preached in roofs.
4 “Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that.
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And I say to you, my friends, be ye not afeared of them [be not afeared of them] that slay the body, and after these things have no more what they shall do.
5 But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he’s the one to fear.
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But I shall show to you, whom ye shall dread; dread ye him, that after he hath slain [which after he hath slain], hath power to send into hell. And so I say to you, dread ye him.
6 “What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins ? Yet God does not forget a single one of them.
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Whether five sparrows be not sold for two halfpence [for two farthings]; and one of them is not in forgetting before God?
7 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.
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But also all the hairs of your head be numbered. Therefore do not ye dread; ye be of more price than many sparrows.
8 “I tell you the truth, everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, the Son of Man will also acknowledge in the presence of God’s angels.
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Truly I say to you, each man that acknowledgeth me before men [Truly I say to you, whoever shall acknowledge me before men], man's Son shall acknowledge him before the angels of God.
9 But anyone who denies me here on earth will be denied before God’s angels.
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But he that denieth me before men, shall be denied before the angels of God.
10 Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
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And each that saith a word against man's Son, it shall be forgiven to him; but it shall not be forgiven to him, that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost. [And each that saith a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven to him; he that shall blaspheme into the Holy Ghost, soothly it shall not be forgiven to him.]
11 “And when you are brought to trial in the synagogues and before rulers and authorities, don’t worry about how to defend yourself or what to say,
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And when they lead you into synagogues, and to magistrates, and potentates, do not ye be busy, how or what ye shall answer, or what ye shall say.
12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what needs to be said.”
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For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in that hour, what it behooveth you to say.
13 Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father’s estate with me.”
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And one of the people said to him [Soothly some man of the company saith to him], Master, say to my brother, that he part with me the heritage.
14 Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?”
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And he said to him, Man, who ordained me a doomsman, or a parter, on you [over you]?
15 Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”
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And he said to them, See ye, and beware of all covetousness; for the life of a man is not in the abundance of the things, which he wieldeth.
16 Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops.
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And he told to them a likeness, and said, The field of a rich man brought forth plenteous fruits. [Soothly he said to them a likeness, saying, The field of some rich man brought forth plenteous fruits.]
17 He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’
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And he thought within himself, and said [saying], What shall I do, for I have not whither I shall gather my fruits?
18 Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods.
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And he saith, This thing I shall do; I shall throw down my barns, and I shall make greater, and thither I shall gather all things that grow to me, and my goods.
19 And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’
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And I shall say to my soul, Soul, thou hast many goods kept into full many years [thou hast many goods put up, or kept, into full many years]; rest thou, eat, drink, and make feast.
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’
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And God said to him, Fool, in this night they shall take thy life from thee. And whose shall those things be, that thou hast arrayed? [Soothly God said to him, Fool, in this night they shall ask of thee thy soul. Forsooth whose shall those things be, which thou hast made ready?]
21 “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”
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So is he that treasureth to himself, and is not rich in God.
22 Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear.
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And he said to his disciples, Therefore I say to you, do not ye be busy to your life, what ye shall eat, neither to your body, with what ye shall be clothed.
23 For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing.
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The life is more than meat, and the body more than clothing.
24 Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds!
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Behold the crows, for they sow not, neither reap [nor reap], to which is neither cellar, nor barn, and God feedeth them. How much more ye be of more price than they [How much more be ye of more price than they(?)].
25 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
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And who of you by thinking may put one cubit to his stature [may add one cubit to his stature]?
26 And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?
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Therefore if ye be not able to do that that is least [Therefore if ye may not do that that is least], what be ye busy of other things?
27 “Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.
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Behold ye the lilies of the field, how they wax; they travail not, neither spin. And I say to you, that neither Solomon in all his glory was clothed as one of these.
28 And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
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And if God clotheth thus the hay, that to day is in the field [which to day is in the field], and to morrow is cast into an oven; how much more you of little faith.
29 “And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things.
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And do not ye seek, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; and do not ye be raised on high.
30 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs.
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For folks of the world seek all these things; and your Father knoweth, that ye have need to all these things.
31 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.
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Nevertheless seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be cast to you.
32 “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.
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Do not ye, little flock, dread, for it pleased to your Father to give you a kingdom.
33 “Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it.
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Sell ye those things that ye have in possession [Sell ye those things that ye wield], and give ye alms. And make to you satchels that wax not old, treasure that faileth not in heavens, whither a thief approacheth not [whither a thief nigheth not], neither moth destroyeth.
34 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
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For where is thy treasure, there thine heart shall be. [Forsooth where thy treasure is, there also thine heart shall be.]
35 “Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning,
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Be your loins girded above, and lanterns burning in your hands;
36 as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks.
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and be ye like to men that abide their lord [and ye like to men abiding their lord], when he shall turn again from the weddings, that when he shall come, and knock, at once [anon] they open to him.
37 The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat!
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Blessed be those servants, that when the lord shall come [whom when the lord shall come], he shall find waking. Truly I say to you, that he shall gird himself, and make them sit to meat [and make them sit at the meat], and he shall go, and serve them.
38 He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn. But whenever he comes, he will reward the servants who are ready.
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And if he [shall] come in the second waking, and if he come in the third waking, and find so, those servants be blessed.
39 “Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would not permit his house to be broken into.
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And know ye this thing, for if an husbandman knew, in what hour the thief would come, soothly he should wake, and not suffer his house to be mined [and suffer not his house to be mined].
40 You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.”
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And be ye ready, for in what hour ye guess not, man's Son shall come.
41 Peter asked, “Lord, is that illustration just for us or for everyone?”
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And Peter said to him, Lord, sayest thou this parable to us, or to all?
42 And the Lord replied, “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them.
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And the Lord said, Who, guessest thou, is a true dispenser, and prudent [Who, guessest thou, is a faithful dispenser, and prudent], whom the lord hath ordained on [upon] his household, to give them in time a measure of wheat?
43 If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward.
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Blessed is that servant, that the lord when he cometh, shall find so doing. [Blessed is that servant, whom when the lord shall come, he shall find so doing.]
44 I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns.
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Verily I say to you, that on [upon] all things that he wieldeth, he shall ordain him.
45 But what if the servant thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk?
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That if that servant say in his heart, My lord tarrieth to come; and begin to smite children, and handmaidens, and eat, and drink, and be full-filled over measure [and be filled over measure],
46 The master will return unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut the servant in pieces and banish him with the unfaithful.
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the lord of that servant shall come, in the day that he hopeth not, and in the hour that he knoweth not, and shall part him (in pieces), and [shall] put his part with unfaithful men.
47 “And a servant who knows what the master wants, but isn’t prepared and doesn’t carry out those instructions, will be severely punished.
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But that servant that knew the will of his lord, and made not him(self) ready, and did not after his will, shall be beaten with many beatings.
48 But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.
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But he that knew not, and did worthy things of strokes, shall be beaten with few. For to each man to whom much is given, much shall be asked of him; and they shall ask more of him, to whom they betook much.
49 “I have come to set the world on fire, and I wish it were already burning!
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I came to send fire into the earth, and what will I, but that it be kindled?
50 I have a terrible baptism of suffering ahead of me, and I am under a heavy burden until it is accomplished.
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And I have to be baptized with a baptism, and how am I constrained, till that it be perfectly done [till it be perfectly done]?
51 Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I have come to divide people against each other!
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Ween ye [Guess ye], that I came to give peace into [the] earth? Nay, I say to you, but parting.
52 From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against—or two in favor and three against.
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For from this time there shall be five parted in one house; three shall be parted against twain, and twain shall be parted against three; [+Forsooth from this time, there shall be five parted in one house; three against two, and two against three;]
53 ‘Father will be divided against son and son against father; mother against daughter and daughter against mother; and mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.’ ”
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the father against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the husband's mother against the son's wife, and the son's wife against her husband's mother.
54 Then Jesus turned to the crowd and said, “When you see clouds beginning to form in the west, you say, ‘Here comes a shower.’ And you are right.
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And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rising from the sun going down, at once ye say [anon ye say], Rain cometh; and so it is done.
55 When the south wind blows, you say, ‘Today will be a scorcher.’ And it is.
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And when ye see the south blowing, ye say, That heat shall be; and it is done.
56 You fools! You know how to interpret the weather signs of the earth and sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the present times.
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Hypocrites, ye know how to prove the face of heaven and of earth, but how prove ye not this time[?]
57 “Why can’t you decide for yourselves what is right?
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But what and of yourselves ye deem not that that is just? [Forsooth why and of yourselves deem ye not this thing that is just?]
58 When you are on the way to court with your accuser, try to settle the matter before you get there. Otherwise, your accuser may drag you before the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, who will throw you into prison.
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But when thou goest with thine adversary in the way to the prince, do busyness to be delivered from him; lest peradventure he take thee to the doomsman [Forsooth when thou goest with thine adversary to the prince in the way, give thou busyness to be delivered from him; lest peradventure he draw thee to the doomsman], and the doomsman betake thee to the masterful asker, and the masterful asker send thee into prison.
59 And if that happens, you won’t be free again until you have paid the very last penny. ”
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I say to thee, thou shalt not go out from thence [I say to thee, Thou shalt not go thence], till thou yield the last farthing.