New Century Version

Luke 12:9-26 New Century Version (NCV)

9. But all who stand before others and say they do not believe in me, I will say before the angels of God that they do not belong to me.

10. “Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

11. “When you are brought into the synagogues before the leaders and other powerful people, don’t worry about how to defend yourself or what to say.

12. At that time the Holy Spirit will teach you what you must say.”

13. Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide with me the property our father left us.”

14. But Jesus said to him, “Who said I should judge or decide between you?”

15. Then Jesus said to them, “Be careful and guard against all kinds of greed. Life is not measured by how much one owns.”

16. Then Jesus told this story: “There was a rich man who had some land, which grew a good crop.

17. He thought to himself, ‘What will I do? I have no place to keep all my crops.’

18. Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and other goods.

19. Then I can say to myself, “I have enough good things stored to last for many years. Rest, eat, drink, and enjoy life!” ’

20. “But God said to him, ‘Foolish man! Tonight your life will be taken from you. So who will get those things you have prepared for yourself?’

21. “This is how it will be for those who store up things for themselves and are not rich toward God.”

22. Jesus said to his followers, “So I tell you, don’t worry about the food you need to live, or about the clothes you need for your body.

23. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothes.

24. Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest, they don’t have storerooms or barns, but God feeds them. And you are worth much more than birds.

25. You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it.

26. If you cannot do even the little things, then why worry about the big things?