The life of Jesus
Warning against hypocrisy and fear
Jesus warns the disciples against the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and urges them to fear God alone, not people. He assures them of God's care through the image of sparrows and the hairs that are numbered, and promises the help of the Holy Spirit when they are brought before authorities.
Luke 12,1-12
1Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples: "Guard yourselves against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
Ἐν οἷς ἐπισυναχθεισῶν τῶν μυριάδων τοῦ ὄχλου, ὥστε καταπατεῖν ἀλλήλους, ἤρξατο λέγειν πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ πρῶτον· Προσέχετε ἑαυτοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς ζύμης, ⸂ἥτις ἐστὶν ὑπόκρισις, τῶν Φαρισαίων⸃.
2Nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing hidden that will not be made known.
οὐδὲν δὲ συγκεκαλυμμένον ἐστὶν ὃ οὐκ ἀποκαλυφθήσεται, καὶ κρυπτὸν ὃ οὐ γνωσθήσεται.
3So whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed from the rooftops.
ἀνθʼ ὧν ὅσα ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ εἴπατε ἐν τῷ φωτὶ ἀκουσθήσεται, καὶ ὃ πρὸς τὸ οὖς ἐλαλήσατε ἐν τοῖς ταμείοις κηρυχθήσεται ἐπὶ τῶν δωμάτων.
4I tell you, my friends: do not fear those who kill the body and after that can do nothing more.
Λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν τοῖς φίλοις μου, μὴ φοβηθῆτε ἀπὸ τῶν ἀποκτεινόντων τὸ σῶμα καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα μὴ ἐχόντων περισσότερόν τι ποιῆσαι.
5I will show you the one to fear: fear him who, after killing, has authority to throw you into hell.* [*Greek: Gehenna, a valley outside Jerusalem used as an image of final judgment.]
ὑποδείξω δὲ ὑμῖν τίνα φοβηθῆτε· φοβήθητε τὸν μετὰ τὸ ἀποκτεῖναι ⸂ἔχοντα ἐξουσίαν⸃ ἐμβαλεῖν εἰς τὴν γέενναν· ναί, λέγω ὑμῖν, τοῦτον φοβήθητε.
6Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God.
οὐχὶ πέντε στρουθία ⸀πωλοῦνται ἀσσαρίων δύο; καὶ ἓν ἐξ αὐτῶν οὐκ ἔστιν ἐπιλελησμένον ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ.
7Even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
ἀλλὰ καὶ αἱ τρίχες τῆς κεφαλῆς ὑμῶν πᾶσαι ἠρίθμηνται· ⸀μὴ φοβεῖσθε· πολλῶν στρουθίων διαφέρετε.
8I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge that person before the angels of God.
Λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν, πᾶς ὃς ἂν ⸀ὁμολογήσῃ ἐν ἐμοὶ ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ὁμολογήσει ἐν αὐτῷ ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀγγέλων τοῦ θεοῦ·
9But whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God.
ὁ δὲ ἀρνησάμενός με ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀπαρνηθήσεται ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀγγέλων τοῦ θεοῦ.
10Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
καὶ πᾶς ὃς ἐρεῖ λόγον εἰς τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ἀφεθήσεται αὐτῷ τῷ δὲ εἰς τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα βλασφημήσαντι οὐκ ἀφεθήσεται.
11When they bring you before synagogues, rulers, and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say,
ὅταν δὲ ⸀εἰσφέρωσιν ὑμᾶς ἐπὶ τὰς συναγωγὰς καὶ τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς ἐξουσίας, μὴ ⸀μεριμνήσητε πῶς ⸂ἢ τί⸃ ἀπολογήσησθε ἢ τί εἴπητε·
12for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you must say."
τὸ γὰρ ἅγιον πνεῦμα διδάξει ὑμᾶς ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ ἃ δεῖ εἰπεῖν.