Focused Passage

Luke 12:13-21

Fear God, Confess Christ, Seek the Kingdom, and Be Ready

Luke moves from warning against hypocrisy to fearless confession, from greed exposed to kingdom trust, from anxiety corrected to watchful readiness, from faithful stewardship to divisive allegiance, and from interpreting weather signs to settling accounts before judgment.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

13 Someone in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

14 But Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed Me judge or executor between you?”

15 And He said to them, “Watch out! Guard yourselves against every form of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

16 Then He told them a parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced an abundance.

17 So he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, since I have nowhere to store my crops?’

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

19 Then I will say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry!”’

20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’

21 This is how it will be for anyone who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich toward God.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 13

Original words

- δέ G1161 Conjunction Someone τις G5100 Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular in ἐκ G1537 Preposition the τοῦ G3588 Article - Genitive Masculine Singular crowd ὄχλου G3793 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular said Εἶπεν G2036 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular to Him αὐτῷ G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular Teacher Διδάσκαλε G1320 Noun - Vocative Masculine Singular tell εἰπὲ G2036 Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular . . . τῷ G3588 Article - Dative Masculine Singular my μου G1473 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular brother ἀδελφῷ G80 Noun - Dative Masculine Singular to divide μερίσασθαι G3307 Verb - Aorist Infinitive Middle the τὴν G3588 Article - Accusative Feminine Singular inheritance κληρονομίαν G2817 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular with μετ’ G3326 Preposition me ἐμοῦ G1473 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular
Verse 14

Original words

But δὲ G1161 Conjunction - G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Singular [Jesus] replied εἶπεν G2036 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular . . . αὐτῷ G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular Man Ἄνθρωπε G444 Noun - Vocative Masculine Singular who τίς G5101 Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular appointed κατέστησεν G2525 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Me με G1473 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 1st Person Singular judge κριτὴν G2923 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular or G2228 Conjunction executor μεριστὴν G3312 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular between ἐφ’ G1909 Preposition you ὑμᾶς G4771 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person Plural
Verse 15

Original words

And δὲ G1161 Conjunction He said εἶπεν G2036 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular to πρὸς G4314 Preposition them αὐτούς G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Plural Watch out Ὁρᾶτε G3708 Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural - καὶ G2532 Conjunction Guard yourselves φυλάσσεσθε G5442 Verb - Present Imperative Middle - 2nd Person Plural against ἀπὸ G575 Preposition every [form of] πάσης G3956 Adjective - Genitive Feminine Singular greed πλεονεξίας G4124 Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular for ὅτι G3754 Conjunction one’s τινὶ G5100 Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Dative Masculine Singular . . . αὐτοῦ G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular - G3588 Article - Nominative Feminine Singular life ζωὴ G2222 Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular vvv οὐκ G3756 Adverb does not consist ἐστιν G1510 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular in ἐν G1722 Preposition the τῷ G3588 Article - Dative Neuter Singular abundance περισσεύειν G4052 Verb - Present Infinitive Active of ἐκ G1537 Preposition vvv τῶν G3588 Article - Genitive Neuter Plural his αὐτῷ G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular possessions ὑπαρχόντων G5225 Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Neuter Plural
Verse 16

Original words

Then δὲ G1161 Conjunction He told Εἶπεν G2036 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular . . . πρὸς G4314 Preposition them αὐτοὺς G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Plural a parable παραβολὴν G3850 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular - λέγων G3004 Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular The G3588 Article - Nominative Feminine Singular ground χώρα G5561 Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular of a certain τινὸς G5100 Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Genitive Masculine Singular rich πλουσίου G4145 Adjective - Genitive Masculine Singular man Ἀνθρώπου G444 Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular produced an abundance εὐφόρησεν G2164 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Verse 17

Original words

So καὶ G2532 Conjunction he thought διελογίζετο G1260 Verb - Imperfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular to ἐν G1722 Preposition himself ἑαυτῷ G1438 Reflexive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular - λέγων G3004 Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular What Τί G5101 Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular shall I do ποιήσω G4160 Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 1st Person Singular since ὅτι G3754 Conjunction I have ἔχω G2192 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular nowhere οὐκ G3756 Adverb . . . ποῦ G4226 Adverb to store συνάξω G4863 Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular my μου G1473 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular - τοὺς G3588 Article - Accusative Masculine Plural crops καρπούς G2590 Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Verse 18

Original words

Then καὶ G2532 Conjunction he said εἶπεν G2036 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular This [is what] Τοῦτο G3778 Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular I will do ποιήσω G4160 Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular I will tear down καθελῶ G2507 Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular my μου G1473 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular - τὰς G3588 Article - Accusative Feminine Plural barns ἀποθήκας G596 Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural and καὶ G2532 Conjunction will build οἰκοδομήσω G3618 Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular bigger [ones] μείζονας G3173 Adjective - Accusative Feminine Plural - Comparative and καὶ G2532 Conjunction there ἐκεῖ G1563 Adverb I will store up συνάξω G4863 Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular all πάντα G3956 Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular my μου G1473 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular - τὸν G3588 Article - Accusative Masculine Singular grain σῖτον G4621 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular and καὶ G2532 Conjunction [my] τὰ G3588 Article - Accusative Neuter Plural goods ἀγαθά G18 Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural
Verse 19

Original words

Then καὶ G2532 Conjunction I will say ἐρῶ G2046 Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular to τῇ G3588 Article - Dative Feminine Singular myself μου G1473 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular . . . ψυχῇ G5590 Noun - Dative Feminine Singular You Ψυχή G5590 Noun - Vocative Feminine Singular have ἔχεις G2192 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular plenty of πολλὰ G4183 Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural good things ἀγαθὰ G18 Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural laid up κείμενα G2749 Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Neuter Plural for εἰς G1519 Preposition many πολλά G4183 Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural years ἔτη G2094 Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural Take it easy ἀναπαύου G373 Verb - Present Imperative Middle - 2nd Person Singular Eat φάγε G5315 Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular drink πίε G4095 Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular [and] be merry εὐφραίνου G2165 Verb - Present Imperative Middle or Passive - 2nd Person Singular
Verse 20

Original words

But δὲ G1161 Conjunction - G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Singular God Θεός G2316 Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular said Εἶπεν G2036 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular to him αὐτῷ G846 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular [You] fool Ἄφρων G878 Adjective - Vocative Masculine Singular This ταύτῃ G3778 Demonstrative Pronoun - Dative Feminine Singular very τῇ G3588 Article - Dative Feminine Singular night νυκτὶ G3571 Noun - Dative Feminine Singular your σου G4771 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular - τὴν G3588 Article - Accusative Feminine Singular life ψυχήν G5590 Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular will be required ἀπαιτοῦσιν G523 Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural of ἀπὸ G575 Preposition you σοῦ G4771 Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular Then δὲ G1161 Conjunction who τίνι G5101 Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Dative Masculine Singular will own ἔσται G1510 Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular what G3739 Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Plural you have accumulated ἡτοίμασας G2090 Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Verse 21

Original words

This is how [it will be for] Οὕτως G3779 Adverb anyone who G3588 Article - Nominative Masculine Singular stores up treasure θησαυρίζων G2343 Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular for himself ἑαυτῷ* G1438 Reflexive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular but καὶ G2532 Conjunction vvv μὴ G3361 Adverb is not rich πλουτῶν G4147 Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular toward εἰς G1519 Preposition God Θεὸν G2316 Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.