The Daily Audio Bible
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35 `Be dressed and have your lamps lit.
36 Be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from a wedding. They are ready to open the door as soon as he comes and knocks.
37 Happy the servants who are ready when the master comes! The servants who are ready when the master comes will be made happy. I tell you the truth. The master will get ready to serve them. He will set them at the table and will come and serve them.
38 He may come in the middle of the night or when it is nearly morning. But if they are watching for the master, they will be happy.
39 `And remember this. If the owner of a house knew at what time a man would come to steal, he would not let the man break into his house.
40 So then, be ready. The Son of Man will come at a time when you are not looking for him.'
41 Peter said, `Lord, are you telling this story for us or for all the people?'
42 The Lord said, `Who is like a wise servant who can be trusted? His master will put him in charge of his other servants. He gives them food to eat at the right time.
43 His master will bless that servant if he is doing this when he comes!
44 I tell you the truth. His master will put him in charge of all that he has
45 But perhaps that servant says to himself, "My master will not come just now." Then he begins to beat the other servants. He begins to eat and drink until he is drunk.
46 If he does that, his master will come on a day when he is not looking for him. He will not know the time when his master is coming. His master will punish him very much and put him away with those he cannot trust.
47 `A servant knew what his master wanted. But he was not ready. He did not do what his master wanted him to do. So he will be beaten much.
48 But if a servant did not know and did something bad, he will be beaten only a little. To whom much has been given, from him much will be asked. When people give much to anyone, they will ask more from him.
49 `I came to start a fire on the earth. I wish the fire were already burning!
50 I will be going through a big trouble, and I feel like a prisoner until it is all over.
51 Do you think that I came to bring peace on the earth? I tell you, "No". I came to take away peace.
52 From now, if there are five in a family, they will be against each other. Three of them will be against the other two. And two of them will be against the other three.
53 A father will be against his son, and the son will be against his father. The mother will be against her daughter, and the daughter will be against her mother. A man's mother will be against his wife, and his wife will be against his mother.'
54 Jesus also said to the people, `When you see a cloud coming up in the west, you say right away, "Rain is coming." And it comes.
55 When the wind is blowing from the south, you say, "It will be very hot." And it is.
56 You are not true to yourselves! You know the meaning of these signs in the earth and sky. But you do not know the meaning of the signs about the time in which we are living.'
57 `Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?
58 If someone wants to take you to court, make an agreement with him quickly on the way. If you do not, he will take you to the judge. The judge will give you to the guard, and the guard will put you in prison.
59 I tell you, you will not get out of prison until you have paid up every piece of money.'
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