# Luke 12.16-21

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-06-01 | updated: 2026-06-01 -->

**Book:** [Luke](/codex/luke-the-evangelist/) · NASB95

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 14. But he said unto him, <span class="rl-speech">Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?</span> 15. And he said unto them, <span class="rl-speech">Take heed, and keep yourselves from all covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.</span>
>
> **16. And he spake a parable unto them, <span class="rl-speech">saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:</span> 17. <span class="rl-speech">and he reasoned within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have not where to bestow my fruits?</span> 18. And he said, <span class="rl-speech">This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my grain and my goods.</span> 19. <span class="rl-speech">And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, be merry.</span> 20. But God said unto him, Thou foolish one, this night is thy soul required of thee; and the things which thou hast prepared, whose shall they be? 21. So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.**
>
> 22. And he said unto his disciples, <span class="rl-speech">Therefore I say unto you, Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on.</span> 23. <span class="rl-speech">For the life is more than the food, and the body than the raiment.</span> (Luke 12:14-23, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 14. But he said to him, <span class="rl-speech">“Man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you?”</span> 15. He said to them, <span class="rl-speech">“Beware! Keep yourselves from covetousness, for a man’s life doesn’t consist of the abundance of the things which he possesses.”</span>
>
> **16. He spoke a parable to them, <span class="rl-speech">saying, “The ground of a certain rich man produced abundantly.</span> 17. <span class="rl-speech">He reasoned within himself, saying, ‘What will I do, because I don’t have room to store my crops?’</span> 18. He said, <span class="rl-speech">‘This is what I will do. I will pull down my barns, and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.</span> 19. <span class="rl-speech">I will tell my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.”’</span> 20. “But God said to him, ‘You foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you. The things which you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21. So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”**
>
> 22. He said to his disciples, <span class="rl-speech">“Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life, what you will eat, nor yet for your body, what you will wear.</span> 23. <span class="rl-speech">Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.</span> (Luke 12:14-23, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 14. And he said unto him, <span class="rl-speech">Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?</span> 15. And he said unto them, <span class="rl-speech">Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.</span>
>
> **16. And he spake a parable unto them, <span class="rl-speech">saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:</span> 17. <span class="rl-speech">And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?</span> 18. And he said, <span class="rl-speech">This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.</span> 19. <span class="rl-speech">And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.</span> 20. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? <sup>thy: Gr. do they require thy soul</sup> 21. So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.**
>
> 22. And he said unto his disciples, <span class="rl-speech">Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.</span> 23. <span class="rl-speech">The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.</span> (Luke 12:14-23, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 14. And he said to him, <span class="rl-speech">'Man, who set me a judge or a divider over you?'</span> 15. And he said unto them, <span class="rl-speech">'Observe, and beware of the covetousness, because not in the abundance of one's goods is his life.'</span>
>
> **16. And he spake a simile unto them, <span class="rl-speech">saying, 'Of a certain rich man the field brought forth well;</span> 17. <span class="rl-speech">and he was reasoning within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have not where I shall gather together my fruits?</span> 18. and he said, <span class="rl-speech">This I will do, I will take down my storehouses, and greater ones I will build, and I will gather together there all my products and my good things,</span> 19. <span class="rl-speech">and I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast many good things laid up for many years, be resting, eat, drink, be merry.</span> 20. 'And God said to him, Unthinking one! this night thy soul they shall require from thee, and what things thou didst prepare, to whom shall they be? 21. so [is] he who is treasuring up to himself, and is not rich toward God.'**
>
> 22. And he said unto his disciples, <span class="rl-speech">'Because of this, to you I say, Be not anxious for your life, what ye may eat; nor for the body, what ye may put on;</span> 23. <span class="rl-speech">the life is more than the nourishment, and the body than the clothing.</span> (Luke 12:14-23, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** _TBD_
- **Audience:** _TBD_
- **Location:** _TBD_
- **Time period:** _TBD_

## Theological reading

_Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._

## Key words

_Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap._

- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_

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## Quoted in

**Arguments and defeaters:**

- [Pragmatic Argument](/codex/pragmatic-argument/)

**Concepts:**

- [Biblical Stewardship](/codex/biblical-stewardship/)
- [Jesus Said](/codex/jesus-said/), via [Luke 12](/codex/luke-12/)

**Lexicon:**

- [G5590 - psyche](/codex/g5590-psyche/), via [Luke 12.19-20](/codex/luke-12-19-20/)

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_Scripture quotations taken from the **New American Standard Bible®** (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by **The Lockman Foundation**. Used by permission. All rights reserved. [www.lockman.org](https://www.lockman.org)_

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.