# Luke 12.42-48

<!-- 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/))
> 40. <span class="rl-speech">Be ye also ready: for in an hour that ye think not the Son of man cometh.</span> 41. And Peter said, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even unto all?
>
> **42. And the Lord said, <span class="rl-speech">Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall set over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?</span> 43. <span class="rl-speech">Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.</span> 44. <span class="rl-speech">Of a truth I say unto you, that he will set him over all that he hath.</span> 45. <span class="rl-speech">But if that servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;</span> 46. <span class="rl-speech">the lord of that servant shall come in a day when he expecteth not, and in an hour when he knoweth not, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint his portion with the unfaithful.</span> 47. <span class="rl-speech">And that servant, who knew his lord's will, and made not ready, nor did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes;</span> 48. <span class="rl-speech">but he that knew not, and did things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. And to whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required: and to whom they commit much, of him will they ask the more.</span>**
>
> 49. <span class="rl-speech">I came to cast fire upon the earth; and what do I desire, if it is already kindled?</span> 50. <span class="rl-speech">But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!</span> (Luke 12:40-50, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 40. <span class="rl-speech">Therefore be ready also, for the Son of Man is coming in an hour that you don’t expect him.”</span> 41. Peter said to him, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everybody?”
>
> **42. The Lord said, <span class="rl-speech">“Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the right times?</span> 43. <span class="rl-speech">Blessed is that servant whom his lord will find doing so when he comes.</span> 44. <span class="rl-speech">Truly I tell you, that he will set him over all that he has.</span> 45. But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My lord delays his coming,’ and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken, 46. then the lord of that servant will come in a day when he isn’t expecting him, and in an hour that he doesn’t know, and will cut him in two, and place his portion with the unfaithful. 47. That servant, who knew his lord’s will, and didn’t prepare, nor do what he wanted, will be beaten with many stripes, 48. but he who didn’t know, and did things worthy of stripes, will be beaten with few stripes. To whomever much is given, of him will much be required; and to whom much was entrusted, of him more will be asked.**
>
> 49. “I came to throw fire on the earth. I wish it were already kindled. 50. But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! (Luke 12:40-50, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 40. <span class="rl-speech">Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.</span> 41. Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all?
>
> **42. And the Lord said, <span class="rl-speech">Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?</span> 43. <span class="rl-speech">Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.</span> 44. <span class="rl-speech">Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.</span> 45. <span class="rl-speech">But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;</span> 46. <span class="rl-speech">The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. <sup>cut: or, cut him off</sup></span> 47. <span class="rl-speech">And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.</span> 48. <span class="rl-speech">But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.</span>**
>
> 49. <span class="rl-speech">I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?</span> 50. <span class="rl-speech">But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished! <sup>straitened: or, pained</sup></span> (Luke 12:40-50, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 40. <span class="rl-speech">and ye, then, become ye ready, because at the hour ye think not, the Son of Man doth come.'</span> 41. And Peter said to him, 'Sir, unto us this simile dost thou speak, or also unto all?'
>
> **42. And the Lord said, <span class="rl-speech">'Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward whom the lord shall set over his household, to give in season the wheat measure?</span> 43. <span class="rl-speech">Happy that servant, whom his lord, having come, shall find doing so;</span> 44. <span class="rl-speech">truly I say to you, that over all his goods he will set him.</span> 45. <span class="rl-speech">'And if that servant may say in his heart, My lord doth delay to come, and may begin to beat the men-servants and the maid-servants, to eat also, and to drink, and to be drunken;</span> 46. <span class="rl-speech">the lord of that servant will come in a day in which he doth not look for [him], and in an hour that he doth not know, and will cut him off, and his portion with the unfaithful he will appoint.</span> 47. <span class="rl-speech">'And that servant, who having known his lord'</span>s will, and not having prepared, nor having gone according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes, 48. and he who, not having known, and having done things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few; and to every one to whom much was given, much shall be required from him; and to whom they did commit much, more abundantly they will ask of him.**
>
> 49. 'Fire I came to cast to the earth, and what will I if already it was kindled? 50. but I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I pressed till it may be completed! (Luke 12:40-50, 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:**

- [Belief-Choice Objection Defeater](/codex/belief-choice-objection-defeater/), via [Luke 12.48](/codex/luke-12-48/)
- [Why Doesnt God Stop Satan Objection Defeater](/codex/why-doesnt-god-stop-satan-objection-defeater/), via [Luke 12.47-48](/codex/luke-12-47-48/)

**Concepts:**

- [Jesus Said](/codex/jesus-said/), via [Luke 12](/codex/luke-12/)
- [Salvation of the Unevangelized](/codex/salvation-of-the-unevangelized/), via [Luke 12.48](/codex/luke-12-48/)

**Lexicon:**

- [G1401 - doulos](/codex/g1401-doulos/)

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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.