Luke 16
1 Jesus also said to His disciples, “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions.
Jesus said to his disciples: “There was a rich man who had a steward; and this steward was maliciously accused to him of wasting his estate.
2 So he called him in to ask, ‘What is this I hear about you? Turn in an account of your management, for you cannot be manager any longer.’
So the master called him and said ‘What is this that I hear about you? Give in your accounts, for you cannot act as steward any longer.’
3 The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, now that my master is taking away my position? I am too weak to dig and too ashamed to beg.
‘What am I to do,’ the steward asked himself, ‘now that my master is taking the steward’s place away from me? I have not strength to dig, and I am ashamed to beg.
4 I know what I will do, so that after my removal from management, people will welcome me into their homes.’
I know what I will do, so that, as soon as I am turned out of my stewardship, people may welcome me into their homes.’
5 And he called in each one of his master’s debtors. ‘How much do you owe my master?’ he asked the first.
One by one he called up his master’s debtors. ‘How much do you owe my master?’ he asked of the first.
6 ‘A hundred measures of olive oil,’ he answered. ‘Take your bill,’ said the manager. ‘Sit down quickly, and write fifty.’
‘Four hundred and forty gallons of oil,’ answered the man. ‘Here is your agreement,’ he said; ‘sit down at once and make it two hundred and twenty.’
7 Then he asked another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ ‘A hundred measures of wheat,’ he replied. ‘Take your bill and write eighty,’ he told him.
And you, the steward said to the next, ‘how much do you owe?’ ‘Seventy quarters of wheat,’ he replied. ‘Here is your agreement,’ the steward said; ‘make it fifty-six.’
8 The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the sons of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the sons of light. (aiōn g165)
His master complimented this dishonest steward on the shrewdness of his action. And indeed men of the world are shrewder in dealing with their fellow-men than those who have the Light. (aiōn g165)
9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to make friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, they will welcome you into eternal dwellings. (aiōnios g166)
And I say to you ‘Win friends for yourselves with your dishonest money,’ so that, when it comes to an end, there may be a welcome for you into the Eternal Home. (aiōnios g166)
10 Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
He who is trustworthy in the smallest matter is trustworthy in a great one also; and he who is dishonest in the smallest matter is dishonest in a great one also.
11 So if you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will entrust you with true riches?
So, if you have proved untrustworthy with the ‘dishonest money,’ who will trust you with the true?
12 And if you have not been faithful with the belongings of another, who will give you belongings of your own?
And, if you have proved untrustworthy with what does not belong to us, who will give you what is really our own?
13 No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
No servant can serve two masters, for, either he will hate one and love the other, or else he will attach himself to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”
14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all of this and were scoffing at Jesus.
All this was said within hearing of the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, and they began to sneer at Jesus.
15 So He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is prized among men is detestable before God.
“You,” said Jesus, “are the men who justify themselves before the world, but God can read your hearts; and what is highly esteemed among men may be an abomination in the sight of God.
16 The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the gospel of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.
The Law and the Prophets sufficed until the time of John. Since then the Good News of the Kingdom of God has been told, and everybody has been forcing his way into it.
17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for a single stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.
It would be easier for the heavens and the earth to disappear than for one stroke of a letter in the Law to be lost.
18 Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Every one who divorces his wife and marries another woman is an adulterer, and the man who marries a divorced woman is an adulterer.
19 Now there was a rich man dressed in purple and fine linen, who lived each day in joyous splendor.
There was once a rich man, who dressed in purple robes and fine linen, and feasted every day in great splendour.
20 And a beggar named Lazarus lay at his gate, covered with sores
Near his gateway there had been laid a beggar named Lazarus, who was covered with sores,
21 and longing to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
and who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the very dogs came and licked his sores.
22 One day the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. And the rich man also died and was buried.
After a time the beggar died, and was taken by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried.
23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham from afar, with Lazarus by his side. (Hadēs g86)
In the Place of Death he looked up in his torment, and saw Abraham at a distance and Lazarus at his side. (Hadēs g86)
24 So he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. For I am in agony in this fire.’
So he called out ‘Pity me, Father Abraham, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering agony in this flame.’
25 But Abraham answered, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things. But now he is comforted here, while you are in agony.
‘Child,’ answered Abraham, ‘remember that you in your lifetime received what you thought desirable, just as Lazarus received what was not desirable; but now he has his consolation here, while you are suffering agony.
26 And besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that even those who wish cannot cross from here to you, nor can anyone cross from there to us.’
And not only that, but between you and us there lies a great chasm, so that those who wish to pass from here to you cannot, nor can they cross from there to us.’
27 ‘Then I beg you, father,’ he said, ‘send Lazarus to my father’s house,
‘Then, Father,’ he said, ‘I beg you to send Lazarus to my father’s house —
28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also end up in this place of torment.’
For I have five brothers to warn them, so that they may not come to this place of torture also.’
29 But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let your brothers listen to them.’
‘They have the writings of Moses and the Prophets,’ replied Abraham; ‘let them listen to them.’
30 ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone is sent to them from the dead, they will repent.’
‘But, Father Abraham,’ he urged, ‘if some one from the dead were to go to them, they would repent.’
31 Then Abraham said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”
‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets,’ answered Abraham, ‘they will not be persuaded, even if some one were to rise from the dead.’”
