Luke 16
1 And he said also to [his] disciples, There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and he was accused to him as wasting his goods.
Jesus told his disciples this story. “There was once a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting what belonged to his master.
2 And having called him, he said to him, What [is] this that I hear of thee? give the reckoning of thy stewardship, for thou canst be no longer steward.
So the rich man called in his manager, and asked him, ‘What's this I hear about you? Bring in your accounts, because you won't be continuing as manager.’
3 And the steward said within himself, What shall I do; for my lord is taking the stewardship from me? I am not able to dig; I am ashamed to beg.
The manager said to himself, ‘Now what will I do since my master is going to fire me from my job? I'm not strong enough to dig, and I'm ashamed to beg.
4 I know what I will do, that when I shall have been removed from the stewardship I may be received into their houses.
Oh, I know what I'm going to do so that when I'm sacked as manager people will make me welcome in their homes.’
5 And having called to [him] each one of the debtors of his own lord, he said to the first, How much owest thou to my lord?
So he invited all those who were in debt to his master to come and see him. He asked the first one, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
6 And he said, A hundred baths of oil. And he said to him, Take thy writing and sit down quickly and write fifty.
The man replied, ‘A hundred units of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Sit down quickly. Take your bill, and change it to fifty.’
7 Then he said to another, And thou, how much dost thou owe? And he said, A hundred cors of wheat. And he says to him, Take thy writing and write eighty.
Then he said to another, ‘How much do you owe?’ The man replied, ‘A hundred units of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill and change it to eighty.’
8 And the lord praised the unrighteous steward because he had done prudently. For the sons of this world are, for their own generation, more prudent than the sons of light. (aiōn g165)
The rich man commended his dishonest manager for his cunning idea. The children of this world are more cunning towards one another than are the children of light. (aiōn g165)
9 And I say to you, Make to yourselves friends with the mammon of unrighteousness, that when it fails ye may be received into the eternal tabernacles. (aiōnios g166)
I tell you, use the wealth of this world to make friends for yourselves so that when it's gone, you'll be welcomed into an eternal home. (aiōnios g166)
10 He that is faithful in the least is faithful also in much; and he that is unrighteous in the least is unrighteous also in much.
If you can be trusted with very little you can also be trusted with much; if you are dishonest with very little you will also be dishonest with much.
11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who shall entrust to you the true?
So if you can't be trusted when it comes to worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?
12 and if ye have not been faithful in that which is another's, who shall give to you your own?
And if you can't be trusted with what belongs to someone else, who will trust you with what is yours?
13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and will love the other, or he will cleave to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
No servant can obey two masters. Either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can't serve both God and Money.”
14 And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things, and mocked him.
The Pharisees, who loved money, heard what Jesus said and laughed at him.
15 And he said to them, Ye are they who justify themselves before men, but God knows your hearts; for what amongst men is highly thought of is an abomination before God.
But Jesus told them, “You appear pious to people, but God knows what you're thinking. What people value highly is detested by God.
16 The law and the prophets [were] until John: from that time the glad tidings of the kingdom of God are announced, and every one forces his way into it.
What was written in the law and the prophets lasted until John. From then on the good news of the kingdom of God is being spread, and everyone is forcing their way in.
17 But it is easier that the heaven and the earth should pass away than that one tittle of the law should fail.
However, it's easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for the smallest point of the Law to disappear.
18 Every one who puts away his wife and marries another commits adultery; and every one that marries one put away from a husband commits adultery.
Any man who divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery, and a man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
19 Now there was a rich man and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, making good cheer in splendour every day.
Once there was a man who was rich. He wore purple clothes and fine linen, and enjoyed a luxurious life.
20 And [there was] a poor man, by name Lazarus, [who] was laid at his gateway full of sores,
A beggar named Lazarus used to sit at his gate, covered in sores,
21 and desiring to be filled with the crumbs which fell from the table of the rich man; but the dogs also coming licked his sores.
longing to eat the leftovers from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 And it came to pass that the poor man died, and that he was carried away by the angels into the bosom of Abraham. And the rich man also died and was buried.
Then the beggar died, and angels carried him away to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried.
23 And in hades lifting up his eyes, being in torments, he sees Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. (Hadēs g86)
In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham in the far distance, with Lazarus beside him. (Hadēs g86)
24 And he crying out said, Father Abraham, have compassion on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering in this flame.
‘Father Abraham,’ he called out, ‘Have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I'm burning in agony.’
25 But Abraham said, Child, recollect that thou hast fully received thy good things in thy lifetime, and likewise Lazarus evil things. But now he is comforted here, and thou art in suffering.
But Abraham replied, ‘My son, remember that you enjoyed the good things of life, while Lazarus had a very poor life. Now he is here being comforted, while you suffer in torment.
26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm is fixed, so that those who desire to pass hence to you cannot, nor do they who [desire to cross] from there pass over unto us.
Apart from that, there's a great gulf that stretches between us and you. Nobody who wants to cross from here to you can do so, and nobody can cross from there over to us.’
27 And he said, I beseech thee then, father, that thou wouldest send him to the house of my father,
The rich man said, ‘Then Father, I beg you, please send him to my father's house.
28 for I have five brothers, so that he may earnestly testify to them, that they also may not come to this place of torment.
For I have five brothers and he can warn them so that they don't end up here in this place of torment.’
29 But Abraham says to him, They have Moses and the prophets: let them hear them.
But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. They should listen to them.’
30 But he said, Nay, father Abraham, but if one from the dead should go to them, they will repent.
‘No, father Abraham,’ said the man. ‘But they would repent if someone went to them from the dead!’
31 And he said to him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, not even if one rise from among [the] dead will they be persuaded.
Abraham said to him, ‘If they won't listen to Moses and the prophets, they won't be convinced even if someone returns from the dead.’”
