Luke 16
1 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.
To his disciples he said. "There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and this steward was accused to him of wasting his property.
2 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.’
"He called to him to him and said. "‘What is this that I hear about you? Render an account of your stewardship; for you can no longer be steward.’
3 ‘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.
"Now the steward said to himself. ‘What shall I do, now that my master is taking away my stewardship? I am not strong enough to dig, to beg I am ashamed.
4 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.’
"‘I know what I will do, so that when I am put out of my stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.’
5 One by one he called up his master’s debtors. ‘How much do you owe my master?’ he asked of the first.
"So he called to him each of his master’s debtors and said to the first, ‘How much money do you owe my master?’
6 ‘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.’
"‘A hundred measures of oil,’ he answered. "He said to him, ‘Take your bill and sit down quickly and write fifty."
7 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.’
"To a second he said, ‘How much do you owe?’ "The man answered, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ "‘Here is you bill,’ he said, ‘change it to eighty measures.’
8 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)
"And the master praised the unjust steward because he had acted shrewdly; for the sons of this world are in relation to their own generation wiser than the sons of the light. (aiōn g165)
9 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)
"And to you I say, Use mammon, dishonest as it is, to make yourselves friends, so that when it shall fail they will welcome you to the eternal tabernacles. (aiōnios g166)
10 The person who is trustworthy in the smallest matter is trustworthy in a great one also; and the person who is dishonest in the smallest matter is dishonest in a great one also.
"The man who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much, and he who is unjust in a very little, is unjust also as much.
11 So, if you have proved untrustworthy with the dishonest money, who will trust you with the true?
"If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will trust to you the true riches?
12 And, if you have proved untrustworthy with what does not belong to us, who will give you what is really our own?
"And if you are not faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own?
13 No servant can serve two masters, for, either they will hate one and love the other, or else they will attach themselves to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
"No one can be a household servants to two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will cling to the one and despise the other. You cannot be the slave of God and of Mammon."
14 All this was said within hearing of the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, and they began to sneer at Jesus.
Now the Pharisees who loved money listened to all this and they jeered at him.
15 “You,” said Jesus, “are the ones who justify themselves before the world, but God can read your hearts; and what is highly esteemed among people may be an abomination in the sight of God.
He said to them. "You are those that justify themselves in the eyes of men; but God knows you hearts; for that which is lofty in the eyes of men is abomination in the eyes of God.
16 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 their way into it.
"The Law and the Prophet lasted until John; since then the gospel of the kingdom of God is preached, and any one presses in.
17 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.
"Yet it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away then for one title of the law to fail.
18 Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman is an adulterer, and the man who marries a divorced woman is an adulterer.
"Every man who divorces his wife and marries some one else, commits adultery; and he who marries one who is put away by her husband commits adultery.
19 There was once a rich man, who dressed in purple robes and fine linen, and feasted every day in great splendor.
"Now there was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and made merry every day in splendor.
20 Near his gateway there had been laid a beggar named Lazarus, who was covered with sores,
"And a certain beggar named Lazarus was thrown at his door.
21 and who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
"He was full of sores, and longingly desired to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Yes! even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 After a time the beggar died, and was taken by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried.
"But in the course of time the beggar died; and he was carried by angels into Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried.
23 In Hades he looked up in his torment, and saw Abraham at a distance and Lazarus at his side. (Hadēs g86)
"And as he was tormented in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom. (Hadēs g86)
24 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.’
"And he cried out and said, ‘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 anguish in this flame.’
25 ‘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.
"‘Remember my son.’ said Abraham, ‘that you had in your lifetime all your good things, and in the same way Lazarus his evil things; but now here he is comforted, and you are in anguish.
26 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.’
"But besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who want to cross from here to you cannot, nor can those who would cross from you to us.’
27 ‘Then, Father,’ he said, ‘I beg you to send Lazarus to my father’s house –
"‘I beg you then, father,’ he said, ‘send him to my fathers house. For I have five brothers.
28 For I have five brothers to warn them, so that they may not come to this place of torture also.’
"‘Let him earnestly warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.’
29 ‘They have the writings of Moses and the prophets,’ replied Abraham; ‘let them listen to them.’
"But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets, let them listen to them.’
30 ‘But, Father Abraham,’ he urged, ‘if someone from the dead were to go to them, they would repent.’
"‘Nay, Father Abraham,’ he said ‘but if some one went to them from the dead they would repent.’
31 ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets,’ answered Abraham, ‘they will not be persuaded, even if someone were to rise from the dead.’”
"‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets,’ said Father Abraham, ‘neither will they be persuaded if one should rise from the dead.’"
