< 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.
And he went on to say, unto his disciples also, —There was, a certain rich man, who had a steward, and, the same, was accused to him as squandering his goods.
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.’
And, accosting him, he said unto him—What is this I hear of thee? Render the account of thy stewardship, for thou canst 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.
And the steward said within himself—What shall I do, because my lord taketh away the stewardship from me? Dig, I cannot: 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, that, when I am removed out of the stewardship, they may welcome me into their own houses.
5 One by one he called up his master’s debtors. ‘How much do you owe my master?’ he asked of the first.
And, calling unto him each one of the debtors of his own lord, he was saying unto the first, —How much owest thou my lord?
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.’
And, he, said—A hundred baths of oil. And, he, said unto him—Kindly take thine accounts, and, sitting down, make haste 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.’
After that, unto another, he said—And how much owest, thou? And, he, said—A hundred homers of wheat. He saith unto him—Kindly take thine accounts, and write—Eighty!
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 lord praised the unrighteous steward, in that with forethought he acted: —Because, the sons of this age, have more forethought than the sons of light, respecting their own generation. (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, I, unto you, say—For yourselves, make ye friends, with the unjust Riches, in order that, as soon as it shall fail, they may welcome you into the age-abiding tents. (aiōnios g166)
10 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.
The faithful in least, in much also, is, faithful, and, he that in least is unrighteous, in much also, is, unrighteous.
11 So, if you have proved untrustworthy with the ‘dishonest money,’ who will trust you with the true?
If therefore, in the unjust Riches ye proved unfaithful, the true, who, unto you, will entrust?
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, in what was another’s, ye proved unfaithful, your own, who will give unto you?
13 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.”
No domestic, can, unto two masters, be in service; for either, the one, he will hate, and, the other, love, or, unto the one, he will hold, and, the other, despise: Ye cannot, unto God, be in service, and unto Riches.
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 were, lovers of money, were hearing all these things, and were openly sneering at him.
15 “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.
And he said unto them—Ye, are they who justify themselves before men, but, God, knoweth your hearts; because, that which amongst men is lofty, is an abomination before 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 his way into it.
The law and the prophets, were until John, —from that time, the good news of the kingdom of God, is being proclaimed, and, everyone, thereinto, is forcing his way.
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.
But it is, easier, for heaven and earth to pass away, than that, of the law, one little point, should fail.
18 Every one who divorces his wife and marries another woman is an adulterer, and the man who marries a divorced woman is an adulterer.
Every one divorcing his wife and marrying another, committeth adultery; and, he that marrieth a woman divorced from a husband, committeth adultery.
19 There was once a rich man, who dressed in purple robes and fine linen, and feasted every day in great splendour.
Now, a certain man, was rich, and he used to clothe himself with purple and fine linen, making merry day by day, brilliantly.
20 Near his gateway there had been laid a beggar named Lazarus, who was covered with sores,
And, a certain beggar, by name Lazarus, used to be cast near his gate, full of sores,
21 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.
and to long to be fed from the crumbs that fell from the table of the rich man: nay! even, the dogs, used to come and lick 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.
And it came to pass that the beggar died, and was carried away by the messengers, into the bosom of Abraham. And, the rich man also, died, and was buried.
23 In the Place of Death he looked up in his torment, and saw Abraham at a distance and Lazarus at his side. (Hadēs g86)
And, in hades, lifting up his eyes, being in torments, he seeth 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, calling out, said—Father Abraham! have mercy upon me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue, —because 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.
But Abraham said—Child! remember—That thou didst duly received thy good things in thy life, and, Lazarus, in like manner, the evil things; but, now, here, he is comforted, and, thou, art 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.’
And, besides all these things, betwixt us and you, a great chasm, hath been fixed, —so that, they who might wish to cross over from hence unto you, should not be able, nor any, from thence unto us, be crossing over.
27 ‘Then, Father,’ he said, ‘I beg you to send Lazarus to my father’s house —
But he said—I request thee then, father, that thou wouldst send him unto my father’s house, —
28 For I have five brothers to warn them, so that they may not come to this place of torture also.’
for I have five brethren; —that he may solemnly testify unto them, lest, they also, come into this place of torment.
29 ‘They have the writings of Moses and the Prophets,’ replied Abraham; ‘let them listen to them.’
But Abraham saith—They have Moses and the Prophets: Let them hearken unto them.
30 ‘But, Father Abraham,’ he urged, ‘if some one from the dead were to go to them, they would repent.’
But, he, said—Nay! father Abraham, but, if one, from the dead, should go unto them, they would repent.
31 ‘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.’”
But he said unto him—If, unto Moses and the Prophets, they do not hearken, neither, if one, from among the dead, should arise, would they be persuaded.

< Luke 16 >