Luke 16
1 Jesus told his disciples this story. “There was once a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting what belonged to his master.
Then He said further to His disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a manager, who was accused to him of wasting his goods.
2 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.’
So he called him in and said to him: ‘What is this I hear about you? Render an account of your stewardship, because you can no longer be manager.’
3 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.
Then the manager said within himself: ‘What shall I do? My master is taking the management away from me. I do not have strength to dig; I am ashamed to beg
4 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.’
—I know what I will do, so that whenever I am removed from the management they may receive me into their houses.’
5 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?’
Summoning each one of his master's debtors, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
6 The man replied, ‘A hundred units of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Sit down quickly. Take your bill, and change it to fifty.’
And he said, ‘A hundred baths of olive oil.’ So he said to him, ‘Take your bill and sit down quickly and write fifty.’
7 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.’
Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ And he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ So he said to him, ‘Take your bill and write eighty.’
8 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)
The master even ‘commended’ the dishonest manager, because he had acted shrewdly. The sons of this age are shrewder in their own generation than the sons of the Light. (aiōn g165)
9 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)
“I even say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon, so that whenever you fail, they may receive you into the eternal dwellings! (aiōnios g166)
10 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.
He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much, and he who is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much.
11 So if you can't be trusted when it comes to worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?
If therefore you have not been faithful with the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the genuine?
12 And if you can't be trusted with what belongs to someone else, who will trust you with what is yours?
And if you have not been faithful in what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own?
13 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.”
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 God and mammon!”
14 The Pharisees, who loved money, heard what Jesus said and laughed at him.
Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were also listening to all these things, and they were ridiculing Him.
15 But Jesus told them, “You appear pious to people, but God knows what you're thinking. What people value highly is detested by God.
So He said to them: “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. That which is exalted among men is an abomination before God.
16 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.
The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the Kingdom of God is being proclaimed, and every one is trying to force his way into it.
17 However, it's easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for the smallest point of the Law to disappear.
But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one tittle of the Law to fail.
18 Any man who divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery, and a man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery.
19 Once there was a man who was rich. He wore purple clothes and fine linen, and enjoyed a luxurious life.
“Now there was a certain rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every day.
20 A beggar named Lazarus used to sit at his gate, covered in sores,
And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores, who had been placed at his gate,
21 longing to eat the leftovers from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
just wanting to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table—why even the dogs would come and lick his sores!
22 Then the beggar died, and angels carried him away to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried.
In due time the beggar died and was carried away to Abraham's bosom by the angels. “The rich man also died and was buried.
23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham in the far distance, with Lazarus beside him. (Hadēs g86)
And in Hades he looked up and saw Abraham at a distance, and Lazarus very close to him. And being in torment, (Hadēs g86)
24 ‘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.’
he called out, saying, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; because I am tormented by this flame!’
25 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.
But Abraham said: ‘Child, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus had bad things; but now he is being comforted, and you tormented.
26 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.’
And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can anyone from there cross over to us.’
27 The rich man said, ‘Then Father, I beg you, please send him to my father's house.
Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house,
28 For I have five brothers and he can warn them so that they don't end up here in this place of torment.’
because I have five brothers, so that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’
29 But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. They should listen to them.’
Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’
30 ‘No, father Abraham,’ said the man. ‘But they would repent if someone went to them from the dead!’
So he said to him, ‘Oh no, father Abraham—if someone from the dead should go to them, they will repent!’
31 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.’”
He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone should rise from the dead.’”
