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.
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 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 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, ‘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.
“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 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, as soon as I am turned out of my stewardship, people may welcome me into their homes.”
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?’
One by one he called up his master’s debtors. “How much do you owe my master?” he asked of the first.
6 The man replied, ‘A hundred units of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Sit down quickly. Take your bill, and change it to 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 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.’
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 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)
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 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)
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 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.
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.
11 So if you can't be trusted when it comes to worldly wealth, who will trust 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 can't be trusted with what belongs to someone else, who will trust you with what is yours?
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 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, 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.’
14 The Pharisees, who loved money, heard what Jesus said and laughed at him.
All this was said within hearing of the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, and they began to sneer at Jesus.
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.
‘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.
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 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.
17 However, it's easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for the smallest point of the Law to disappear.
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 Any man who divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery, and a man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman is an adulterer, and the man who marries a divorced woman is an adulterer.
19 Once there was a man who was rich. He wore purple clothes and fine linen, and enjoyed a luxurious life.
There was once a rich man, who dressed in purple robes and fine linen, and feasted every day in great splendour.
20 A beggar named Lazarus used to sit at his gate, covered in sores,
Near his gateway there had been laid a beggar named Lazarus, who was covered with sores,
21 longing to eat the leftovers 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 dogs came and licked his sores.
22 Then the beggar died, and angels carried him away to be with Abraham. 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 in the far distance, with Lazarus beside him. (Hadēs g86)
In Hades he looked up in his torment, and saw Abraham at a distance and Lazarus at his side. (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.’
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 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.
“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 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 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 The rich man said, ‘Then Father, I beg you, please send him 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 and he can warn them so that they don't end up here 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. They should listen to them.’
“They have the writings of Moses and the prophets,” replied Abraham; “let them listen to them.”
30 ‘No, father Abraham,’ said the man. ‘But they would repent if someone went to them from the dead!’
“But, Father Abraham,” he urged, “if someone from the dead were to go to them, they would 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.’”
“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.”’
