< Luke 16 >
1 He also said to his disciples, "There was a certain rich man who had a manager. An accusation was made to him that this man was wasting his possessions.
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 He called him, and said to him, 'What is this that I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be 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 within himself, 'What will I do, seeing that my lord is taking away the management position from me? I do not have strength to dig. I am 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 I know what I will do, so that when I am removed from management, they may receive me into their houses.'
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 Calling each one of his lord's debtors to him, he said to the first, 'How much do you owe to my lord?'
One by one he called up his master’s debtors. “How much do you owe my master?” he asked of the first.
6 He said, 'A hundred batos of oil.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write 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?' He said, 'A hundred cors of wheat.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, and write 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 "His lord commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness, for the people of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the people of light. (aiōn )
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 )
9 And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when it is gone they may welcome you into the everlasting dwellings. (aiōnios )
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 )
10 He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much. He who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in 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 If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
So, if you have proved untrustworthy with the dishonest money, who will trust you with the true?
12 If you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own?
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 serve two masters, for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. You are not able to serve God and wealth."
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 were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they scoffed at him.
All this was said within hearing of the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, and they began to sneer at Jesus.
15 He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of people, but God knows your hearts. For that which is exalted among people is an abomination in the sight of 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 The Law and the Prophets were until Yukhanan. From that time the Good News of the Kingdom of God is preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.
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 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one tiny stroke of a pen in the Law to become void.
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 Everyone who divorces his wife, and marries another, commits adultery. He who marries one who is divorced from a husband 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 "Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every day.
There was once a rich man, who dressed in purple robes and fine linen, and feasted every day in great splendour.
20 A certain beggar, named Leayzar, was placed at his gate, full of sores,
Near his gateway there had been laid a beggar named Lazarus, who was covered with sores,
21 and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table. Yes, 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 It happened that the beggar died, and that he was carried away by the angels to Avraham's bosom. 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 Sheyul, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Avraham far off, and Leayzar at his bosom. (Hadēs )
In Hades he looked up in his torment, and saw Abraham at a distance and Lazarus at his side. (Hadēs )
24 He called out and said, 'Father Avraham, have mercy on me, and send Leayzar, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue. For I am in anguish in this flame.'
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 Avraham said, 'Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Leayzar, in like manner, bad things. But now here he is comforted and you are in anguish.
“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 Besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that those who want to pass from here to you are not able, and that none may cross over from there 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 "He said, 'I ask you therefore, father, that you would 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, that he may testify to them, so they won't also come into 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 Avraham said to him, 'They have Mushe and the Prophets. Let them listen to them.'
“They have the writings of Moses and the prophets,” replied Abraham; “let them listen to them.”
30 "He said, 'No, father Avraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'
“But, Father Abraham,” he urged, “if someone from the dead were to go to them, they would repent.”
31 "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Mushe and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises 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.”’