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.
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.
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 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.’
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.
“The manager said within himself, ‘What will I do, seeing that my lord is taking away the management position from me? I don’t have strength to dig. I am ashamed to beg.
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 removed from management, 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.
Calling each one of his lord’s debtors to him, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe to 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.”
He said, ‘A hundred batos of oil.’ 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.”
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.’
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)
“His lord commended the dishonest manager because he had done wisely, for the children of this world are, in their own generation, wiser than the children 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)
I tell you, make for yourselves friends by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when you fail, they may receive you into the eternal tents. (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.
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.
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 commit to your trust 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?
If you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which 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 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 aren’t able to serve God and Mammon.”
14 All this was said within hearing of the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, and they began to sneer at Jesus.
The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they scoffed 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 who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts. For that which is exalted amongst men is an abomination in the sight 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 Torah and the Prophets were until Yochanan. From that time the Good News of God’s Kingdom is preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.
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 for one tiny stroke of a pen in the Torah to become void.
18 Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman is an adulterer, and the man who marries a divorced woman is an adulterer.
“Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery. He who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery.
19 There was once a rich man, who dressed in purple robes and fine linen, and feasted every day in great splendour.
“Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every day.
20 Near his gateway there had been laid a beggar named Lazarus, who was covered with sores,
A certain beggar, named Lazarus, was taken to his gate, full of sores,
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.
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.
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.
The beggar died, and he was carried away by the angels to 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)
In Sheol, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at 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.”
He cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may 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.
“But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in the same way, bad things. But here he is now 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.”
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 no one may cross over from there to us.’
27 “Then, Father,” he said, “I beg you to send Lazarus to my father’s house –
“He said, ‘I ask you therefore, father, that you would send him to 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 brothers—that he may testify to them, so they won’t 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 said to him, ‘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.”
“He said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will 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.”’
“He said to him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead.’”
