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 also said to his disciples: “A certain man was wealthy, and he had a steward of his estate. And this man was accused to him of having dissipated 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 he called him and said to him: ‘What is this that I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship. For you can no longer be my 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? For my lord is taking the stewardship away from me. I am not strong enough to dig. I am too 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 have been removed from the stewardship, 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.
And so, calling together each one of his lord’s debtors, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe 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.’
So he said, ‘One hundred jars of oil.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your invoice, and quickly, sit down 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.’
Next, he said to another, ‘In truth, how much do you owe?’ And he said, ‘One hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your record books, 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 iniquitous steward, in that he had acted prudently. For the sons of this age are more prudent with their generation than are the sons of 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)
And so I say to you, make friends for yourself using iniquitous mammon, so that, when you will have passed away, they may receive you into the eternal tabernacles. (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.
Whoever is faithful in what is least, is also faithful in what is greater. And whoever is unjust in what is small, is also unjust in what is greater.
11 So, if you have proved untrustworthy with the dishonest money, who will trust you with the true?
So then, if you have not been faithful with iniquitous mammon, who will trust you with what is true?
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 you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours?
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 is able to serve two lords. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will cling to the one and despise the other. You cannot 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.
But the Pharisees, who were greedy, were listening to all these things. And they ridiculed 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.
And he said to them: “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the sight of men. But God knows your hearts. For what is lifted up by 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 law and the prophets were until John. Since then, the kingdom of God is being evangelized, and everyone acts with violence toward 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 dot of the law to fall away.
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. And whoever marries her who has been divorced by her husband commits adultery.
19 There was once a rich man, who dressed in purple robes and fine linen, and feasted every day in great splendor.
A certain man was wealthy, and he was clothed in purple and in fine linen. And he feasted splendidly every day.
20 Near his gateway there had been laid a beggar named Lazarus, who was covered with sores,
And there was a certain beggar, named Lazarus, who lay at his gate, covered with 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.
wanting to be filled with the crumbs which were falling from the wealthy man’s table. But no one gave it to him. And 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.
Then it happened that the beggar died, and he was carried by the Angels into the bosom of Abraham. Now the wealthy man also died, and he was entombed,
23 In Hades he looked up in his torment, and saw Abraham at a distance and Lazarus at his side. (Hadēs g86)
in Hell. Then lifting up his eyes, while he was in torments, he saw Abraham far away, 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 crying out, he said: ‘Father Abraham, take pity on me and send Lazarus, so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water to refresh my tongue. For I am tortured in this fire.’
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.
And Abraham said to him: ‘Son, recall that you received good things in your life, and in comparison, Lazarus received bad things. But now he is consoled, and truly you are tormented.
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 this, between us and you a great chasm has been established, so that those who might want to cross from here to you are not able, nor can someone cross from there to here.’
27 ‘Then, Father,’ he said, ‘I beg you to send Lazarus to my father’s house
And he said: ‘Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers,
28 where I have five brothers, to warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torture.’
so that he may testify to them, lest they also come into this place of torments.’
29 ‘They have the writings of Moses and the prophets,’ replied Abraham. ‘Let them listen to them.’
And 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.’
So he said: ‘No, father Abraham. But if someone were to go to them from the dead, they would 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.’”
But he said to him: ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they believe even if someone has resurrected from the dead.’”
