Luke 16
1 And he spoke a parable to his disciples. There was a certain rich man, who had a steward; and accusations were brought to him of him, that he squandered his property.
Jesus told his disciples this story. “There was once a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting what belonged to his master.
2 And his lord called him, and said to him: What is this that I hear of thee? Render to me an account of thy stewardship; for thou canst no longer be my steward.
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.’
3 And the steward said with himself: What shall I do, since my lord is about to take from me the stewardship? To dig, I am unable; and to become a beggar, I am ashamed.
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.
4 I know what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me to their houses.
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.’
5 And he called each one of his lord's debtors; and he said to the first, How much owest thou to my lord?
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?’
6 And he said to him, One hundred measures of oil. And he said to him: Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write Fifty measures.
The man replied, ‘A hundred units of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Sit down quickly. Take your bill, and change it to fifty.’
7 And he said to another: And how much owest thou to my lord? And he said to him, One hundred cors of wheat. And he said to him: Take thy bill, and sit down, and write Eighty cors.
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.’
8 And our Lord praised the unrighteous steward, for having acted sagaciously: for the children of this world are more sagacious than the children of light, in this their generation. (aiōn g165)
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)
9 And I also say to you: Make to yourselves friends, with this unrighteous mammon; so that when it is finished, they may receive you to their everlasting tabernacles. (aiōnios g166)
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)
10 He that is faithful in the little, is also faithful in the much; and he that is unjust in the little, is also unjust in the much.
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.
11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will intrust to you the reality?
So if you can't be trusted when it comes to worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?
12 And if ye have not been found faithful in that which is not yours, who will give to you that which is yours?
And if you can't be trusted with what belongs to someone else, who will trust you with what is yours?
13 There is no servant, who can serve two lords. For, either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will honor the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
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.”
14 And the Pharisees, when they heard all these things, because they loved money, derided him.
The Pharisees, who loved money, heard what Jesus said and laughed at him.
15 And Jesus said to them: Ye are such as justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your heart: for that which is exalted among men, is abominable before God.
But Jesus told them, “You appear pious to people, but God knows what you're thinking. What people value highly is detested by God.
16 The law and the prophets were until John: since then, the kingdom of God is proclaimed, and every one presseth it to enter in.
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.
17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one letter to pass from the law.
However, it's easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for the smallest point of the Law to disappear.
18 Whoever putteth away his wife, and taketh another, committeth adultery; and whoever taketh her that is put away, committeth adultery.
Any man who divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery, and a man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
19 And there was a certain rich man, who was clothed in fine linen and scarlet, and passed every day in splendid luxury.
Once there was a man who was rich. He wore purple clothes and fine linen, and enjoyed a luxurious life.
20 And there was a certain poor man, whose name was Lazarus; and he was laid at the gate of the rich man, smitten with ulcers.
A beggar named Lazarus used to sit at his gate, covered in sores,
21 And he desired to fill his belly with the fragments that fell from the rich man's table: and the dogs also came and licked his ulcers.
longing to eat the leftovers from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 And so it was, that the poor man died; and angels transported him to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried.
Then the beggar died, and angels carried him away to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried.
23 And being tormented in hell, he raised his eyes from afar off, and saw Abraham, and Lazarus in his bosom. (Hadēs g86)
In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham in the far distance, with Lazarus beside him. (Hadēs g86)
24 And he called with a loud voice, and said: Abraham, my father, have pity on me; and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and moisten my tongue; for, lo, I am tormented in this flame.
‘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.’
25 And Abraham said to him: My son, remember, that thou receivedst thy good things in thy lifetime, and Lazarus his evil things: and now, behold he is here at rest, and thou art tormented.
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.
26 And with all these, there is a great barrier between us and you; so that they who would pass from here to you, cannot; neither can they pass from there to us
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.’
27 He said to him: I pray thee, therefore, my father, that thou wouldst send him to my father's house;
The rich man said, ‘Then Father, I beg you, please send him to my father's house.
28 for I have five brothers; that he may go and protest to them; lest they also come to this place of torment.
For I have five brothers and he can warn them so that they don't end up here in this place of torment.’
29 Abraham said to him: They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them.
But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. They should listen to them.’
30 But he said to him: No, my father Abraham: but if one shall go to them from the dead, they will repent.
‘No, father Abraham,’ said the man. ‘But they would repent if someone went to them from the dead!’
31 Abraham said to him: If they hear not Moses and the prophets, they will not believe, though one should rise from the dead.
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.’”
