Luke 16
1 [Jesus] also said to his disciples, “Once there was a rich man who had a household manager. [One day] he was told {[someone] told him} that [the manager] was managing the rich man’s money badly.
And he went on to say, unto his disciples also, —There was, a certain rich man, who had a steward, and, the same, was accused to him as squandering his goods.
2 So he summoned [his manager] and said to him, ‘(It is terrible what they are saying about you [(sg)]!/Is it true what they are saying about you [(sg)] [RHQ]?) Give me a written account of [the funds] you have been managing, because you can no longer be my [household] manager!’
And, accosting him, he said unto him—What is this I hear of thee? Render the account of thy stewardship, for thou canst no longer be steward.
3 Then the manager thought to himself, ‘My master is going to fire me, so (I do not know what to do./what shall I do [RHQ]?) I am not strong enough to [work by] digging ditches, and I am ashamed to beg [for money].’
And the steward said within himself—What shall I do, because my lord taketh away the stewardship from me? Dig, I cannot: to beg, I am ashamed.
4 [Suddenly he had an idea]. ‘I know what I will do, so that people will take me into their houses [and provide for me] after I am dismissed {after my master dismisses me} from my work!’
I know what I will do, that, when I am removed out of the stewardship, they may welcome me into their own houses.
5 So [one by one] he summoned the people who owed his master money. He asked the first one, ‘How much do you [(sg)] owe my master?’
And, calling unto him each one of the debtors of his own lord, he was saying unto the first, —How much owest thou my lord?
6 The man replied, ‘Eight hundred gallons of olive oil.’ The manager said to him, ‘Take your bill and sit down and quickly change it to 400 [gallons]!’
And, he, said—A hundred baths of oil. And, he, said unto him—Kindly take thine accounts, and, sitting down, make haste and write—Fifty!
7 He said to another man, ‘How much do you owe?’ The man replied, ‘A thousand bushels of wheat.’ The manager said to him, ‘Take your bill and change it to 800 [bushels]!’ [He did similar things for the others who owed his master money].
After that, unto another, he said—And how much owest, thou? And, he, said—A hundred homers of wheat. He saith unto him—Kindly take thine accounts, and write—Eighty!
8 When his master [heard what the manager had done], he admired the dishonest manager for the clever thing he had done. [The truth] is that the ungodly people in this world act more wisely toward other people than godly people [MET] act. (aiōn g165)
And the lord praised the unrighteous steward, in that with forethought he acted: —Because, the sons of this age, have more forethought than the sons of light, respecting their own generation. (aiōn g165)
9 [So] I tell you [(pl)] this: Use the money that you have [here] on earth to help others so that they will become your friends. Then when [you die and] you cannot [take] any money with you, [God and his angels] will welcome you into a home [in heaven] that will last forever. (aiōnios g166)
And, I, unto you, say—For yourselves, make ye friends, with the unjust Riches, in order that, as soon as it shall fail, they may welcome you into the age-abiding tents. (aiōnios g166)
10 People who faithfully manage small [matters] will also faithfully manage important [matters]. People who are dishonest in [the way they handle] small [matters] will be dishonest [in the way they handle] important [matters].
The faithful in least, in much also, is, faithful, and, he that in least is unrighteous, in much also, is, unrighteous.
11 So if you have not faithfully handled the money that [God has given you here] on earth, (he will certainly not allow you to possess the true [spiritual] riches [in heaven!]/would he allow you to possess the true [spiritual] riches [in heaven]?) [RHQ]
If therefore, in the unjust Riches ye proved unfaithful, the true, who, unto you, will entrust?
12 And if you have not faithfully managed things that belong to other people, ([God] will certainly not allow you to receive [treasures in heaven that] would belong to you!/would God allow you to receive [treasures in heaven that] would belong to you?) [RHQ]
And, if, in what was another’s, ye proved unfaithful, your own, who will give unto you?
13 No servant is able to serve two [different] bosses [at the same time. If he tried to do that], he would prefer one of them more than the other one; he would be loyal to one of them and despise the other one. [Similarly], you cannot [devote your life] to worshipping God and [worshipping] money and material goods [at the same time].”
No domestic, can, unto two masters, be in service; for either, the one, he will hate, and, the other, love, or, unto the one, he will hold, and, the other, despise: Ye cannot, unto God, be in service, and unto Riches.
14 There were some Pharisees [there]. They loved [to acquire] money. When they heard Jesus say that, they ridiculed him.
Now the Pharisees, who were, lovers of money, were hearing all these things, and were openly sneering at him.
15 But he said to them, “You try to make other people think that you are righteous, but God knows your (inner beings/hearts). [So he will reject you. Keep in mind that many] things that people think are important, God thinks are detestable.
And he said unto them—Ye, are they who justify themselves before men, but, God, knoweth your hearts; because, that which amongst men is lofty, is an abomination before God.
16 The laws that [God gave Moses] and what the prophets [MTY] [wrote] were ([in effect/what you needed to obey]) until John [the Baptizer] came. Since then [I] have been preaching about how God wants to [rule people’s lives in a new way], and many people are [accepting that message and] very eagerly asking God to control [their lives. But that does not mean that God has abolished the laws that he established previously].
The law and the prophets, were until John, —from that time, the good news of the kingdom of God, is being proclaimed, and, everyone, thereinto, is forcing his way.
17 [All of God’s] laws, [even those that seem] insignificant, are more permanent than heaven and earth.
But it is, easier, for heaven and earth to pass away, than that, of the law, one little point, should fail.
18 [For example, because God considers that a marriage lasts until either the husband or the wife dies, he considers that] any man who divorces his wife and marries another woman is committing adultery. He also [considers that] any man who marries a woman who has been divorced by her husband {whose husband has divorced her} is [also] committing adultery.”
Every one divorcing his wife and marrying another, committeth adultery; and, he that marrieth a woman divorced from a husband, committeth adultery.
19 [Jesus also said] [MET], “Once there was a rich man who wore [expensive] purple linen [garments]. He ate luxuriously every day.
Now, a certain man, was rich, and he used to clothe himself with purple and fine linen, making merry day by day, brilliantly.
20 And every day a poor man whose name was Lazarus was laid {[some people also] laid a poor man whose name was Lazarus} at the gate of the rich man’s [house]. Lazarus’ body was covered with sores.
And, a certain beggar, by name Lazarus, used to be cast near his gate, full of sores,
21 He [was so hungry that he] wanted to eat the scraps [of food] that fell from the table where the rich man [ate]. Furthermore, [to make things worse], dogs came and licked his sores.
and to long to be fed from the crumbs that fell from the table of the rich man: nay! even, the dogs, used to come and lick his sores.
22 [Eventually] the poor man died. Then he was taken by the angels {the angels took him} to [start feasting] next to his [ancestor] Abraham. The rich man also died, and his body was buried {[some people] buried his body}.
And it came to pass that the beggar died, and was carried away by the messengers, into the bosom of Abraham. And, the rich man also, died, and was buried.
23 In the place where dead people wait [for God to judge them], he was suffering great pain. He looked up and saw Abraham far away, and he saw Lazarus sitting close to Abraham. (Hadēs g86)
And, in hades, lifting up his eyes, being in torments, he seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. (Hadēs g86)
24 So he shouted, ‘Father Abraham, I am suffering very much in this fire! So [please] pity me, and send Lazarus [here] so that he can dip his finger in water [and touch] my tongue to cool it!’
And, he, calling out, said—Father Abraham! have mercy upon me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue, —because I am in anguish in this flame.
25 But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that while you [(sg)] were alive [on earth] you enjoyed [many] good things. But Lazarus was miserable. Now [it is fair that] he is happy here, and you are suffering.
But Abraham said—Child! remember—That thou didst duly received thy good things in thy life, and, Lazarus, in like manner, the evil things; but, now, here, he is comforted, and, thou, art in anguish.
26 Besides that, there is a huge ravine between you [(sg)] and us. So those who want to go from here to where you [(sg)] are, are not able to. Furthermore, no one can cross from there to where we [(exc)] are.’
And, besides all these things, betwixt us and you, a great chasm, hath been fixed, —so that, they who might wish to cross over from hence unto you, should not be able, nor any, from thence unto us, be crossing over.
27 Then the rich man said, ‘If that is so, father [Abraham], I ask you [(sg)] to send [Lazarus] to my father’s house.
But he said—I request thee then, father, that thou wouldst send him unto my father’s house, —
28 I have five brothers [who live there]. Tell him to warn them [to turn away from their sinful behavior so that] they do not also come to this place, where [we(exc)] suffer great pain!’
for I have five brethren; —that he may solemnly testify unto them, lest, they also, come into this place of torment.
29 But Abraham replied, ‘[No, I will not do that, because your brothers] are able to [go to the Jewish meeting places where the priests] read what Moses and the prophets [wrote]. They should listen to what Moses and the prophets [MTY] [wrote]!’
But Abraham saith—They have Moses and the Prophets: Let them hearken unto them.
30 But the rich man replied, ‘No, father Abraham, [that will not be enough] But if someone from those who have died goes back to them [and warns them], they will turn from their sinful behavior.’
But, he, said—Nay! father Abraham, but, if one, from the dead, should go unto them, they would repent.
31 [Abraham] said to him, ‘No! If they do not listen to [what] [MTY] Moses and the prophets [MTY] [wrote], even if someone would become alive again [and go and warn them], they would not be convinced {he could not convince them} [that they should turn from their sinful behavior].’”
But he said unto him—If, unto Moses and the Prophets, they do not hearken, neither, if one, from among the dead, should arise, would they be persuaded.
