Luke 16

1 Jesus also said to His disciples, “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions.

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.

2 So he called him in to ask, ‘What is this I hear about you? Turn in an account of your management, for you cannot be manager any longer.’

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.’

3 The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, now that my master is taking away my position? I am too weak to dig and too ashamed to beg.

3 “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 after my removal from management, people will welcome me into their homes.’

4 I know what I will do, so that when I am removed from management, they may receive me into their houses.’

5 And he called in each one of his master’s debtors. ‘How much do you owe my master?’ he asked the first.

5 Calling each one of his lord’s debtors to him, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe to my lord?’

6 ‘A hundred measures of olive oil,’ he answered. ‘Take your bill,’ said the manager, ‘sit down quickly, and write fifty.’

6 He said, ‘A hundred batos of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’

7 Then he asked another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ ‘A hundred measures of wheat,’ he replied. ‘Take your bill and write eighty,’ he told him.

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.’

8 The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the sons of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the sons of light.

8 “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.

9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to make friends for yourselves so that when it is gone, they will welcome you into eternal dwellings.

9 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.

10 Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.

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.

11 So if you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will entrust you with true riches?

11 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 not been faithful with the belongings of another, who will give you belongings of your own?

12 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. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

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 aren’t able to serve God and Mammon.”

14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all of this and were scoffing at Jesus.

14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they scoffed at him.

15 So He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is prized among men is detestable before God.

15 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 among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

16 The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the gospel of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.

16 “The law and the prophets were until John. From that time the Good News of God’s Kingdom is preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.

17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for a single stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.

17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tiny stroke of a pen in the law to fall.

18 Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

18 “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery. He who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery.

19 Now there was a rich man dressed in purple and fine linen, who lived each day in joyous splendor.

19 “Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every day.

20 And a beggar named Lazarus lay at his gate, covered with sores

20 A certain beggar, named Lazarus, was taken to his gate, full of sores,

21 and longing to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his 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.

22 One day the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. And the rich man also died and was buried.

22 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, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham from afar, with Lazarus by his side.

23 In Hades, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his bosom.

24 So he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. For I am in agony in this fire.’

24 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 But Abraham answered, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things. But now he is comforted here, while you are in agony.

25 “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 besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that even those who wish cannot cross from here to you, nor can anyone cross from there to us.’

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 no one may cross over from there to us.’

27 ‘Then I beg you, father,’ he said, ‘send Lazarus to my father’s house,

27 “He said, ‘I ask you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house—

28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also end up in this place of torment.’

28 for I have five brothers—that he may testify to them, so they won’t also come into this place of torment.’

29 But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let your brothers listen to them.’

29 “But Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’

30 ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone is sent to them from the dead, they will repent.’

30 “He said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’

31 Then Abraham said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

31 “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.’”