Luke 16

Faithfulness with money

1 Jesus also said to the disciples, “A certain rich man heard that his household manager was wasting his estate.

2 He called the manager in and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give me a report of your administration because you can no longer serve as my manager.’
3 “The household manager said to himself, What will I do now that my master is firing me as his manager? I’m not strong enough to dig and too proud to beg.

4 I know what I’ll do so that, when I am removed from my management position, people will welcome me into their houses.
5 “One by one, the manager sent for each person who owed his master money. He said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’6 He said, ‘Nine hundred gallons of olive oil.’t The manager said to him, ‘Take your contract, sit down quickly, and write four hundred fifty gallons.’

7 Then the manager said to another, ‘How much do you owe?’ He said, ‘One thousand bushels of wheat.’t He said, ‘Take your contract and write eight hundred.’
8 “The master commended the dishonest manager because he acted cleverly. People who belong to this world are more clever in dealing with their peers than are people who belong to the light.

9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to make friends for yourselves so that when it’s gone, you will be welcomed into the eternal homes.
10 "Whoever is faithful with little is also faithful with much, and the one who is dishonest with little is also dishonest with much.11 If you haven’t been faithful with worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?12 If you haven’t been faithful with someone else’s property, who will give you your own?

13 No household servant can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be loyal to the one and have contempt for the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."

Jesus responds to Pharisees

14 The Pharisees, who were money-lovers, heard all this and sneered at Jesus.15 He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves before other people, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued by people is deeply offensive to God.16 Until John, there was only the Law and the Prophets. Since then, the good news of God’s kingdom is preached, and everyone is urged to enter it.17 It’s easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for the smallest stroke of a pen in the Law to drop out.

18 Any man who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and a man who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.
19 “There was a certain rich man who clothed himself in purple and fine linen, and who feasted luxuriously every day.20 At his gate lay a certain poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores.

21 Lazarus longed to eat the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Instead, dogs would come and lick his sores.
22 “The poor man died and was carried by angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.23 While being tormented in the place of the dead, he looked up and saw Abraham at a distance with Lazarus at his side.24 He shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue because I’m suffering in this flame.’25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received good things whereas Lazarus received terrible things. Now Lazarus is being comforted and you are in great pain.

26 Moreover, a great crevasse has been fixed between us and you. Those who wish to cross over from here to you cannot. Neither can anyone cross from there to us.’
27 "The rich man said, ‘Then I beg you, Father, send Lazarus to my father’s house.28 I have five brothers. He needs to warn them so that they don’t come to this place of agony.’29 Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets. They must listen to them.’30 The rich man said, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will change their hearts and lives.’

31 Abraham said, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the Prophets, then neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.’"

Luke 16

The Parable of the Clever Steward

1 Jesust also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who was informed of accusationst that his managers was wastingt his assets.2 Sot he called the managert in and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you?s Turn in the account of your administration,t because you can no longer be my manager.’3 Thent the manager said to himself, ‘What should I do, since my master is taking my positiont away from me? I’m not strong enough to dig,t and I’m too ashamedts to beg.4 I knowt what to do so that when I am put out of management, people will welcome me into their homes.’s5 Sot he contactedt his master’s debtors one by one. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’6 The mant replied, ‘A hundred measuress of olive oil.’ The managert said to him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and write fifty.’s7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ The second mant replied, ‘A hundred measuress of wheat.’ The managert said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’s8 Thet master commended the dishonests manager because he acted shrewdly.s For the peoplet of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their contemporariest than the peoplet of light.

9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by how you use worldly wealth,t so that when it runs out you will be welcomeds into the eternal homes.t
10 “The one who is faithful in a very littles is also faithful in much, and the one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.11 If then you haven’t been trustworthyt in handling worldly wealth,t who will entrust you with the true riches?s12 And if you haven’t been trustworthyt with someone else’s property,t who will give you your ownt?

13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hates the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despiset the other. You cannot serve God and money.”ts

More Warnings about the Pharisees

14 The Phariseess (who loved money) heard all this and ridiculedt him.

15 Butt Jesust said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in men’s eyes,t but God knows your hearts. For what is highly prizedt among men is utterly detestablet in God’s sight.
16 “The law and the prophets were in forcet until John;s since then,s the good news of the kingdom of Gods has been proclaimed, and everyone is urged to enter it.t

17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tiny stroke of a lettert in the law to become void.t

18 “Everyone who divorces his wife and marriess someone else commits adultery, and the one who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.

The Rich Man and Lazarus

19 “There was a rich man who dressed in purples and fine linen and who feasted sumptuouslyt every day.20 But at his gate layt a poor man named Lazaruss whose body was covered with sores,t

21 who longed to eatt what fell from the rich man’s table. In addition, the dogst came and lickeds his sores.
22 “Nowt the poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side.t Thet rich man also died and was buried.s23 And in hell,s as he was in torment,s he looked upt and saw Abraham far off with Lazarus at his side.t24 Sot he called out,t ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazaruss to dip the tip of his fingers in water and cool my tongue, because I am in anguisht in this fire.’s25 But Abraham said, ‘Child,t remember that in your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus likewise bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish.t26 Besides all this,t a great chasms has been fixed between us,t so that those who want to cross over from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’27 Sot the rich mant said, ‘Then I beg you, father – send Lazarust to my father’s house28 (for I have five brothers) to warns them so that they don’t comet into this place of torment.’29 But Abraham said,t ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they must respond tot them.’30 Thent the rich mant said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the deads goes to them, they will repent.’

31 Het replied to him, ‘If they do not respond tot Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”s