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 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 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 when I am removed
from management, they may receive me into their houses.’ 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 He said, ‘A hundred batos*1 of oil.’ He said to
him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 7 Then said
he to another, ‘How much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred cors*2 of wheat.’ He said to him,
‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’
8 “His lord commended the dishonest manager because he had done wisely,
for the sons of this world are, in their own generation, wiser than the sons
of the light. 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 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 If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon,
who will commit to your trust the true riches? 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, 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*3 .”
14 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things,
and they scoffed at him. 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 until John. From that time the gospel of the
Kingdom of God is preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.
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 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 certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and
fine linen, living in luxury every day. 20 A certain beggar, named
Lazarus, was laid at his gate, full of 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 It happened that the beggar died, and that he was
carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died, and
was buried. 23 In Hades, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw
Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his bosom. 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 said, ‘Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received
your good things, and Lazarus, in like manner, bad things. But now here he is
comforted and you are in anguish. 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 none may cross over from there to us.’
27 “He said, ‘I ask you therefore, father, that you would send him to my
father’s house; 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 said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them
listen to them.’
30 “He said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead,
they will repent.’
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.’”
1 100 batos is about 395
litres, 104 U. S. gallons, or 87 imperial gallons. 2 100
cors = about 3,910 litres or 600 bushels. 3 “Mammon” refers to riches
or a false god of wealth.
World English Bible - Public Domain |
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