1. At another time Jesus told his disciples, "There was a rich man whose steward was reported to him for fraudulent service.

2. He summoned the steward and asked him: 'What is this I hear about you? I want you to render an account of your service for it is about to be terminated.'

3. The steward thought to himself: 'What am I to do now? My master will surely dismiss me. I am not strong enough to do hard work, and I am ashamed to beg.

4. I know what I will do: I must make sure that when I am dismissed, there will be some people to welcome me into their house.'

5. So he called his master's debtors one by one. He asked the first who came: 'How much do you owe my master?'

6. The reply was: 'A hundred jars of oil.' The steward said: 'Here is your bill. Sit down quickly and write there fifty.'

7. To the second he put the same question: 'How much do you owe?' The answer was: 'A thousand bushels of wheat.' Then he said: 'Take your bill and write eight hundred.'

8. The master commended the dishonest steward for his astuteness. For the people of this world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are the people of light.

9. And so I tell you: use filthy money to make friends for yourselves, so that when it fails, these people may welcome you into the eternal homes.

10. Whoever can be trusted in little things can also be trusted in great ones; whoever is dishonest in slight matters will also be dishonest in greater ones.

11. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling filthy money, who could entrust you with true wealth?

12. And if you have not been trustworthy with things which are not really yours, who will give you the wealth which is your own?

13. No servant can serve two masters. Either he does not like the one and is fond of the other, or he regards one highly and the other with contempt. You cannot give yourself both to God and to Money."

14. The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and sneered at Jesus.

15. He said to them, "You do your best to be considered righteous by people. But God knows the heart, and what rises high among humans is loathed by God.

16. The time of the Law and the Prophets has ended with John. Then comes the proclamation of the kingdom of God and this is the time for everyone to conquer it.

17. It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for a single letter of Scripture not to be fulfilled.

18. Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries a woman divorced by her husband also commits adultery.

19. Once there was a rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen and feasted every day.

20. At his gate lay Lazarus, a poor man covered with sores,

21. who longed to eat just the scraps falling from the rich man's table. Even dogs used to come and lick his sores.

22. It happened that the poor man died and angels carried him to take his place with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried.

23. From hell where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham afar off, and with him Lazarus at rest.

24. He called out: 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus with the tip of his finger dipped in water to cool my tongue, for I suffer so much in this fire.'

25. Abraham replied: 'My son, remember that in your lifetime you were well-off while the lot of Lazarus was misfortune. Now he is in comfort and you are in agony.

26. But that is not all. Between your place and ours a great chasm has been fixed, so that no one can cross over from here to you or from your side to us.'

27. The rich man implored once more: 'Then I beg you, Father Abraham, to send Lazarus to my father's house

28. where my five brothers live. Let him warn them so that they may not end up in this place of torment.'

29. Abraham replied: 'They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.'

30. But the rich man said: 'No, Father Abraham. But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'

31. Abraham said: 'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the grave.'"





“A ingenuidade e’ uma virtude, mas apenas ate certo ponto; ela deve sempre ser acompanhada da prudência. A astúcia e a safadeza, por outro lado, são diabólicas e podem causar muito mal.” São Padre Pio de Pietrelcina