Luke, 16

1. And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.

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

2. And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.

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. Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.

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 am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.

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 every one of his lord's debtors [unto him], and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?

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. And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.

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

7. Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.

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. And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

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 I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

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. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

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. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true [riches]?

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

12. And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?

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: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

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. And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.

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

15. And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

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 law and the prophets [were] until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.

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. And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

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

18. Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from [her] husband committeth adultery.

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

19. There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

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

20. And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

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

21. And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his 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. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

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. And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

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

24. And 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 tormented in this flame.

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. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

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. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that [would come] from thence.

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. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:

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

28. For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

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

29. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

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

30. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.

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

31. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

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.'"