Luk 16 | ISV | STEP | The Parable about a Dishonest Manager Now Jesus was saying to the disciples, “A rich man had a manager who was accused of wasting his assets.

Luke 16

1 The Parable about a Dishonest Manager

Now Jesus ^{▼▼Lit. he} was saying to the disciples, “A rich man had a manager who was accused of wasting his assets. 2 So he called for him and asked him, ‘What's this I hear about you? Give me a report about your management, because you can't be my manager any longer.’

3 “Then the manager said to himself, ‘What should I do? My master is taking my position away from me. I'm not strong enough to dig, and I'm ashamed to beg. 4I know what I'll do so that people ^{▼▼Lit. they} will welcome me into their homes when I'm dismissed from my job.’

5 “So he called for each of his master's debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 The man replied, ‘A hundred jars of olive oil.’ The manager ^{▼▼Lit. He} told him, ‘Get your bill. Sit down quickly and write “fifty.”’ 7 Then he asked another debtor, ^{▼▼The Gk. lacks debtor} ‘How much do you owe?’ The man replied, ‘A hundred containers of wheat.’ The manager ^{▼▼Lit. He} told him, ‘Get your bill and write “eighty.”’ 8 The master praised the dishonest manager for being so clever. For worldly people ^{▼▼Lit. the sons of this age} are more clever than enlightened people ^{▼▼Lit. the sons of light} in dealing with their own generation.John 12:36; Eph 5:8; 1Thes 5:5

9 “I'm telling you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous riches, ^{▼▼Lit. mammon, an Aram. term meaning wealth} so that when they're gone you'll be welcomed ^{▼▼Lit. they will welcome you} into eternal homes. ^{▼▼Lit. tents}Dan 4:27; Matt 6:19; 19:21; Luke 11:41; 1Tim 6:17-19 10 Whoever is faithful with very little is also faithful with a lot, and whoever is dishonest with very little is also dishonest with a lot.Matt 25:21; Luke 19:27 11 So if you have not been faithful with unrighteous riches, ^{▼▼Lit. mammon, an Aram. term meaning wealth} who will trust you with true wealth? ^{▼▼Lit. with the true} 12 And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to foreigners, who will give you what is your own?

13 “No servant can serve two masters. For either he will hate one and love the other, or be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and riches!” ^{▼▼Lit. mammon, an Aram. term meaning wealth}Matt 6:24

14 The Law and the Kingdom of God Matthew 11:12-13Now the Pharisees, who love money, had been listening to all this and began to ridicule Jesus. ^{▼▼Lit. him}Matt 23:14 15 So he said to them, “You try to justify yourselves in front of people, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly valued by people is detestable to God.1Sam 16:7; Ps 7:9; Luke 10:29

16 “The law and the Prophets were prophesying ^{▼▼The Gk. lacks prophesying} until the time of ^{▼▼The Gk. lacks the time of} John. Since then, the good news about the kingdom of God has been proclaimed, and everyone is trying to enter it by force.Matt 4:17; 11:12-13; Luke 7:29 17 However, it is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for one stroke of a letter in the law to be dropped.Ps 102:21, 27; Isa 40:8; 51:6; Matt 5:18; 1Pet 1:25 18 Any man who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.”Matt 5:32; 19:9; Mark 10:11; 1Cor 7:10-11

19 The Rich Man and Lazarus“Once there was a rich man who used to dress in purple and fine linen and live in great luxury every day. 20 A beggar named Lazarus, who was covered with sores, was brought to his gate. 21 He was always craving to satisfy his hunger with what fell ^{▼▼Other mss. read the scraps that fell} from the rich man's table. In fact, even the dogs used to come and lick his sores.

22 “One day the beggar died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, ^{▼▼I.e. the realm of the dead} where he was in constant torture, he looked up and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus by his side. 24 So he shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me! Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and to cool off my tongue, because I am suffering in this fire.’Isa 66:24; Zech 14:12; Mark 9:44 25 But Abraham said, ‘My child, remember that during your lifetime you received blessings, ^{▼▼Lit. good things} while Lazarus received hardships. ^{▼▼Lit. and Lazarus in like manner evil things} But now he is being comforted here, while you suffer.Job 21:13; Luke 6:24 26 Besides all this, a wide chasm has been fixed between us, so that those who want to cross from this side to you can't do so, nor can they cross from your side to us.’

27 “The rich man ^{▼▼Lit. He} said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father's house— 28 for I have five brothers—to warn them, so that they won't end up in this place of torture, too.’ 29 Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets. They should listen to them!’Isa 8:20; 34:16; John 5:39, 45; Acts 15:21; 17:11 30 But the rich man ^{▼▼Lit. he} replied, ‘No, father Abraham! Yet if someone from the dead went to them, they would repent.’ 31 Then Abraham ^{▼▼Lit. he} 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.’”John 12:10-11