English Standard Version

New Living Translation

The Parable of the Dishonest Manager

He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions.

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Parable of the Shrewd Manager

Jesus told this story to his disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a manager handling his affairs. One day a report came that the manager was wasting his employer’s money.

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And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’

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So the employer called him in and said, ‘What’s this I hear about you? Get your report in order, because you are going to be fired.’

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And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg.

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“The manager thought to himself, ‘Now what? My boss has fired me. I don’t have the strength to dig ditches, and I’m too proud to beg.

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I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’

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Ah, I know how to ensure that I’ll have plenty of friends who will give me a home when I am fired.’

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So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’

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“So he invited each person who owed money to his employer to come and discuss the situation. He asked the first one, ‘How much do you owe him?’

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He said, ‘A hundred measuresa of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’

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The man replied, ‘I owe him 800 gallons of olive oil.’ So the manager told him, ‘Take the bill and quickly change it to 400 gallons.a’

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Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measuresb of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’

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“‘And how much do you owe my employer?’ he asked the next man. ‘I owe him 1,000 bushels of wheat,’ was the reply. ‘Here,’ the manager said, ‘take the bill and change it to 800 bushels.b’

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The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this worldc are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.

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“The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world around them than are the children of the light.

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And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth,d so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.

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Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home.c

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“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.

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“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.

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If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches?

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And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?

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And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?

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And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own?

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

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“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.”

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The Law and the Kingdom of God

The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him.

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The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, heard all this and scoffed at him.

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And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

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Then he said to them, “You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God.

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“The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it.e

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“Until John the Baptist, the law of Moses and the messages of the prophets were your guides. But now the Good News of the Kingdom of God is preached, and everyone is eager to get in.d

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But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void.

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But that doesn’t mean that the law has lost its force. It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the smallest point of God’s law to be overturned.

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Divorce and Remarriage

“Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.

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“For example, a man who divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery. And anyone who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.”

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The Rich Man and Lazarus

“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.

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Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus

Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury.

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And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,

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At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores.

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who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores.

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As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores.

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The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side.f The rich man also died and was buried,

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“Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to sit beside Abraham at the heavenly banquet.e The rich man also died and was buried,

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and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.

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and he went to the place of the dead.f There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side.

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And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’

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“The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’

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But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.

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“But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish.

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And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’

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And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’

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And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house —

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“Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home.

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for I have five brothers — so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’

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For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’

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But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’

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“But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’

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And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’

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“The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’

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He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”

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“But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Parallel

English Standard Version

New Living Translation

Luke 16

Luke 16