Christian Standard Bible | New Living Translation |
1Now he said to the disciples: "There was a rich man who received an accusation that his manager was squandering his possessions. | 1Jesus 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. |
2So he called the manager in and asked, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you can no longer be my manager.' | 2 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.’ |
3"Then the manager said to himself, 'What will I do since my master is taking the management away from me? I'm not strong enough to dig; I'm ashamed to beg. | 3 “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. |
4I know what I'll do so that when I'm removed from management, people will welcome me into their homes.' | 4 Ah, I know how to ensure that I’ll have plenty of friends who will give me a home when I am fired.’ |
5"So he summoned each one of his master's debtors. 'How much do you owe my master?' he asked the first one. | 5 “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?’ |
6"'A hundred measures of olive oil,' he said. "'Take your invoice,' he told him, 'sit down quickly, and write fifty.' | 6 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. ’ |
7"Next he asked another, 'How much do you owe?' "'A hundred measures of wheat,' he said. "'Take your invoice,' he told him, 'and write eighty.' | 7 “‘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. ’ |
8"The master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the children of this age are more shrewd than the children of light in dealing with their own people. | 8 “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. |
9And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of worldly wealth so that when it fails, they may welcome you into eternal dwellings. | 9 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. |
10Whoever is faithful in very little is also faithful in much, and whoever is unrighteous in very little is also unrighteous in much. | 10 “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. |
11So if you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will trust you with what is genuine? | 11 And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? |
12And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to someone else, who will give you what is your own? | 12 And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own? |
13No servant can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." | 13 “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.” |
14The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and scoffing at him. | 14The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, heard all this and scoffed at him. |
15And he told them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the sight of others, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly admired by people is revolting in God's sight. | 15Then 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. |
16"The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then, the good news of the kingdom of God has been proclaimed, and everyone is urgently invited to enter it. | 16 “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. |
17But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter in the law to drop out. | 17 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. |
18"Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and everyone who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery. | 18 “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.” Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus |
19"There was a rich man who would dress in purple and fine linen, feasting lavishly every day. | 19Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. |
20But a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, was lying at his gate. | 20 At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. |
21He longed to be filled with what fell from the rich man's table, but instead the dogs would come and lick his sores. | 21 As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores. |
22One day the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. | 22 “Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to sit beside Abraham at the heavenly banquet. The rich man also died and was buried, |
23And being in torment in Hades, he looked up and saw Abraham a long way off, with Lazarus at his side. | 23 and he went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side. |
24'Father Abraham!' he called out, 'Have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this flame!' | 24 “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.’ |
25"'Son,' Abraham said, 'remember that during your life you received your good things, just as Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here, while you are in agony. | 25 “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. |
26Besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that those who want to pass over from here to you cannot; neither can those from there cross over to us.' | 26 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.’ |
27"'Father,' he said, 'then I beg you to send him to my father's house-- | 27 “Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. |
28because I have five brothers--to warn them, so they won't also come to this place of torment.' | 28 For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’ |
29"But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.' | 29 “But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’ |
30"'No, father Abraham,' he said. 'But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' | 30 “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.’ |
31"But he told him, 'If they don't listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.'" | 31 “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.’” |
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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