| NET Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Jesus also said to the disciples, "There was a rich man who was informed of accusations that his manager was wasting his assets. | 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 said to him, 'What is this I hear about you? Turn in the account of your administration, 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.’ |
| 3Then the manager said to himself, 'What should I do, since my master is taking my position away from me? I'm not strong enough to dig, and I'm too 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 to do so that when I am put out of 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.’ |
| 5So he contacted his master's debtors one by one. He asked the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' | 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?’ |
| 6The man replied, 'A hundred measures of olive oil.' The manager said to him, 'Take your bill, 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. ’ |
| 7Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' The second man replied, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' The manager said to him, 'Take your bill, 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. ’ |
| 8The master commended the dishonest manager because he acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their contemporaries than the people of light. | 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 how you use worldly wealth, so that when it runs out you will be welcomed into the eternal homes. | 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. |
| 10"The one who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and the one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest 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. |
| 11If then you haven't been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will entrust you with the true riches? | 11 And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? |
| 12And if you haven't been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you 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, 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." | 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 loved money) heard all this and ridiculed him. | 14The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, heard all this and scoffed at him. |
| 15But Jesus said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in men's eyes, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly prized among men is utterly detestable 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 in force until John; since then, the good news of the kingdom of God has been proclaimed, and everyone is urged 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 tiny stroke of a letter in the law to become void. | 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 someone else commits adultery, and the one 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 dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously 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 at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus whose body was covered with sores, | 20 At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. |
| 21who longed to eat what fell from the rich man's table. In addition, the dogs came and licked 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. |
| 22"Now the poor man died and was carried 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 in hell, as he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far 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. |
| 24So he called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in anguish in this fire.' | 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.’ |
| 25But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus likewise bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish. | 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, so that those who want to cross over from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there 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.’ |
| 27So the rich man said, 'Then I beg you, father--send Lazarus to my father's house | 27 “Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. |
| 28(for I have five brothers) to warn them so that they don't come into 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.’ |
| 29But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the prophets; they must respond to them.' | 29 “But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’ |
| 30Then the rich man said, 'No, father Abraham, 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.’ |
| 31He replied to him, 'If they do not respond to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even 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.’” |
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