Luke 16:1-18

1 Jesus said to his disciples, "There was once a rich man who had a servant who managed his property. The rich man was told that the manager was wasting his master's money,
2 so he called him in and said, "What is this I hear about you? Turn in a complete account of your handling of my property, because you cannot be my manager any longer.'
3 The servant said to himself, "My master is going to dismiss me from my job. What shall I do? I am not strong enough to dig ditches, and I am ashamed to beg.
4 Now I know what I will do! Then when my job is gone, I shall have friends who will welcome me in their homes.'
5 So he called in all the people who were in debt to his master. He asked the first one, "How much do you owe my master?'
6 "One hundred barrels of olive oil,' he answered. "Here is your account,' the manager told him; "sit down and write fifty.'
7 Then he asked another one, "And you - how much do you owe?' "A thousand bushels of wheat,' he answered. "Here is your account,' the manager told him; "write eight hundred.'
8 As a result the master of this dishonest manager praised him for doing such a shrewd thing; because the people of this world are much more shrewd in handling their affairs than the people who belong to the light."
9 And Jesus went on to say, "And so I tell you: make friends for yourselves with worldly wealth, so that when it gives out, you will be welcomed in the eternal home. 1
10 Whoever is faithful in small matters will be faithful in large ones; whoever is dishonest in small matters will be dishonest in large ones.
11 If, then, you have not been faithful in handling worldly wealth, how can you be trusted with true wealth?
12 And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to someone else, who will give you what belongs to you?
13 "No servant can be the slave of two masters; such a slave will hate one and love the other or will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." 2
14 When the Pharisees heard all this, they made fun of Jesus, because they loved money.
15 Jesus said to them, "You are the ones who make yourselves look right in other people's sight, but God knows your hearts. For the things that are considered of great value by people are worth nothing in God's sight.
16 "The Law of Moses and the writings of the prophets were in effect up to the time of John the Baptist; since then the Good News about the Kingdom of God is being told, and everyone forces their way in. 3
17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the smallest detail of the Law to be done away with. 4
18 "Any man who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery; and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. 5

Cross References 5

  • 1. +216.9Tobit 4.9-11.
  • 2. 16.13Matthew 6.24.
  • 3. 16.16Matthew 11.12, 13.
  • 4. 16.17Matthew 5.18.
  • 5. 16.18Matthew 5.32;1 Corinthians 7.10, 11.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.