Luke 16:1-13

The Parable of the Dishonest Manager

1 He also said to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had 1a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions.
2 And he called him and said to him, 'What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your 2management, for you can no longer be manager.'
3 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.
4 I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.'
5 So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'
6 He said, 'A hundred measures[a] of oil.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.'
7 Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' He said, 'A hundred measures[b] of wheat.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.'
8 The master commended the dishonest manager for his 3shrewdness. For 4the sons of this world[c] are 5more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than 6the sons of light.
9 And I tell you, 7make friends for yourselves by means of 8unrighteous wealth,[d] so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.
10 9"One who is 10faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.
11 If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches?
12 And if you have not been faithful in 11that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own?
13 12No 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."

Cross References 12

  • 1. Luke 12:42
  • 2. See 1 Corinthians 9:17
  • 3. See Matthew 25:2
  • 4. Luke 20:34; See Luke 10:6
  • 5. See Matthew 25:2
  • 6. John 12:36; 1 Thessalonians 5:5; [Ephesians 5:8]
  • 7. [Luke 12:33; Matthew 6:20; Matthew 19:21; 1 Tim. 6:10, 17-19]
  • 8. ver. 11, 13; Matthew 6:24
  • 9. Matthew 25:21, 23
  • 10. Luke 19:17
  • 11. [1 Chronicles 29:14, 16]
  • 12. [See ver. 9 above]

Footnotes 4

  • [a]. About 875 gallons
  • [b]. Between 1,000 and 1,200 bushels
  • [c]. Greek age
  • [d]. Greek mammon, a Semitic word for money or possessions; also verse 11; rendered money in verse 13
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.