Common English Bible CEB
GOD'S WORD Translation GW
1 Jesus also said to the disciples, “A certain rich man heard that his household manager was wasting his estate.
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Then Jesus said to his disciples, "A rich man had a business manager. The manager was accused of wasting the rich man's property.
2 He called the manager in and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give me a report of your administration because you can no longer serve as my manager.'
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So the rich man called for his manager and said to him, 'What's this I hear about you? Let me examine your books. It's obvious that you can't manage my property any longer.'
3 “The household manager said to himself, What will I do now that my master is firing me as his manager? I'm not strong enough to dig and too proud to beg.
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"The manager thought, 'What should I do? My master is taking my job away from me. I'm not strong enough to dig, and I'm ashamed to beg.
4 I know what I'll do so that, when I am removed from my management position, people will welcome me into their houses.
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I know what I'll do so that people will welcome me into their homes when I've lost my job.'
5 “One by one, the manager sent for each person who owed his master money. He said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?'
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"So the manager called for each one of his master's debtors. He said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'
6 He said, ‘Nine hundred gallons of olive oil.' The manager said to him, ‘Take your contract, sit down quickly, and write four hundred fifty gallons.'
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"The debtor replied, 'Eight hundred gallons of olive oil.' "The manager told him, 'Take my master's ledger. Quick! Sit down, and write "four hundred!"'
7 Then the manager said to another, ‘How much do you owe?' He said, ‘One thousand bushels of wheat.' He said, ‘Take your contract and write eight hundred.'
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"Then he asked another debtor, 'How much do you owe?' "The debtor replied, 'A thousand bushels of wheat.' "The manager told him, 'Take the ledger, and write "eight hundred!"'
8 “The master commended the dishonest manager because he acted cleverly. People who belong to this world are more clever in dealing with their peers than are people who belong to the light.
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"The master praised the dishonest manager for being so clever. Worldly people are more clever than spiritually-minded people when it comes to dealing with others."
9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to make friends for yourselves so that when it's gone, you will be welcomed into the eternal homes.
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[Jesus continued,] "I'm telling you that although wealth is often used in dishonest ways, you should use it to make friends for yourselves. When life is over, you will be welcomed into an eternal home.
10 "Whoever is faithful with little is also faithful with much, and the one who is dishonest with little is also dishonest with much.
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Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with a lot. Whoever is dishonest with very little is dishonest with a lot.
11 If you haven't been faithful with worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?
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Therefore, if you can't be trusted with wealth that is often used dishonestly, who will trust you with wealth that is real?
12 If you haven't been faithful with someone else's property, who will give you your own?
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If you can't be trusted with someone else's wealth, who will give you your own?
13 No household servant can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be loyal to the one and have contempt for the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."
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"A servant cannot serve two masters. He will hate the first master and love the second, or he will be devoted to the first and despise the second. You cannot serve God and wealth."
14 The Pharisees, who were money-lovers, heard all this and sneered at Jesus.
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The Pharisees, who love money, heard all this and were making sarcastic remarks about him.
15 He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves before other people, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued by people is deeply offensive to God.
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So Jesus said to them, "You try to justify your actions in front of people. But God knows what's in your hearts. What is important to humans is disgusting to God.
16 Until John, there was only the Law and the Prophets. Since then, the good news of God's kingdom is preached, and everyone is urged to enter it.
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"Moses' Teachings and the Prophets were [in force] until the time of John. Since that time, people have been telling the Good News about the kingdom of God, and everyone is trying to force their way into it.
17 It's easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for the smallest stroke of a pen in the Law to drop out.
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It is easier for the earth and the heavens to disappear than to drop a comma from Moses' Teachings.
18 Any man who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and a man who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.
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"Any man who divorces his wife to marry another woman is committing adultery. The man who marries a woman divorced in this way is committing adultery.
19 “There was a certain rich man who clothed himself in purple and fine linen, and who feasted luxuriously every day.
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"There was a rich man who wore expensive clothes. Every day was like a party to him.
20 At his gate lay a certain poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores.
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There was also a beggar named Lazarus who was regularly brought to the gate of the rich man's house.
21 Lazarus longed to eat the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table. Instead, dogs would come and lick his sores.
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Lazarus would have eaten any scraps that fell from the rich man's table. Lazarus was covered with sores, and dogs would lick them.
22 “The poor man died and was carried by angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried.
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"One day the beggar died, and the angels carried him to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried.
23 While being tormented in the place of the dead, he looked up and saw Abraham at a distance with Lazarus at his side.
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He went to hell, where he was constantly tortured. As he looked up, in the distance he saw Abraham and Lazarus.
24 He shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I'm suffering in this flame.'
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He yelled, 'Father Abraham! Have mercy on me! Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water to cool off my tongue. I am suffering in this fire.'
25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received good things, whereas Lazarus received terrible things. Now Lazarus is being comforted and you are in great pain.
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"Abraham replied, 'Remember, my child, that you had a life filled with good times, while Lazarus' life was filled with misery. Now he has peace here, while you suffer.
26 Moreover, a great crevasse has been fixed between us and you. Those who wish to cross over from here to you cannot. Neither can anyone cross from there to us.'
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Besides, a wide area separates us. People couldn't cross it in either direction even if they wanted to.'
27 "The rich man said, ‘Then I beg you, Father, send Lazarus to my father's house.
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"The rich man responded, 'Then I ask you, Father, to send Lazarus back to my father's home.
28 I have five brothers. He needs to warn them so that they don't come to this place of agony.'
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I have five brothers. He can warn them so that they won't end up in this place of torture.'
29 Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets. They must listen to them.'
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"Abraham replied, 'They have Moses' [Teachings] and the Prophets. Your brothers should listen to them!'
30 The rich man said, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will change their hearts and lives.'
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"The rich man replied, 'No, Father Abraham! If someone comes back to them from the dead, they will turn to God and change the way they think and act.'
31 Abraham said, ‘If they don't listen to Moses and the Prophets, then neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.'"
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"Abraham answered him, 'If they won't listen to Moses' [Teachings] and the Prophets, they won't be persuaded even if someone comes back to life.'"
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.