GOD'S WORD Translation GW
New King James Version NKJV
1 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "A rich man had a business manager. The manager was accused of wasting the rich man's property.
1
He also said to His disciples: "There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods.
2 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.'
2
So he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.'
3 "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.
3
Then the steward said within himself, 'What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg.
4 I know what I'll do so that people will welcome me into their homes when I've lost my job.'
4
I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.'
5 "So the manager called for each one of his master's debtors. He said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'
5
So he called every one of his master's debtors to him, and said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'
6 "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!"'
6
And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.' So he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.'
7 "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!"'
7
Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' So he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.'
8 "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."
8
So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.
9 [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.
9
And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home.
10 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.
10
He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.
11 Therefore, if you can't be trusted with wealth that is often used dishonestly, who will trust you with wealth that is real?
11
Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
12 If you can't be trusted with someone else's wealth, who will give you your own?
12
And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own?
13 "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."
13
No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."
14 The Pharisees, who love money, heard all this and were making sarcastic remarks about him.
14
Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him.
15 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.
15
And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.
16 "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.
16
The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.
17 It is easier for the earth and the heavens to disappear than to drop a comma from Moses' Teachings.
17
And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.
18 "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.
18
Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery.
19 "There was a rich man who wore expensive clothes. Every day was like a party to him.
19
"There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.
20 There was also a beggar named Lazarus who was regularly brought to the gate of the rich man's house.
20
But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate,
21 Lazarus would have eaten any scraps that fell from the rich man's table. Lazarus was covered with sores, and dogs would lick them.
21
desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 "One day the beggar died, and the angels carried him to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried.
22
So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.
23 He went to hell, where he was constantly tortured. As he looked up, in the distance he saw Abraham and Lazarus.
23
And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 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.'
24
Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.'
25 "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.
25
But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.
26 Besides, a wide area separates us. People couldn't cross it in either direction even if they wanted to.'
26
And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.'
27 "The rich man responded, 'Then I ask you, Father, to send Lazarus back to my father's home.
27
Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house,
28 I have five brothers. He can warn them so that they won't end up in this place of torture.'
28
for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.'
29 "Abraham replied, 'They have Moses' [Teachings] and the Prophets. Your brothers should listen to them!'
29
Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.'
30 "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.'
30
And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'
31 "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.'"
31
But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.' "
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.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.