1 Jesus told his disciples: âThere was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions.
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So he called him in and asked him, âWhat is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.â
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âThe manager said to himself, âWhat shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. Iâm not strong enough to dig, and Iâm ashamed to begâ
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I know what Iâll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.â
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âSo he called in each one of his masterâs debtors. He asked the first, âHow much do you owe my master?â
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â âNine hundred gallons [a] of olive oil,â he replied. âThe manager told him, âTake your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.â
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âThen he asked the second, âAnd how much do you owe?â â âA thousand bushels[b]of wheat,â he replied. âHe told him, âTake your bill and make it eight hundred.â
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âThe master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.
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I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
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âWhoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
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So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?
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And if you have not been trustworthy with someone elseâs property, who will give you property of your own?
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âNo one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.â
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The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus.