16 He said also to his disciples, There was a rich man, that had a bailiff [There was some rich man, that had a farmer, or bailee]; and this was denounced to him, as he had wasted his goods.

² And he called him, and said to him, What hear I this thing of thee? yield reckoning of thy bailiffship, for thou might not now be bailiff^[a].

³ And the bailiff said within himself, What shall I do, for my lord taketh away from me the bailiffship? delve may I not, I shame to beg. [Forsooth the farmer said within himself, What shall I do, for my lord taketh away from me the farm? I may not delve, I am ashamed to beg.]

⁴ I know what I shall do, that when I am removed from the bailiffship [that when I shall be removed from the farm], they receive me into their houses.

⁵ Therefore when all the debtors of his lord were called together [And so all the debtors of his lord called together], he said to the first, How much owest thou to my lord?

⁶ And he said, An hundred barrows of oil. And he said to him, Take thy caution [Take thy caution, or obligation], and sit soon, and write fifty.

⁷ Afterward he said to another, And how much owest thou? Which answered, An hundred cors of wheat [Which said, An hundred measures of wheat]. And he said to him, Take thy letters, and write fourscore.

⁸ And the lord praised the bailiff of wickedness [And the lord praised the farmer of wickedness], for he had done prudently; for the sons of this world be more prudent in their generation than the sons of light.

⁹ And I say to you, make ye to you friends of the riches of wickedness [make to you friends of the riches of wickedness], that when ye shall fail, they receive you into everlasting tabernacles.

¹⁰ He that is true in the least thing, is true also in the more [He that is faithful in the least thing, is faithful also in the more]; and he that is wicked in a little thing, is wicked also in the more.

¹¹ Therefore if ye were not true in the wicked thing of riches [Therefore if ye were not true in the wicked riches], who shall betake to you that that is very?

¹² And if ye were not true in other men's thing, who shall give to you that that is yours?

¹³ No servant may serve to two lords; for either he shall hate the one, and love the other; either he shall draw to the one, and despise the other. Ye be not able to serve to God and to riches.^[b]