Luke 16:1-13

Modern English Version

The Parable of the Dishonest Steward

16 He told His disciples: “There was a rich man who had a steward who was accused to the man of wasting his resources. ² So he called him and said, ‘How is it that I hear this about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you may no longer be steward.’

³ “Then the steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do, for my master is taking away the stewardship from me? I cannot dig. I am ashamed to beg. ⁴ I know what to do so that, when I am removed from the stewardship, others may receive me into their houses.’

⁵ “So he called each of his master’s debtors, and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’

⁶ “He said, ‘Eight hundred gallons^[a] of oil.’

“He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write four hundred.’

⁷ “Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’

“He said, ‘One thousand bushels^[b] of wheat.’

“He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eight hundred.’

⁸ “The master commended the dishonest steward, because he had acted prudently. For the sons of this world are wiser in their own generation than the sons of light. ⁹ I say to you, make friends for yourself by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when you fall short, they may receive you into eternal dwellings.

¹⁰ “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much. And he who is dishonest in the least is dishonest also in much. ¹¹ So if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will commit to your trust the true riches? ¹² And if you have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who will give you that which is your own?

¹³ “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”