4 Masters, treat your bondservants^[a] justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

^8 (A)knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, ^(B)whether he is a bondservant or is free. ⁹ Masters, do the same to them, ^(C)and stop your threatening, knowing that ^(D)he who is both their Master^[a] and yours is in heaven, and that ^(E)there is no partiality with him.

The Whole Armor of God

¹⁰ Finally, ^(F)be strong in the Lord and in ^(G)the strength of his might. ^11 (H)Put on ^(I)the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against ^(J)the schemes of the devil. ¹² For ^(K)we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against ^(L)the rulers, against the authorities, against ^(M)the cosmic powers over ^(N)this present darkness, against ^(O)the spiritual forces of evil ^(P)in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore ^(Q)take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in ^(R)the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, ^(S)having fastened on the belt of truth, and ^(T)having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and, ^(U)as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In all circumstances take up ^(V)the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all ^(W)the flaming darts of ^(X)the evil one; ¹⁷ and take ^(Y)the helmet of salvation, and ^(Z)the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, ¹⁸ praying ^(AA)at all times ^(AB)in the Spirit, ^(AC)with all prayer and supplication. To that end, ^(AD)keep alert with all perseverance, making ^(AE)supplication for all the saints, ¹⁹ and ^(AF)also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth ^(AG)boldly to proclaim ^(AH)the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I ^(AI)am an ambassador ^(AJ)in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

¹⁴ They ^(A)will make war on the Lamb, and ^(B)the Lamb will conquer them, for he is ^(C)Lord of lords and ^(D)King of kings, and those with him are ^(E)called and chosen and faithful.”

¹³ For ^(A)judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

¹⁴ “You shall not ^(A)oppress a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your brothers or one of the sojourners who are in your land within your towns. ^15 (B)You shall give him his wages on the same day, before the sun sets (for he is poor and counts on it), ^(C)lest he cry against you to the Lord, and you be guilty of sin.

The Parable of the Dishonest Manager

16 He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had ^(A)a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. ² And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your ^(B)management, for you can no longer be manager.’ ³ And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. ⁴ I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’ ⁵ So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ ⁶ He said, ‘A hundred measures^[a] of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ ⁷ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures^[b] of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ ⁸ The master commended the dishonest manager for his ^(C)shrewdness. For ^(D)the sons of this world^[c] are ^(E)more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than ^(F)the sons of light. ⁹ And I tell you, ^(G)make friends for yourselves by means of ^(H)unrighteous wealth,^[d] so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.

^10 (I)“One who is ^(J)faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. ¹¹ If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? ¹² And if you have not been faithful in ^(K)that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? ^13 (L)No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

⁴⁸ But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master ^(A)is delayed,’ ⁴⁹ and begins to beat his fellow servants^[a] and eats and drinks with ^(B)drunkards, ⁵⁰ the master of that servant will come ^(C)on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know ⁵¹ and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place ^(D)there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The Vanity of Wealth and Honor

^8 (A)If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, ^(B)do not be amazed at the matter, ^(C)for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them.

^39 (A)“If your brother becomes poor beside you and sells himself to you, you shall not make him serve as a slave: ⁴⁰ he shall be with you as a hired worker and as a sojourner. He shall serve with you until the year of the jubilee. ^41 (B)Then he shall go out from you, ^(C)he and his children with him, and go back to his own clan and return ^(D)to the possession of his fathers. ⁴² For they are ^(E)my servants,^[a] whom I brought out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as slaves. ^43 (F)You shall not rule over him ^(G)ruthlessly but ^(H)shall fear your God.