The Parable of the Shrewd Manager

16 Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions.(A) So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’

“The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’

“So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’

“‘Nine hundred gallons[a] of olive oil,’ he replied.

“The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’

“Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’

“‘A thousand bushels[b] of wheat,’ he replied.

“He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’

“The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world(B) are more shrewd(C) in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.(D) I tell you, use worldly wealth(E) to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.(F)

10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much,(G) and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth,(H) who will trust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?

13 “No 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.”(I)

14 The Pharisees, who loved money,(J) heard all this and were sneering at Jesus.(K) 15 He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves(L) in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts.(M) What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 16:6 Or about 3,000 liters
  2. Luke 16:7 Or about 30 tons

16 And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.

And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.

Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.

I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.

So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?

And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.

Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.

And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?

13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

14 And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.

15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

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Psalm 87

Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm. A song.

He has founded his city on the holy mountain.(A)
The Lord loves the gates of Zion(B)
    more than all the other dwellings of Jacob.

Glorious things are said of you,
    city of God:[a](C)
“I will record Rahab[b](D) and Babylon
    among those who acknowledge me—
Philistia(E) too, and Tyre(F), along with Cush[c]
    and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’”[d](G)
Indeed, of Zion it will be said,
    “This one and that one were born in her,
    and the Most High himself will establish her.”
The Lord will write in the register(H) of the peoples:
    “This one was born in Zion.”

As they make music(I) they will sing,
    “All my fountains(J) are in you.”

Psalm 88[e]

A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah. For the director of music. According to mahalath leannoth.[f] A maskil[g] of Heman the Ezrahite.

Lord, you are the God who saves me;(K)
    day and night I cry out(L) to you.
May my prayer come before you;
    turn your ear to my cry.

I am overwhelmed with troubles(M)
    and my life draws near to death.(N)
I am counted among those who go down to the pit;(O)
    I am like one without strength.(P)
I am set apart with the dead,
    like the slain who lie in the grave,
whom you remember no more,
    who are cut off(Q) from your care.

You have put me in the lowest pit,
    in the darkest depths.(R)
Your wrath(S) lies heavily on me;
    you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.[h](T)
You have taken from me my closest friends(U)
    and have made me repulsive to them.
I am confined(V) and cannot escape;(W)
    my eyes(X) are dim with grief.

I call(Y) to you, Lord, every day;
    I spread out my hands(Z) to you.
10 Do you show your wonders to the dead?
    Do their spirits rise up and praise you?(AA)
11 Is your love declared in the grave,
    your faithfulness(AB) in Destruction[i]?
12 Are your wonders known in the place of darkness,
    or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?

13 But I cry to you for help,(AC) Lord;
    in the morning(AD) my prayer comes before you.(AE)
14 Why, Lord, do you reject(AF) me
    and hide your face(AG) from me?

15 From my youth(AH) I have suffered(AI) and been close to death;
    I have borne your terrors(AJ) and am in despair.(AK)
16 Your wrath(AL) has swept over me;
    your terrors(AM) have destroyed me.
17 All day long they surround me like a flood;(AN)
    they have completely engulfed me.
18 You have taken from me friend(AO) and neighbor—
    darkness is my closest friend.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 87:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 6.
  2. Psalm 87:4 A poetic name for Egypt
  3. Psalm 87:4 That is, the upper Nile region
  4. Psalm 87:4 Or “I will record concerning those who acknowledge me: / ‘This one was born in Zion.’ / Hear this, Rahab and Babylon, / and you too, Philistia, Tyre and Cush.”
  5. Psalm 88:1 In Hebrew texts 88:1-18 is numbered 88:2-19.
  6. Psalm 88:1 Title: Possibly a tune, “The Suffering of Affliction”
  7. Psalm 88:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  8. Psalm 88:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 10.
  9. Psalm 88:11 Hebrew Abaddon

87 His foundation is in the holy mountains.

The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.

Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah.

I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me: behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this man was born there.

And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and the highest himself shall establish her.

The Lord shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there. Selah.

As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there: all my springs are in thee.

88 O lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee:

Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry;

For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.

I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength:

Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand.

Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.

Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah.

Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.

Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: Lord, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee.

10 Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise thee? Selah.

11 Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction?

12 Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

13 But unto thee have I cried, O Lord; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.

14 Lord, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me?

15 I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.

16 Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off.

17 They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together.

18 Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness.