Luke 16

Wycliffe Bible

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]

¹⁴ But the Pharisees, that were covetous, heard all these things, and they scorned him.

¹⁵ And he said to them, Ye it be, that justify you before men; but God hath known your hearts [soothly God knoweth your hearts], for that that is high to men, is abomination before God.

¹⁶ The law and the prophets till to John; from that time the realm of God is evangelized [from that time the realm of God is preached], and each man doeth violence into it.

¹⁷ Forsooth it is lighter heaven and earth [for] to pass, than that one tittle fall from the law [than one tittle fall of the law].

¹⁸ Every man that forsaketh his wife, and weddeth another, doeth lechery [doeth adultery]; and he that weddeth the wife forsaken of the husband, doeth adultery.

¹⁹ There was a rich man [Some man was rich], and was clothed in purple, and white silk, and ate every day shiningly.

²⁰ And there was a beggar [And there was some beggar], Lazarus by name, that lay at his gate full of boils,

²¹ and coveted to be fulfilled of the crumbs^[c], that fell down from the rich man's board, and no man gave to him; but [and] hounds came, and licked his boils.

²² And it was done, that the beggar died, and was borne of angels into Abraham's bosom. And the rich man was dead also, and was buried in hell.

²³ And he raised up his eyes, when he was in torments, and saw Abraham afar, and Lazarus in his bosom.

²⁴ And he cried, and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he dip the end of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

²⁵ And Abraham said to him, Son, have mind, for thou hast received good things in thy life, and Lazarus also evil things; but he is now comforted, and thou art tormented.

²⁶ And in all these things a great dark place is stablished betwixt us and you; that they that will from hence pass to you, be not able^[d], neither from thence pass over hither.

²⁷ And he said, Then I pray thee, father, that thou send him into the house of my father.

²⁸ For I have five brethren, that he witness to them, lest also they come into this place of torments.

²⁹ And Abraham said to him [And Abraham saith to him], They have Moses and the prophets; hear they them.

³⁰ And he said, Nay, father Abraham, but if any of dead men [shall] go to them, they shall do penance.

³¹ And he said to him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither if any of dead men [shall] rise again, they shall believe to him.