Rewards and Punishment

41 “Lord,” Peter asked, “are you telling this parable to us or to everyone?”

42 The Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and sensible manager(A) his master will put in charge of his household servants to give them their allotted food(B) at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that servant whom the master finds doing his job when he comes. 44 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45 But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’(C) and starts to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 that servant’s master will come on a day he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know. He will cut him to pieces[a] and assign him a place with the unfaithful.[b] 47 And that servant who knew his master’s will and didn’t prepare himself or do it[c] will be severely beaten.(D) 48 But the one who did not know and did what deserved(E) punishment will receive a light beating. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be expected.[d](F)

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Footnotes

  1. 12:46 Lit him in two
  2. 12:46 Or unbelievers
  3. 12:47 Lit or do toward his will,
  4. 12:48 Or much

A Faithful Slave and an Unfaithful Slave

41 And Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us, or also for everyone?” 42 And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful wise manager whom the master will put in charge over his servants to give them[a] their[b] food allowance at the right time? 43 Blessed is that slave whom his master will find so doing when he[c] comes back. 44 Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45 But if that slave should say to himself,[d] ‘My master is taking a long time to return,’ and he begins to beat the male slaves and the female slaves and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect and at an hour that he does not know, and will cut him in two and assign his place with the unbelievers. 47 And that slave who knew the will of his master and did not prepare or do according to his will will be given a severe beating.[e] 48 But the one who did not know and did things deserving blows will be given a light beating.[f] And from everyone to whom much has been given, much will be demanded, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will ask him for even more.

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 12:42 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  2. Luke 12:42 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
  3. Luke 12:43 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“comes back”) which is understood as temporal
  4. Luke 12:45 Literally “in his heart”
  5. Luke 12:47 Literally “will be beaten much”
  6. Luke 12:48 Literally “will be beaten a few times”