Luke 16:1-15

New International Version

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) ²So 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.’

³“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— ⁴I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’

⁵“So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’

⁶“‘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.’

⁷“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.’

⁸“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) ⁹I 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. ¹¹So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth,^(H) who will trust you with true riches? ¹²And 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)

¹⁴The Pharisees, who loved money,^(J) heard all this and were sneering at Jesus.^(K) ¹⁵He 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

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

Psalm 87-88

New International Version

Psalm 87

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

¹He has founded his city on the holy mountain.^(A)
²The Lord loves the gates of Zion^(B)
more than all the other dwellings of Jacob.

³Glorious things are said of you,
    city of God:^[a]^(C)
⁴“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)
⁵Indeed, of Zion it will be said,
    “This one and that one were born in her,
    and the Most High himself will establish her.”
⁶The Lord will write in the register^(H) of the peoples:
    “This one was born in Zion.”

⁷As 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.

¹Lord, you are the God who saves me;^(K)
day and night I cry out^(L) to you.
²May my prayer come before you;
turn your ear to my cry.

³I am overwhelmed with troubles^(M)
    and my life draws near to death.^(N)
⁴I am counted among those who go down to the pit;^(O)
    I am like one without strength.^(P)
⁵I 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.

⁶You have put me in the lowest pit,
    in the darkest depths.^(R)
⁷Your wrath^(S) lies heavily on me;
    you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.^[h]^(T)
⁸You have taken from me my closest friends^(U)
    and have made me repulsive to them.
I am confined^(V) and cannot escape;^(W)
⁹    my eyes^(X) are dim with grief.

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

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

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

Footnotes

Psalm 87:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 6.
Psalm 87:4 A poetic name for Egypt
Psalm 87:4 That is, the upper Nile region
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.”
Psalm 88:1 In Hebrew texts 88:1-18 is numbered 88:2-19.
Psalm 88:1 Title: Possibly a tune, “The Suffering of Affliction”
Psalm 88:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
Psalm 88:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 10.
Psalm 88:11 Hebrew Abaddon