Luke 16
Contemporary English Version
A Dishonest Manager
16 Jesus said to his disciples:
A rich man once had a manager to take care of his business. But he was told that his manager was wasting money. 2 So the rich man called him in and said, “What is this I hear about you? Tell me what you have done! You are no longer going to work for me.”
3 The manager said to himself, “What shall I do now that my master is going to fire me? I can't dig ditches, and I'm ashamed to beg. 4 I know what I'll do, so that people will welcome me into their homes after I've lost my job.”
5 Then one by one he called in the people who were in debt to his master. He asked the first one, “How much do you owe my master?”
6 “A hundred barrels of olive oil,” the man answered.
So the manager said, “Take your bill and sit down and quickly write ‘50.’ ”
7 The manager asked someone else who was in debt to his master, “How much do you owe?”
“A thousand sacks[a] of wheat,” the man replied.
The manager said, “Take your bill and write ‘800.’ ”
8 The master praised his dishonest manager for looking out for himself so well. That's how it is! The people of this world look out for themselves better than the people who belong to the light.
9 (A) My disciples, I tell you to use wicked wealth to make friends for yourselves. Then when it is gone, you will be welcomed into an eternal home. 10 Anyone who can be trusted in little matters can also be trusted in important matters. But anyone who is dishonest in little matters will be dishonest in important matters. 11 If you cannot be trusted with this wicked wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? 12 And if you cannot be trusted with what belongs to someone else, who will give you something that will be your own? 13 (B) You cannot be the slave of two masters. You will like one more than the other or be more loyal to one than to the other. You cannot serve God and money.
Some Sayings of Jesus
(Matthew 11.12,13; 5.31,32; Mark 10.11,12)
14 The Pharisees really loved money. So when they heard what Jesus said, they made fun of him. 15 But Jesus told them:
You are always making yourselves look good, but God sees what is in your heart. The things that most people think are important are worthless as far as God is concerned.
16 (C) Until the time of John the Baptist, people had to obey the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets.[b] But since God's kingdom has been preached, everyone is trying hard to get in. 17 (D) Heaven and earth will disappear before the smallest letter of the Law does.
18 (E) It is a terrible sin[c] for a man to divorce his wife and marry another woman. It is also a terrible sin for a man to marry a divorced woman.
Lazarus and the Rich Man
19 There was once a rich man who wore expensive clothes and every day ate the best food. 20 But a poor beggar named Lazarus was brought to the gate of the rich man's house. 21 He was happy just to eat the scraps that fell from the rich man's table. His body was covered with sores, and dogs kept coming up to lick them. 22 (F) The poor man died, and angels took him to the place of honor next to Abraham.[d]
The rich man also died and was buried. 23 (G) He went to hell[e] and was suffering terribly. When he looked up and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side, 24 he said to Abraham, “Have pity on me! Send Lazarus to dip his finger in water and touch my tongue. I'm suffering terribly in this fire.”
25 Abraham answered, “My friend, remember that while you lived, you had everything good, and Lazarus had everything bad. Now he is happy, and you are in pain. 26 And besides, there is a deep ditch between us, and no one from either side can cross over.”
27 But the rich man said, “Abraham, then please send Lazarus to my father's home. 28 Let him warn my five brothers, so they won't come to this horrible place.”
29 Abraham answered, “Your brothers can read what Moses and the prophets[f] wrote. They should pay attention to that.”
30 Then the rich man said, “No, that's not enough! If only someone from the dead would go to them, they would listen and turn to God.”
31 So Abraham said, “If they won't pay attention to Moses and the prophets, they won't listen even to someone who comes back from the dead.”
Footnotes
- 16.7 A thousand sacks: The Greek text has “100 measures,” and each measure is about 10 or 12 sacks.
- 16.16 the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets: The Jewish Scriptures, that is, the Old Testament.
- 16.18 a terrible sin: The Greek text uses a word that means the sin of being unfaithful in marriage.
- 16.22 the place of honor next to Abraham: The Jewish people thought that heaven would be a banquet that God would give for them. Abraham would be the most important person there, and the guest of honor would sit next to him.
- 16.23 hell: The Greek text has “hades,” which the Jewish people often thought of as the place where the dead wait for the final judgment.
- 16.29 Moses and the prophets: The Jewish Scriptures, that is, the Old Testament.
Lu-ca 16
New Vietnamese Bible
Ngụ Ngôn Về Người Quản Gia Bất Lương
16 Đức Giê-su cũng phán dạy các môn đệ: “Một người giàu kia có anh quản gia bị tố cáo đã phung phí tài sản của chủ. 2 Chủ gọi anh đến bảo: ‘Anh làm gì mà ta nghe báo cáo về anh như thế? Hãy khai trình sổ sách quản lý của anh, vì anh không còn được làm quản gia nữa!’
3 Quản gia tự nhủ: ‘Chủ cách chức ta thì ta phải[a] làm gì đây? Cuốc đất thì không nổi, ăn xin thì hổ nhục. 4 Ta biết ta phải làm gì để khi ta bị đuổi thì có người tiếp đón ta về nhà.’
5 Quản gia bèn gọi tất cả con nợ của chủ đến. Anh hỏi người thứ nhất: ‘Ông nợ chủ tôi bao nhiêu?’ Đáp:
6 ‘Một trăm thùng[b] dầu ô-liu.’ Quản gia bảo: ‘Lấy tờ giấy nợ ngồi xuống đó viết ngay năm chục thùng!’
7 Rồi anh hỏi người khác: ‘Còn ông nợ bao nhiêu?’ Đáp: ‘Một trăm giạ[c] lúa.’ Quản gia bảo: ‘Lấy tờ giấy nợ viết tám chục!’
8 Chủ bèn khen quản gia bất chính ấy đã hành động tinh khôn; vì con cái đời này xảo quyệt hơn con cái ánh sáng trong việc xử thế. 9 Ta bảo các con, hãy dùng của cải bất chính mà kết bạn để khi của ấy cạn đi, họ sẽ tiếp rước các con vào nhà vĩnh cửu.
10 Ai trung tín trong việc nhỏ cũng trung tín trong việc lớn. Ai bất chính trong việc nhỏ cũng bất chính trong việc lớn. 11 Vậy, nếu các con không trung tín[d] về của cải bất chính thì ai dám giao của cải thật cho các con? 12 Nếu các con không trung tín về của cải của người khác, thì ai dám giao cho các con của cải thuộc phần các con?[e]
13 Không một đầy tớ nào có thể phục vụ hai chủ, vì sẽ ghét chủ này, thương chủ kia, hoặc trọng chủ này mà khinh chủ kia. Các con không thể phục vụ Đức Chúa Trời lẫn tiền tài.”[f]
14 Các người Pha-ri-si là những kẻ ham tiền nghe mọi lời ấy thì chê cười Ngài. 15 Chúa bảo họ: “Các ông là những người làm ra vẻ công chính trước mặt người ta, nhưng Đức Chúa Trời biết lòng các ông; vì điều người ta đề cao lại là điều ghê tởm trước mặt Đức Chúa Trời.
16 Kinh Luật và Kinh Tiên Tri được truyền giảng đến đời Giăng. Từ ngày đó, Nước Đức Chúa Trời được truyền giảng và ai cũng cố sức chen lấn mà vào. 17 Nhưng trời đất qua đi còn dễ hơn là xóa bỏ một nét[g] trong Kinh Luật.
18 Ai ly dị vợ và cưới vợ khác là phạm tội ngoại tình. Ai cưới đàn bà ly hôn cũng phạm tội ngoại tình.”
Người Giàu Và La-xa-rơ
19 “Có một người giàu kia thường ăn mặc gấm vóc lụa là,[h] hằng ngày tiệc tùng xa xỉ. 20 Cũng có một người nghèo khổ tên La-xa-rơ nằm trước cổng nhà người giàu ấy, mình đầy ghẻ lở. 21 La-xa-rơ mơ ước được hưởng các mảnh vụn từ bàn người giàu rớt xuống, nhưng chỉ có chó đến liếm ghẻ trên người.
22 Người nghèo chết, các thiên sứ đem đặt vào lòng Áp-ra-ham. Người giàu cũng chết và được chôn cất. 23 Bị khổ hình nơi Âm Phủ, người giàu ngước mắt nhìn lên, thấy Áp-ra-ham ở đàng xa, có La-xa-rơ đang ở trong lòng. 24 Người giàu kêu xin: ‘Tổ phụ Áp-ra-ham ơi, xin thương xót con, sai La-xa-rơ nhúng đầu ngón tay vào nước, thấm mát lưỡi con, vì con bị đau đớn quá trong lửa này!’
25 Nhưng Áp-ra-ham đáp: ‘Con ơi, hãy nhớ khi còn sống con đã hưởng những điều sung sướng; còn La-xa-rơ phải chịu những điều khổ cực; nhưng bây giờ La-xa-rơ được an ủi, còn con chịu đau đớn. 26 Hơn nữa, giữa chúng ta và con, có một vực thẳm bao la, hai bên cách biệt hẳn, nên ai muốn từ đây qua đó, hoặc từ đó qua đây đều không được.’
27 Người giàu van xin: ‘Tổ phụ ơi, thế thì xin tổ sai La-xa-rơ đến nhà cha con 28 —vì con còn năm anh em—để người làm chứng cho họ, kẻo họ cũng bị xuống nơi khổ hình này!’
29 Nhưng Áp-ra-ham đáp: ‘Chúng đã có Môi-se và các tiên tri của Chúa, hãy để chúng nghe lời họ!’
30 Người giàu cố nài: ‘Tổ phụ ơi, không phải vậy đâu! Nhưng nếu có người chết sống lại đến nói thì họ mới ăn năn!’
31 Áp-ra-ham đáp: ‘Nếu chúng không chịu nghe Môi-se và các tiên tri của Chúa, thì dù có người chết sống lại cũng chẳng thuyết phục chúng được đâu!’ ”
Luke 16
King James Version
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.
2 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.
3 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.
4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.
5 So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?
6 And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.
7 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.
8 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.
9 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.
16 The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.
17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.
18 Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.
19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:
28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
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New Vietnamese Bible. Used by permission of VBI (www.nvbible.org)