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The Parable of the Unrighteous Steward

16 Now He was also saying to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a steward, and this steward was [a]reported to him as (A)squandering his possessions. And he called for him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’ And the steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my [b]master is taking the stewardship away from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg. I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the stewardship people will [c]take me into their homes.’ And he summoned each one of his [d]master’s debtors, and he began saying to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ And he said, ‘One hundred [e]baths of oil.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ And he said, ‘One hundred [f]kors of wheat.’ He *said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ And his [g]master praised the unrighteous steward because he had acted shrewdly, for the sons of (B)this age are more shrewd in relation to their own [h]kind than the (C)sons of light. And I say to you, (D)make friends for yourselves from the [i](E)wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, (F)they will [j]take you into the eternal dwellings.

10 (G)He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much, and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. 11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous [k](H)wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you? 12 And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? 13 (I)No [l]servant can [m]serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot [n]serve God and [o](J)wealth.”

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 16:1 Or accused
  2. Luke 16:3 Or lord
  3. Luke 16:4 Or receive
  4. Luke 16:5 Or lord’s
  5. Luke 16:6 A bath was approx. 6 gal. or 23 l
  6. Luke 16:7 A kor was approx. 6.5 bu. or 230 l
  7. Luke 16:8 Or lord
  8. Luke 16:8 Lit generation
  9. Luke 16:9 Gr mamonas (mammon); wealth personified as an object of worship
  10. Luke 16:9 Or receive
  11. Luke 16:11 Gr mamonas (mammon); wealth personified as an object of worship
  12. Luke 16:13 Or house-servant
  13. Luke 16:13 Or be a slave to
  14. Luke 16:13 Or be a slave to
  15. Luke 16:13 Gr mamonas (mammon); wealth personified as an object of worship

16 And he said also unto the disciples, There was a certain rich man, who had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he was wasting his goods. And he called him, and said unto him, What is this that I hear of thee? render the account of thy stewardship; for thou canst be no longer steward. And the steward said within himself, What shall I do, seeing that my lord taketh away the stewardship from me? I have not strength to 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. And calling to him each one of his lord’s debtors, he said to the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? And he said, A hundred [a]measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy [b]bond, and sit down quickly and write fifty. Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, A hundred [c]measures of wheat. He saith unto him, Take thy [d]bond, and write fourscore. And his lord commended [e]the unrighteous steward because he had done wisely: for the sons of this [f]world are for their own generation wiser than the sons of the light. And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends [g]by means of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when it shall fail, they may receive you into the eternal tabernacles. 10 He that is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much: and he that is unrighteous in a very little is unrighteous 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’s, who will give you that which is [h]your own? 13 No [i]servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 16:6 Greek baths, the bath being a Hebrew measure. See Ezek. 45:10, 11, 14.
  2. Luke 16:6 Greek writings.
  3. Luke 16:7 Greek cors, the cor being a Hebrew measure. See Ezek. 45:14.
  4. Luke 16:7 Greek writings.
  5. Luke 16:8 Greek the steward of unrighteousness.
  6. Luke 16:8 Or, age
  7. Luke 16:9 Greek out of.
  8. Luke 16:12 Some ancient authorities read our own.
  9. Luke 16:13 Greek household-servant.