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16 Then de Jesus also kai said legō to pros his ho disciples mathētēs, “ There was eimi a tis rich plousios man anthrōpos who hos had echō a manager oikonomos, and kai charges were brought diaballō to him autos that hōs this houtos man was wasting diaskorpizō · ho his autos assets hyparchō. So kai he called phōneō him autos in and said legō to him autos, ‘ What tis is this houtos I hear akouō about peri you sy? Hand apodidōmi over the ho account logos of ho your sy stewardship oikonomia, because gar you cannot ou be dynamai my manager oikonomeō any eti longer .’ And de the ho manager oikonomos said legō to en himself heautou, ‘ What tis shall I do poieō, since hoti · ho my egō master kyrios is taking aphaireō the ho management oikonomia away from apo me egō? I am ischuō not ou strong enough ischuō to dig skaptō, and I am ashamed to beg epaiteō. I know ginōskō what tis to do poieō, so hina that when hotan I am removed methistēmi from ek · ho management oikonomia, people will welcome dechomai me egō into eis · ho their autos homes oikos.’ · kai Calling proskaleō each hekastos one heis of ho his heautou master’ s kyrios debtors chreopheiletēs, · ho he said legō to the ho first prōtos, ‘ How posos much do you owe opheilō · ho my egō master kyrios?’ He ho · de said legō, ‘A hundred hekaton measures batos of oil elaion.’ So de he ho told legō him autos, ‘ Take dechomai your sy · ho contract gramma, · kai sit kathizō down quickly tacheōs, and write graphō fifty pentēkonta.’ Then epeita he said legō to another heteros, ‘ And de how much posos do you sy owe opheilō?’ He ho · de answered legō, ‘A hundred hekaton measures koros of wheat sitos.’ He said legō to him autos, ‘ Take dechomai your sy · ho contract gramma, and kai write graphō eighty ogdoēkonta.’ · kai The ho master kyrios commended epaineō the ho dishonest adikia manager oikonomos · ho because hoti he acted poieō shrewdly phronimōs. For hoti the ho sons hyios of ho this houtos world aiōn are eimi more shrewd phronimos in dealing with eis their own heautou generation genea than hyper the ho sons hyios of ho light phōs. · ho · ho And kai I egō say legō to you hymeis, make poieō friends philos for yourselves heautou by ek means of the ho wealth mamōnas of ho unrighteousness adikia, so hina that when hotan it fails ekleipō they may receive dechomai you hymeis into eis the ho eternal aiōnios homes skēnē.

10  The ho one who is faithful pistos in en the smallest elachistos thing is eimi also kai faithful pistos in en something great polys; and kai the ho one who is dishonest adikos in en the smallest elachistos thing is eimi also kai dishonest adikos in en something great polys. 11 Therefore oun if ei in en · ho unrighteous adikos wealth mamōnas you have ginomai not ou been ginomai faithful pistos, who tis will entrust pisteuō to you hymeis that ho which is of true alēthinos value ? 12 And kai if ei you have ginomai not ou been ginomai faithful pistos in en what ho belongs to another allotrios, who tis will give didōmi you hymeis what ho is to be your hymeteros own ?

13  No oudeis servant oiketēs is able dynamai to serve douleuō two dyo masters kyrios. For gar either ē he will hate miseō the ho one heis and kai love agapaō the ho other heteros, or ē he will be devoted to antechō the one heis and kai despise kataphroneō the ho other heteros. You cannot ou serve douleuō God theos and kai money mamōnas.”

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Faithfulness with money

16 Jesus also said to the disciples, “A certain rich man heard that his household manager was wasting his estate. He called the manager in and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give me a report of your administration because you can no longer serve as my manager.’

“The household manager said to himself, What will I do now that my master is firing me as his manager? I’m not strong enough to dig and too proud to beg. I know what I’ll do so that, when I am removed from my management position, people will welcome me into their houses.

“One by one, the manager sent for each person who owed his master money. He said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He said, ‘Nine hundred gallons of olive oil.’[a] The manager said to him, ‘Take your contract, sit down quickly, and write four hundred fifty gallons.’ Then the manager said to another, ‘How much do you owe?’ He said, ‘One thousand bushels of wheat.’[b] He said, ‘Take your contract and write eight hundred.’

“The master commended the dishonest manager because he acted cleverly. People who belong to this world are more clever in dealing with their peers than are people who belong to the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to make friends for yourselves so that when it’s gone, you will be welcomed into the eternal homes.

10 “Whoever is faithful with little is also faithful with much, and the one who is dishonest with little is also dishonest with much. 11 If you haven’t been faithful with worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12 If you haven’t been faithful with someone else’s property, who will give you your own? 13 No household servant can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be loyal to the one and have contempt for the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 16:6 Or one hundred jugs (approximately nine gallons each)
  2. Luke 16:7 Or eighty measures (ten to twelve bushels each)