Luke 16

Revised Geneva Translation

16 And He also said to His disciples, “There was a certain rich man who had a steward. And he was accused to him of wasting his goods.

² “And he called him and said to him, ‘How is it that I hear this of you? Give an account of your stewardship. For you may no longer be steward.’

³ “Then the steward said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking away the stewardship from me. I cannot dig. And I am ashamed to beg.

⁴ ‘I know what I will do, so that when I am put out of the stewardship they may receive me into their houses.’

⁵ “Then he called every one of his master’s debtors to him, and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe to my master?’

⁶ “And he said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill. And sit down quickly. And write fifty.’

⁷ “Then he said to another, ‘How much do you owe?’ And he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ Then he said to him, ‘Take your bill and write eighty.’

⁸ “And the master commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely. For among their own kind, the children of this world are wiser than the children of light.

⁹ “And I say to you, make friends with the riches of iniquity, so that when you fail, they may receive you into eternal dwellings.

¹⁰ “The one who is faithful in the least, is also faithful in much. And the one who is unjust in the least, is unjust also in much.

¹¹ “If, then, you have not been faithful in the riches of iniquity, who will trust you in the true treasure?

¹² “And if you have not been faithful in another man’s goods, who shall give you that which is yours?

¹³ “No servant can serve two masters. For either he shall hate the one and love the other, or else he shall lean to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and riches.”

¹⁴ The Pharisees also heard all these things and were covetous. And they scoffed at Him.

¹⁵ Then He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before man. But God knows your hearts. For that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

¹⁶ “The Law and the Prophets endured until John. And since that time the Kingdom of God is preached. And everyone presses into it.

¹⁷ “Now it is easier for Heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of the Law to fall.

¹⁸ “Whoever puts away his wife and marries another, commits adultery. And whoever marries the one who is put away from her husband, commits adultery.

¹⁹ “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared well and delicately every day.

²⁰ “Also, there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, who was laid at his gate (full of sores).

²¹ “And he desired to be refreshed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. And even the dogs came and licked his sores.

²² “And it happened that the beggar died and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.

²³ “And being in torment in hell, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off (and Lazarus in his bosom).

²⁴ “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me! And send Lazarus, so 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 you, in your lifetime, received your pleasures, and likewise Lazarus pains. Therefore, now he is comforted and you are tormented.

²⁶ ‘Besides all this, there is a great gulf set between you and us, so that those who wish to go from here to you, cannot. Nor can anyone come from there to us.’

²⁷ “Then he said, ‘Therefore I ask you, father, if you would send him to my father’s house,

²⁸ ‘(for I have five brothers) so that he may testify to them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’

²⁹ “Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets. Let them hear them.’

³⁰ “And he said, ‘No, father Abraham. But if one came to them from the dead, they will repent.’

³¹ “Then he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded if one rises from the dead again.’”