The Parable of the Shrewd Manager 1 WBS And he said also to his disciples, There was a certain rich man who had a steward; and the same was accused to him that he had wasted his goods. BSB BSB: Jesus also said to His disciples, “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions.
2 WBS And he called him, and said to him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship: for thou mayest be no longer steward. BSB BSB: So he called him in to ask, ‘What is this I hear about you? Turn in an account of your management, for you cannot be manager any longer.’
3 WBS Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. BSB BSB: The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, now that my master is taking away my position? I am too weak to dig and too ashamed to beg.
4 WBS I am resolved what to do, that when I am removed from the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. BSB BSB: I know what I will do so that after my removal from management, people will welcome me into their homes.’
5 WBS So he called every one of his lord's debtors, and said to the first, How much owest thou to my lord? BSB BSB: And he called in each one of his master’s debtors. ‘How much do you owe my master?’ he asked the first.
6 WBS And he said, A hundred measures of oil. And he said to him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. BSB BSB: ‘A hundred measures of olive oil,’ he answered. ‘Take your bill,’ said the manager, ‘sit down quickly, and write fifty.’
7 WBS Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, A hundred measures of wheat. And he said to him, Take thy bill, and write eighty. BSB BSB: Then he asked another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ ‘A hundred measures of wheat,’ he replied. ‘Take your bill and write eighty,’ he told him.
8 WBS 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. BSB BSB: The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the sons of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the sons of light.
9 WBS And I say to you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. BSB BSB: I tell you, use worldly wealth to make friends for yourselves so that when it is gone, they will welcome you into eternal dwellings.
10 WBS 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. BSB BSB: Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
11 WBS If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches ? BSB BSB: So if you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will entrust you with true riches?
12 WBS And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who will give you that which is your own? BSB BSB: And if you have not been faithful with the belongings of another, who will give you belongings of your own?
13 WBS 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. BSB BSB: No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
The Law and the Prophets 14 WBS And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things, and they derided him. BSB BSB: The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all of this and were scoffing at Jesus.
15 WBS And he said to them, Ye are they who justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men, is abomination in the sight of God. BSB BSB: So He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is prized among men is detestable before God.
16 WBS The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. BSB BSB: The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the gospel of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.
17 WBS And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than one tittle of the law to fail. BSB BSB: But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for a single stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.
18 WBS Whoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery; and whoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband, committeth adultery. BSB BSB: Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
The Rich Man and Lazarus (John 5:39–47)
19 WBS There was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: BSB BSB: Now there was a rich man dressed in purple and fine linen, who lived each day in joyous splendor.
20 WBS And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, who was laid at his gate, full of sores, BSB BSB: And a beggar named Lazarus lay at his gate, covered with sores
21 WBS And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. BSB BSB: and longing to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 WBS And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by angels into Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried: BSB BSB: One day the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. And the rich man also died and was buried.
23 WBS And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. BSB BSB: In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham from afar, with Lazarus by his side.
24 WBS 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. BSB BSB: So he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. For I am in agony in this fire.’
25 WBS But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy life-time receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. BSB BSB: But Abraham answered, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things. But now he is comforted here, while you are in agony.
26 WBS And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they who would pass from hence to you, cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. BSB BSB: And besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that even those who wish cannot cross from here to you, nor can anyone cross from there to us.’
27 WBS Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldst send him to my father's house: BSB BSB: ‘Then I beg you, father,’ he said, ‘send Lazarus to my father’s house,
28 WBS For I have five brethren; that he may testify to them, lest they also come into this place of torment. BSB BSB: for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also end up in this place of torment.’
29 WBS Abraham saith to him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. BSB BSB: But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let your brothers listen to them.’
30 WBS And he said, No, father Abraham: but if one shall go to them from the dead, they will repent. BSB BSB: ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone is sent to them from the dead, they will repent.’