Now He was also
saying
to the disciples
, "There was a rich
man
who
had
a manager
, and this
manager was 1reported
to him as asquandering
his possessions
.
"And he called him and said
to him, `What
is this
I hear
about
you? Give
an accounting
of your management
, for you can
no
longer
be manager
.'
"The manager said
to himself
, `What
shall I do
, since
my 1master
is taking
the management
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 management
people will welcome
me into their homes
.'
"And he summoned each
one
of his 1master's
debtors
, and he began saying
to the first
, `How
much
do you owe
my master
?'
"And he said, `A hundred
1measures
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
, `A hundred
1measures
of wheat
.' He *said
to him, `Take
your bill
, and write
eighty
.'
"And his 1master praised
the unrighteous
manager
because
he had acted
shrewdly
; for the sons
of athis
age
are more
shrewd
in relation
to their own
2kind
than
the bsons
of light
.
"And I say to you, amake
friends
for yourselves
by means
of the 1 bwealth
of unrighteousness
, so
that when
it fails
, cthey will receive
you into the eternal
dwellings
.
" aHe 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
.
"Therefore if
you have not been
faithful
in the use of unrighteous
1 awealth
, who
will entrust
the true
riches to you?
"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?
" aNo 1servant
can
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
serve
God
and 2 bwealth
."
Now the Pharisees
, who were alovers
of money
, were listening
to all
these
things
and bwere scoffing
at Him.
And He said to them, "You are those
who ajustify
yourselves
1in the sight
of men
, but bGod
knows
your hearts
; for that which is highly
esteemed
among
men
is detestable
1in the sight
of God
.
" aThe Law and the Prophets
were proclaimed until
John
; since
that time
bthe gospel
of the kingdom
of God
1has been preached
, and everyone
is forcing
his way
into it.
" aBut it is easier for heaven
and earth
to pass
away
than
for one
1stroke
of a letter
of the Law
to fail
.
" aEveryone who 1divorces
his wife
and marries
another
commits
adultery
, and he who marries
one who is 2divorced
from a husband
commits
adultery
.
"Now there was a rich
man
, and he habitually dressed
in purple
and fine
linen
, joyously
living
in splendor
every
day
.
"And a poor man
named
Lazarus
awas laid
at his gate
, covered
with sores
,
and longing to be fed
with the crumbs which were falling
from the rich
man's
table
; besides
, even
the dogs
were coming
and licking
his sores
.
"Now the poor
man
died
and was carried
away
by the angels
to aAbraham's
bosom
; and the rich
man
also
died
and was buried
.
"In aHades he lifted
up his eyes
, being
in torment
, and *saw
Abraham
far
away
and Lazarus
in his bosom
.
"And he cried out and said
, ` aFather
Abraham
, have
mercy
on me, and send
Lazarus
so
that he may dip
the tip
of his finger
in water
and cool
off my tongue
, for I am
in agony
in bthis
flame
.'
"But Abraham said
, `Child
, remember
that aduring
your life
you received
your good
things
, and likewise
Lazarus
bad
things
; but now
he is being comforted
here
, and you are in agony
.
`And 1besides all
this
, between
us and you there is a great
chasm
fixed
, so
that those
who wish
to come
over
from here
to you will not be able
, and that none
may cross
over
from there
to us.'
"And he said, `Then
I beg
you, father
, that you send
him to my father's
house
--
for I have five
brothers
--in order
that he may awarn
them, so
that they will not also
come
to this
place
of torment
.'
"But Abraham *said
, `They have
aMoses
and the Prophets
; let them hear
them.'
"But he said, `No
, afather
Abraham
, but if
someone
goes
to them from the dead
, they will repent
!'
"But he said to him, `If
they do not listen
to Moses
and the Prophets
, they will not be persuaded
even
if
someone
rises
from the dead
.' "