Luke 16

1 And he was also saying to the disciples, “There was a certain rich man who had a household manager, and this man was accused before him of scattering his possessions. 2 And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give the account of your management, for you can no longer manage the house.’ 3 And the household manager said within himself, ‘What am I to do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg. 4 I know what I will do, so that when I am put out of the management they may welcome me into their houses.’

5 And calling to himself each one of his master’s debtors, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 And he said, ‘About six hundred gallons of olive oil.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write three hundred.’ [a] 7 Then he said to another, ‘And you, how much do you owe?’ And he said, ‘About six hundred bushels of wheat.’ He says to him, ‘Take your bill and write four hundred and eighty.’ [b] 8 And the master praised the household manager of wrongdoing because he had acted with discernment; for the sons of this age are more discerning toward their own generation than the sons of the light. [c]

9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves out of the mammon of wrongdoing, so that when it gives out they may welcome you into the everlasting tents. [d] 10 The one who is faithful in the least is faithful also in much, and the one who is unrighteous in the least is unrighteous also in much. 11 So if you have not become faithful with the unrighteous mammon, who will entrust to you what is true? 12 And if you have not become faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? 13 No house servant is able to serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” [e]

14 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were hearing all these things, and they were sneering at him. 15 And he said to them, “You are the ones who set yourselves right before men, but God knows your hearts; for what is exalted among men is a detestable thing before God.

16 “The law and the prophets were until John; from then on the kingdom of God is brought as good news, and everyone forces his way into it. [f] 17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of the law to fall. 18 “Everyone who sends away his wife and marries another commits adultery, and the one who marries a woman sent away from her husband commits adultery. [g]

19 “Now there was a certain rich man, and he used to dress in purple and fine linen, glad in splendor every day. 20 And a certain poor man named Lazarus had been laid at his gateway, covered with sores 21 and longing to be fed from what fell from the rich man’s table; but even the dogs would come and lick his sores. [h] 22 And it happened that the poor man died and was carried away by the messengers to Abraham’s arms; and the rich man also died and was buried. [i] †

23 And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and sees Abraham far away and Lazarus in his arms. [j] † 24 And he called out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you received your good things in your life, and Lazarus likewise the bad things; but now here he is comforted and you are in agony. 26 And in all these things, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to cross over from here to you cannot, and they do not cross from there to us.’

27 And he said, ‘Then I ask you, father, to send him to my father’s house — 28 for I have five brothers — so that he may bear witness to them, so that they too may not come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham says, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them listen to them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will have a change of mind.’ 31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.’”