Luk 16 | Anderson | STEP | And he said also to his disciples: There was a certain rich man, who had a steward; and he was accused to him of wasting his goods.

‏ Luke 16

1 And he said also 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: What is this that I hear of you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer act as steward. 3 And the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord takes from me the stewardship. I have not strength to dig; I am ashamed to beg. 4 I am resolved on what I shall do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, I may be received into their houses.

5 And he called to him every one of his lord’s debtors, and said to the first, How much do you owe my lord? 6 He replied, A hundred baths of oil. And he said to him, Take back your note, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. 7 Then he said to another, How much do you owe? He replied, A hundred homers of wheat. And he said to him, Take back your note, and write eighty. 8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he acted prudently. For the children of this age are more prudent toward their generation than the children of light.

9 And I say to you, Make for yourselves friends with the unrighteous riches, that when you fail, you may be received into the everlasting habitations. 10 He that is faithful in the least, is faithful also in much. He that is unjust in the least, is unjust also in much. 11 If, therefore, you have not been faithful in the unrighteous riches, who will intrust you with the true? 12 And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give to you that which is your own? 13 No servant can serve two masters; for he will either hate the one, and love the other; or he will cleave to the one, and despise the other. You can not serve God and riches.

14 And the Pharisees also, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they scoffed at him. 15 And he said to them: You set yourselves forth as righteous before men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men, is detestable in the sight of God. 16 The law and the prophets were till John. Since that time, the kingdom of God is preached, and every one enters it by force. 17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one point of the law to fail. 18 Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery: and whoever marries her that is divorced, commits adultery.

19 There was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And there was a certain poor man named Lazarus, who was laid at his gate, full of sores: 21 and he would gladly have been fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. And even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 And it came to pass, that the poor man died, and was carried by angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried; 23 and in hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

24 And he called to him 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. 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that, in your lifetime, you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus his evil things. But now he is comforted, and you are tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that they that would pass hence to you, can not; nor can they that would, pass thence to us.

27 Then he said, I beseech you, therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house; 28 for I have five brothers; that he may earnestly admonish them, lest they also come to this place of torment. 29 Abraham said to him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30 But he said, Not so, Father Abraham; but if one should go to them from the dead, they would repent. 31 But he said to him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded, though one should rise from the dead.