[1] He also said to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a steward,
and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. [2]
And he called him and said to him, `What is this that I hear about you?
Turn in the account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.'
[3] And the steward said to himself, `What shall I do, since my master is
taking the stewardship away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I
am ashamed to beg. [4] I have decided what to do, so that people may
receive me into their houses when I am put out of the stewardship.' [5] So,
summoning his master's debtors one by one, he said to the first, `How much
do you owe my master?' [6] 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, `And how much do you owe?' He said, `A hundred
measures of wheat.' He said to him, `Take your bill, and write eighty.' [8]
The master commended the dishonest steward for his shrewdness; for the sons
of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the
sons of light. [9] And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of
unrighteous mammon, so that when it fails they may receive you into the
eternal habitations. [10] "He who is faithful in a very little is faithful
also in much; and he who is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in
much. [11] If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon,
who will entrust to you the true riches? [12] And if you have not been
faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your
own? [13] No servant can serve two masters; for 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 God and mammon." [14] The Pharisees, who were lovers of
money, heard all this, and they scoffed at him. [15] But he said to them,
"You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your
hearts; for what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of
God. [16] "The law and the prophets were until John; since then the good
news of the kingdom of God is preached, and every one enters it violently.
[17] But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one dot
of the law to become void. [18] "Every one who divorces his wife and
marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from
her husband commits adultery. [19] "There was a rich man, who was clothed
in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. [20] And at
his gate lay a poor man named Laz'arus, full of sores, [21] who desired to
be fed with what fell from the rich man's table; moreover the dogs came and
licked his sores. [22] The poor man died and was carried by the angels to
Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried; [23] and in Hades,
being in torment, he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far off and
Laz'arus in his bosom. [24] And he called out, `Father Abraham, have mercy
upon me, and send Laz'arus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool
my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame.' [25] But Abraham said, `Son,
remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Laz'arus
in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in
anguish. [26] And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has
been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be
able, and none may cross from there to us.' [27] And he said, `Then I beg
you, father, to send him to my father's house, [28] for I have five
brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of
torment.' [29] But Abraham said, `They have Moses and the prophets; let
them hear them.' [30] And he said, `No, father Abraham; but if some one
goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' [31] He said to him, `If
they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if
some one should rise from the dead.'"
