1 J esus said to His followers, “There was a rich man who put a boss over his houses and lands. Someone told him that his boss was not using his riches in a right way.

He also said to his disciples, “There was a certain rich man who had a manager. An accusation was made to him that this man was wasting his possessions.

2 T he rich man sent for the boss and said, ‘What is this I hear about you? Tell me what you have done with my things. You are not to be the boss of my houses and lands anymore.’

He called him, and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’

3 “ The boss said to himself, ‘What will I do now? The owner of the houses and lands is taking my work away from me. I cannot dig in the ground for a living. I am too proud to ask for help.

“The manager said within himself, ‘What will I do, seeing that my lord is taking away the management position from me? I don’t have strength to dig. I am ashamed to beg.

4 I know what I will do. I will make it so that when I lose this work I will be able to go to the homes of my friends.’

I know what I will do, so that when I am removed from management, they may receive me into their houses.’

5 “ He sent for the people who owed the rich man. He asked the first one, ‘How much do you owe the owner?’

Calling each one of his lord’s debtors to him, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe to my lord?’

6 T he first man said, ‘One hundred barrels of oil.’ The boss said to him, ‘Take your bill. Sit down at once and change it to fifty.’

He said, ‘A hundred batos of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’

7 H e asked another one, ‘How much do you owe?’ He said, ‘One hundred bags of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill and change it to eighty.’

Then he said to another, ‘How much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred cors of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’

8 T hen the rich man said that this sinful boss had been wise to plan for himself for the days ahead. For the people of the world are wiser in their day than the children of light.

“His lord commended the dishonest manager because he had done wisely, for the children of this world are, in their own generation, wiser than the children of the light.

9 “ I tell you, make friends for yourselves by using the riches of the world that are so often used in wrong ways. So when riches are a thing of the past, friends may receive you into a home that will be forever.

I tell you, make for yourselves friends by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when you fail, they may receive you into the eternal tents.

10 H e that is faithful with little things is faithful with big things also. He that is not honest with little things is not honest with big things.

He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much. He who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.

11 I f you have not been faithful with riches of this world, who will trust you with true riches?

If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

12 I f you have not been faithful in that which belongs to another person, who will give you things to have as your own?

If you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?

13 N o servant can have two bosses. He will hate the one and love the other. Or, he will be faithful to one and not faithful to the other. You cannot be faithful to God and to riches at the same time.” Jesus Teaches That the Law Is Not Finished

No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. You aren’t able to serve God and Mammon.”

14 T he proud religious law-keepers heard all these things. They loved money so they made fun of Jesus.

The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they scoffed at him.

15 J esus said to them, “You are the kind of people who make yourselves look good before other people. God knows your hearts. What men think is good is hated in the eyes of God.

He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts. For that which is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

16 U ntil John came, you had the writings of the Law and of the early preachers. From that time until now the Good News of the holy nation of God has been preached. Everyone is pushing his way in.

The law and the prophets were until John. From that time the Good News of God’s Kingdom is preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.

17 B ut it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one small part of a word in the Law to be of no more use.

But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one tiny stroke of a pen in the law to fall.

18 “ Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman is not faithful in marriage and is guilty of sex sins. The Rich Man and the Man Who Begged for Food

Everyone who divorces his wife, and marries another, commits adultery. He who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery.

19 “ There was a rich man who dressed in purple linen clothes everyday. He lived like a king would live with the best of food.

“Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every day.

20 T here was a poor man named Lazarus who had many bad sores. He was put by the door of the rich man.

A certain beggar, named Lazarus, was laid at his gate, full of sores,

21 H e wanted the pieces of food that fell from the table of the rich man. Even dogs came and licked his sores.

and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Yes, even the dogs came and licked his sores.

22 “ The poor man who asked for food died. He was taken by the angels into the arms of Abraham. The rich man died also and was buried.

The beggar died, and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried.

23 I n hell the rich man was in much pain. He looked up and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus beside him.

In Hades, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his bosom.

24 H e cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, take pity on me. Send Lazarus. Let him put the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in much pain in this fire.’

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 in anguish in this flame.’

25 A braham said, ‘My son, do not forget that when you were living you had your good things. Lazarus had bad things. Now he is well cared for. You are in pain.

“But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in the same way, bad things. But now here he is comforted and you are in anguish.

26 A nd more than all this, there is a big deep place between us. No one from here can go there even if he wanted to go. No one can come from there.’

Besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that those who want to pass from here to you are not able, and that no one may cross over from there to us.’

27 “ Then the rich man said, ‘Father, then I beg you to send Lazarus to my father’s house.

“He said, ‘I ask you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house;

28 I have five brothers. Let him tell them of these things, or they will come to this place of much pain also.’

for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, so they won’t also come into this place of torment.’

29 A braham said, ‘They have the Writings of Moses and of the early preachers. Let them hear what they say.’

“But Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’

30 B ut the rich man said, ‘No, Father Abraham. If someone goes to them from the dead, they will be sorry for their sins and turn from them.’

“He said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’

31 A braham said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and to the early preachers, they will not listen even if someone is raised from the dead.’”

“He said to him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead.’”