| Chapter 16 |
1 | And he said also unto the disciples, There was a certain rich man, who had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he was wasting his goods. |
2 | And he called him, and said unto him, What is this that I hear of thee? render the account of thy stewardship; for thou canst be no longer steward. |
3 | And the steward said within himself, What shall I do, seeing that my lord taketh away the stewardship from me? I have not strength to dig; to beg I am ashamed. |
4 | I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. |
5 | And calling to him each one of his lord's debtors, he said to the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? |
6 | And he said, A hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bond, and sit down quickly and write fifty. |
7 | Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, A hundred measures of wheat. He saith unto him, Take thy bond, and write fourscore. |
8 | And his lord commended the unrighteous steward because he had done wisely: for the sons of this world are for their own generation wiser than the sons of the light. |
9 | And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends by means of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when it shall fail, they may receive you into the eternal tabernacles. |
10 | He that is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much: and he that is unrighteous in a very little is unrighteous also in much. |
11 | If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true [riches]? |
12 | And if ye 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 else he will hold to one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. |
14 | And the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things; and they scoffed at him. |
15 | And he said unto them, Ye are they that justify yourselves in the sight of men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God. |
16 | The law and the prophets [were] until John: from that time the gospel of the kingdom of God is preached, and every man entereth violently into it. |
17 | But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one tittle of the law to fall. |
18 | Every one that putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and he that marrieth one that is put away from a husband committeth adultery. |
19 | Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, faring sumptuously every day: |
20 | and a certain beggar named Lazarus was laid at his gate, full of sores, |
21 | and desiring to be fed with the [crumbs] that fell from the rich man's table; yea, even the dogs come and licked his sores. |
22 | And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and that he was carried away by the angels into Abraham's bosom: and the rich man also died, and was buried. |
23 | And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. |
24 | And 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 | But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things: but now here he is comforted and thou art in anguish. |
26 | And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that they that would pass from hence to you may not be able, and that none may cross over from thence to us. |
27 | And he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house; |
28 | for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. |
29 | But Abraham saith, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. |
30 | And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one go to them from the dead, they will repent. |
31 | And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, if one rise from the dead. |