‘Isa 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. 2He 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 manager said within himself, ‘What will I do, seeing that my lord is taking away the management position from me? I do not have strength to dig. I am ashamed to beg. 4I know what I will do, so that when I am removed from management, they may receive me into their houses.’ 5Calling each one of his lord’s debtors to him, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe to my lord?’ 6He said, ‘A hundred batos[1] of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 7Then he said to another, ‘How much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred cors[2] of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’
8“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. 9I tell you, make for yourselves friends by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when you fail, they may receive you into the eternal tents. 10He 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. 11If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12If you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? 13No 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 Allah and mammon[3].“
14The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they scoffed at him. 15He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but Allah knows your hearts. For that which is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of Allah. 16The Taurat and the Prophets were until Yahya. From that time the Injil of the Kingdom of Allah is preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. 17But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one tiny stroke of a pen in the Taurat to fall. 18Everyone who divorces his wife, and marries another, commits adultery. He who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery.
19“Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every day. 20A certain beggar, named Lazarus, was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Yes, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22It happened that the beggar died, and that he was carried away by the angels to Ibrahim’s bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried. 23In the grave, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Ibrahim far off, and Lazarus at his bosom. 24He cried and said, ‘Father Ibrahim, 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 Ibrahim said, ‘Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in like manner, bad things. But now here he is comforted and you are in anguish. 26Besides 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 none may cross over from there to us.’
27“He said, ‘I ask you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house; 28for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, so they won’t also come into this place of torment.’
29“But Ibrahim said to him, ‘They have Musa and the Prophets. Let them listen to them.’
30“He said, ‘No, father Ibrahim, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’
31“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Musa and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead.‘”
[1] 16:6 100 baths is about 395 litres, 104 U. S. gallons, or 87 imperial gallons.
[2] 16:7 100 cors = about 3,910 litres or 600 bushels.
[3] 16:13 “Mammon“ refers to riches or a false god of wealth.