Luke 16

And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.

He told his followers, "Imagine a wealthy man with a manager who was rumored to have squandered his wealth."

And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.

He summoned him, asking, "Why am I hearing such things about you? Hand in an account of your work as manager, because you can't be manager any longer."

Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.

The steward thought anxiously, "What should I do now? My master is taking away my job. I can't do hard labor; and begging, it's too humiliating."

I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.

I've made up my mind about what to do, so that when I lose my job, they will welcome me into their homes.

So he called every one of his lord’s debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?

He gathered all those who owed his master money. To the first, he asked, "How much do you owe my master?"

And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.

He declared, "A hundred units of oil." Then he instructed, "Grab your invoice, sit down swiftly, and jot down fifty instead."

Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.

He turned to another, asking, "What's your debt?" The man replied, "A hundred measures of wheat." He then instructed him, "Take your bill, and write down eighty instead."

And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

His master praised the dishonest manager for his shrewdness, because worldly people are often shrewder in dealing with their own kind than those who walk in the light.

And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

I urge you, use worldly wealth to make friends for yourselves, so that when it runs out, they may welcome you into eternal homes.

He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

Those who are honest with small things will be honest with big things too. Similarly, those who cheat in small ways will cheat in bigger ways too.

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

If you can't be trusted with worldly wealth, how can you be trusted with true spiritual riches?

And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?

If you can't be trusted with someone else's belongings, how can you expect to be trusted with your own?

No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

You can't be loyal to two bosses at once. You'll either favor one and neglect the other, or cherish one and despise the other. You can't devote yourself to God and money at the same time.

And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.

The Pharisees, driven by greed, heard everything and mocked him with scorn.

And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

He told them, "You make yourselves look good in front of people, but God sees your true intentions. What people value highly is detestable to God."

The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.

Before John, we followed the law and the prophets. But since John, we've been hearing about God's kingdom, and everyone is striving to be a part of it.

And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

Even the heavens and earth passing away is simpler than a single tiny detail of the law failing.

Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

Any man who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery. And whoever marries a woman divorced by her husband commits adultery too.

There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

Once upon a time, a wealthy man lived in grandeur, draped in royal purple and the finest linen, indulging in lavish feasts daily.

And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

A man named Lazarus, a beggar covered in painful sores, was left at his doorstep.

And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

Longing for even the smallest morsels that tumbled from the wealthy man's table, he lay there while even the dogs came and licked his sores.

And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

The poor man passed away, lovingly escorted by angels to Abraham's side. The wealthy man too, met his end, but was simply laid to rest in the earth.

And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

In the depths of hell, he opened his eyes, tormented and suffering. He saw Abraham in the distance and Lazarus, safe in his care.

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 tormented in this flame.

In desperation, he pleaded, "Father Abraham, show me kindness. Let Lazarus wet his finger with water to soothe my burning tongue. I'm suffering in these flames."

But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

Abraham gently reminded, "Son, you lived a blessed life while Lazarus suffered. Now he is comforted here, while you are in torment."

And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

Despite everything, a vast chasm separates us, making it impossible for anyone to cross over from our side to yours, or from your side to ours.

Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house:

He pleaded, "Please, father, could you send him to my family home?"

For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

I have five brothers; I want him to warn them so they don't end up in this place of suffering.

Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

Abraham told him, "They already have the teachings of Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to those."

And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.

He replied, "No, dear Father Abraham. Yet, if someone returned from death, they would surely change their ways."

And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

He told him, "If they won't listen to Moses or the prophets, they won't be convinced even if someone comes back from the dead."