1 And He {Iesous, Master Teacher} addressed the disciples: “A certain rich man had a steward, and this steward was reported to him as wasting his possessions {hyparchonta: material goods}.”
2 And summoning him, he said to him, “What is this that I am hearing about you? Bring the account {logos: detailed report} of your stewardship {oikonomia: entrusted management}, because you are not able to continue as steward.”
3 And the steward said to himself, “What am I to do? For my master {kyrios mou: household authority} is taking the stewardship {oikonomia: management responsibility} away from me. I do not have strength to dig, and I feel shame to beg.”
4 I know what I will do, so that, when I am put out of the stewardship {oikonomias: household management}, they will receive me into their houses {oikous: family dwellings}.
5 And he summoned to himself each of his master’s debtors {chreopheileton: obligated payers}, one by one, and he said to the first {proto: first summoned}, “How much do you owe my master?”
6 He said, “One hundred baths {batous: standard liquid measure} of oil.” Then he said to him, “Take your bill {grammata: debt record}; sit down at once and write fifty.”
7 Then he said to another, “And you, how much do you owe?” He answered, “One hundred measures of wheat.” Then he said to him, “Take your bill {grammata: written record} and write eighty {ogdoekonta: reduced amount}.”
8 And the master commended the steward {oikonomos: estate manager} of unrighteousness because he acted prudently; for the sons {huioi: representative heirs} of this age are more prudent than the sons of light when dealing with their own generation.
9 And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the mammon {mamona: worldly wealth} of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings {skenas: abiding places}.
10 The one who is faithful {pistos: trustworthy person} in a very small matter is faithful also in much, and the one who is unjust {adikos: lacking justice} in a very small matter is unjust also in much.
11 If therefore you were not faithful with the unrighteous mammon {mamona: worldly wealth}, who will entrust to you the true riches {alethinon: ultimate realities}?
12 And if you were not faithful in another’s property {allotrios: belonging to someone else}, who will give you what is your own {hymeteros: proper possession}?
13 No household servant is able to serve two masters, for he will either hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You are not able to serve God {Theos, Only True Master} and mammon {Mamona: Material Possessions}.
14 Now the Pharisees, being lovers of money {philargyroi: Greed-Driven}, heard all these things and sneered at Him {Iesous, Exposing Greed}.
15 And He {Iesous, Discerning Teacher} said to them, “You are the ones who declare yourselves righteous before people, but God {Theos, Heart-Knowing Judge} knows your hearts; for what is exalted among people is an abomination in the sight of God.”
16 The Law and the Prophets were until John; from then on the kingdom of God {basileia tou theou, Saving Reign} is proclaimed as good news, and everyone forces his way {biazetai: forceful entry} into it.
17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one small stroke of the law {nomos: covenant code} to fall {pesein: cease to stand}.
18 Everyone who divorces {apolyon: legally ends marriage} his wife and marries another commits adultery {moicheuei: violates marriage bond}, and whoever marries a woman who has been divorced from her husband commits adultery.
19 Now there was a certain rich man, and he dressed himself in purple {porphyran: luxury-dyed cloth} and fine linen, and he was feasting {euphrainomenos: joyful celebration} in splendor every day.
20 And a certain poor {ptochos: utterly destitute} man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores {heilkomenos: inflamed ulcers}.
21 And he was longing to be fed from the crumbs {piptonton: falling fragments} that fell from the rich man’s table; but even the dogs came and were licking his sores {helke: open wounds}.
22 And it came about that the poor man {ptochos: utterly destitute} died, and the angels carried him away into Abraham’s bosom {kolpos: intimate welcome}; and the rich man also died and was buried.
23 And in Hades {haide: realm of dead}, having lifted up his eyes while in torments {basanois: Severe Pain}, he sees Abraham far off and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 And he cried out, “Father Abraham {Abraam: Hebrew Patriarch}, have mercy {eleeson: urgent compassion} on me and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame.”
25 But Abraham {Abraam: covenant ancestor} said, “Child, remember that you received your good things during your life, and likewise Lazarus received bad things; but now he is comforted {parakaleitai: receives consolation} here, and you are tormented.”
26 And besides all these things, between us and you a great chasm {chasma: impassable divide} has been fixed, so that those who desire to cross from here to you are not able, and neither can anyone cross {diaperosin: pass through completely} from there to us.
27 And he said, “I beg you, therefore, Father {pater: respectful kinship title}, that you would send {pempsēs: deliberately dispatch} him to my father’s house.”
28 For I have five brothers, so that he may testify {diamartyrētai: solemnly attest} to them, so that they also may not come into this place of torment {basanou: extreme suffering}.
29 But Abraham {abraam: Faith Father} says, “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear {akouo: heed with obedience} them.”
30 But he said, “No, Father Abraham {Abraam: Covenant Ancestor}; rather, if someone from the dead should go to them, they will repent {metanoēsousin: Change Their Minds}.”
31 But he said to him, “If they are not listening {akouousin: responsive hearing} to Moses and the prophets {propheton: inspired spokesmen}, neither will they be persuaded, even if someone should rise from the dead.”