Luke 16:1-15 ▼

1 AND he spoke a parable to his dis ciples, There was a rich man, who had a steward; and they accused him that he was wasting his wealth.

2 So his master called him and said to him, What is this that I hear concerning you? Give me an account of your stewardship; for no longer can you be a steward for me.

3 Then the steward said to himself, What will I do? for my lord will take away from me the stewardship? I cannot dig, and I am ashamed to beg.

4 Now I know what I will do, so that when I leave the stewardship, they will receive me in their houses.

5 And he called his lord’s debtors, one by one, and said to the first, How much do you owe my lord?

6 He said to him, A hundred pounds of butter. He said to him, Take your note, sit down quickly, and write fifty pounds.

7 And he said to another, And you, what do you owe to my lord? He said to him, One hundred bushels of wheat. He said to him, Take your note, and sit down and write eighty bushels.

8 And the lord praised the unjust steward because he had done wisely; for the children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light.

9 And I also say, use this earthly wealth, however acquired, to make friends so that when it is gone, they will receive you and you will have everlasting habitation.

10 He who is faithful with little, is also faithful with much; and he who is dishonest with little, is also dishonest with much.

11 If therefore, you are not faithful with the wealth of iniquity, who will believe that there is any truth in you?

12 And if you are not found faithful with that which is not your own, who will give you that which is your own?

13 No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and like the other; or he will honor one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (wealth).

14 When the Pharisees heard all these things, because they loved money, they ridiculed him.

15 But Jesus said to them, You are the ones who make yourselves righteous before men; but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is disgusting in the presence of God.