The Gospel According to St. Luke

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 16 -

And he sayde also vnto his disciples, There was a certaine riche man, which had a stewarde, and he was accused vnto him, that he wasted his goods.

And hee called him, and saide vnto him, Howe is it that I heare this of thee? Giue an accounts of thy stewardship: for thou maiest be no longer steward.

Then the stewarde saide within himselfe, What shall I doe? for my master taketh away from me the stewardship. I cannot digge, and to begge I am ashamed.

I knowe what I will doe, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receiue mee into their houses.

Then called he vnto him euery one of his masters detters, and said vnto the first, Howe much owest thou vnto my master?

And he said, An hudreth measures of oyle. And he saide to him, Take thy writing, and sitte downe quickely, and write fiftie.

Then said he to another, How much owest thou? And hee sayde, An hundreth measures of wheate. Then he saide to him, Take thy writing, and write foure score.

And the Lord commended the vniust stewarde, because he had done wisely. Wherefore the children of this worlde are in their generation wiser then the children of light.

And I say vnto you, Make you friends with the riches of iniquitie, that when ye shall want, they may receiue you into euerlasting habitations.

He that is faithfull in the least, hee is also faithful in much: and he that is vniust in the least, is vniust also in much.

If then ye haue not ben faithful in the wicked riches, who wil trust you in the true treasure?

And if ye haue not bene faithfull in another mans goods, who shall giue you that which is yours?

No seruaunt can serue two masters: for either he shall hate the one, and loue the other: or els he shall leane to the one, and despise the other. Yee can not serue God and riches.

The Law and the Prophets

All these thinges heard the Pharises also which were couetous, and they scoffed at him.

Then he sayde vnto them, Yee are they, which iustifie your selues before men: but God knoweth your heartes: for that which is highly esteemed among men, is abomination in the sight of God.

The Lawe and the Prophets endured vntill Iohn: and since that time the kingdome of God is preached, and euery man preasseth into it.

Nowe it is more easie that heauen and earth shoulde passe away, then that one title of the Lawe should fall.

Whosoeuer putteth away his wife, and marieth another, committeth adulterie: and whosoeuer marieth her that is put away from her husband, committeth adulterie.

The Rich Man and Lazarus

(John 5:39–47)

There was a certaine riche man, which was clothed in purple and fine linnen, and fared well and delicately euery day.

Also there was a certaine begger named Lazarus, which was laide at his gate full of sores,

And desired to bee refreshed with the crommes that fell from the riche mans table: yea, and the dogges came and licked his sores.

And it was so that the begger died, and was caried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome. The rich man also died, and was buried.

And being in hell in torments, he lift vp his eyes, and sawe Abraham a farre off, and Lazarus in his bosome.

Then he cried, and saide, Father Abraham, haue mercie on mee, and sende Lazarus that hee may dippe the tip of his finger in water, and coole my tongue: for I am tormented in this flame.

But Abraham saide, Sonne, remember that thou in thy life time receiuedst thy pleasures, and likewise Lazarus paines: now therefore is he comforted, and thou art tormented.

Besides all this, betweene you and vs there is a great gulfe set, so that they which would goe from hence to you, can not: neither can they come from thence to vs.

Then he said, I pray thee therfore, father, that thou wouldest sende him to my fathers house,

(For I haue fiue brethren) that he may testifie vnto them, least they also come into this place of torment.

Abraham said vnto him, They haue Moses and the Prophets: let them heare them.

And he sayde, Nay, father Abraham: but if one came vnto them from the dead, they will amend their liues.

Then he saide vnto him, If they heare not Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rise from the dead againe.

He 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.

He 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.’

“The manager said within himself, ‘What will I do, seeing that my lord is taking away the management position from me? I don’t have strength to dig. I am ashamed to beg.

I know what I will do, so that when I am removed from management, they may receive me into their houses.’

Calling each one of his lord’s debtors to him, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe to my lord?’

He said, ‘A hundred batos (a) of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’

Then he said to another, ‘How much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred cors (b) of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’

“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.

I tell you, make for yourselves friends by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when you fail, they may receive you into the eternal tents.

He 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.

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

If you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is 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 one and despise the other. You aren’t able to serve God and Mammon.” (c)

The Law and the Prophets

The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they scoffed at him.

He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts. For that which is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

“The law and the prophets were until John. From that time the Good News of God’s Kingdom is preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.

But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tiny stroke of a pen in the law to fall.

“Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery. He who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery.

The Rich Man and Lazarus

(John 5:39–47)

“Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every day.

A certain beggar, named Lazarus, was taken to his gate, full of sores,

and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Yes, even the dogs came and licked his sores.

The beggar died, and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.

In Hades, (d) he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his bosom.

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.’

“But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in the same way, bad things. But here he is now comforted and you are in anguish.

Besides 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 no one may cross over from there to us.’

“He said, ‘I ask you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house—

for I have five brothers—that he may testify to them, so they won’t also come into this place of torment.’

“But Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’

“He said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’

“He said to him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead.’”

Footnotes

(a)16:6 100 batos is about 395 liters or 104 U. S. gallons.

(b)16:7 100 cors = about 2,110 liters or 600 bushels.

(d)16:23 or, Hell