International Standard Version

King James Bible

1Now Jesus was saying to the disciples, "A rich man had a servant manager who was accused of wasting his assets.

1And 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.

2So he called for him and asked him, 'What's this I hear about you? You can't be my manager any longer. Now give me a report about your management!'

2And 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.

3"Then the servant manager told himself, 'What should I do? My master is taking my position away from me. I'm not strong enough to plow, and I'm ashamed to beg.

3Then 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.

4I know what I'll do so that people will welcome me into their homes when I'm dismissed from my job.'

4I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.

5"So he called for each of his master's debtors. He asked the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'

5So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?

6The man replied, 'A hundred jars of olive oil.' The manager told him, 'Get your bill. Sit down quickly and write "50."'

6And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.

7Then he asked another debtor, 'How much do you owe?' The man replied, 'A hundred containers of wheat.' The manager told him, 'Get your bill and write "80."'

7Then 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.

8The master praised the dishonest servant manager for being so clever, because worldly people are more clever than enlightened people in dealing with their own.

8And 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.

9"I'm telling you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails, they will welcome you into eternal homes.

9And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

10Whoever is faithful with very little is also faithful with a lot, and whoever is dishonest with very little is also dishonest with a lot.

10He 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.

11So if you haven't been faithful with unrighteous wealth, who will trust you with true wealth?

11If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

12And if you haven't been faithful with what belongs to foreigners, who will give you what is your own?

12And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?

13"No servant can serve two masters, because either he will hate one and love the other, or be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and wealth!"

13No 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.

14Now the Pharisees, who love money, had been listening to all this and began to ridicule Jesus.

14And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.

15So he told them, "You try to justify yourselves in front of people, but God knows your hearts, because what is highly valued by people is detestable to God.

15And 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.

16"The Law and the Prophets remained until John. Since then, the good news about the kingdom of God has been proclaimed, and everyone entering it is under attack.

16The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.

17However, it is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for one stroke of a letter in the Law to be dropped.

17And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

18Any man who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery."

18Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

19"Once there was a rich man who used to dress in purple and fine linen and live in great luxury every day.

19There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

20A beggar named Lazarus, who was covered with sores, was brought to his gate.

20And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

21He was always trying to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs used to come and lick his sores.

21And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

22"One day, the beggar died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried.

22And 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;

23In the afterlife, where he was in constant torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus by his side.

23And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

24So he shouted, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me! Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water to cool off my tongue, because I am suffering in this fire.'

24And 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.

25"But Abraham said, 'My child, remember that during your lifetime you received blessings, while Lazarus received hardships. But now he is being comforted here, while you suffer.

25But 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.

26Besides all this, a wide chasm has been fixed between us, so that those who want to cross from this side to you cannot do so, nor can they cross from your side to us.'

26And 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.

27"The rich man said, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house—

27Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:

28because I have five brothers—to warn them, so that they won't end up in this place of torture, too.'

28For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

29"Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets. They should listen to them!'

29Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

30"But the rich man replied, 'No, father Abraham! But if someone from the dead went to them, they would repent.'

30And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.

31"Then Abraham told him, 'If your brothers do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded, even if someone were to rise from the dead.'"

31And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.