NSB(i)
1 Jesus told his disciples: »There was a rich man who had a servant who managed his property. The rich man learned that the manager was accused of wasting his master’s money.
2 »He said: ‘Is it true what I hear about you? Give me a complete accounting of your management of my property for you may not be my manager any longer.’
3 »The servant thought: ‘I am fired from my job. What shall I do? I am not strong enough for heavy work and I am ashamed to beg.
4 »‘I know what I will do when my job is gone. My friends will welcome me in their homes.’
5 »He called all the people who were in debt to his master. He asked the first one: ‘How much do you owe my master?’
6 »‘One hundred barrels of olive oil,’ he said. ‘Here is your bill,’ he told him; ‘settle for fifty.’
7 »He asked another: ‘How much do you owe?’ ‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he answered. ‘Here is your bill. Pay eight hundred bushels.’
8 »The master of the dishonest manager praised him for doing a shrewd thing. People of this world are more astute at handling their affairs than people who belong to the light.
9 Jesus continued: »I tell you, make friends for yourselves with worldly wealth. That way when it gives out, you will be welcomed in the eternal home.
10 »Whoever is faithful in little things will be faithful in large ones. Whoever is unrighteous in small things will be unrighteous in large ones.
11 »If you have not been faithful in handling worldly wealth, how can you be trusted with true wealth?
12 »If you have not been faithful with what belongs to someone else, who will give you what belongs to you?
13 »No one can serve two masters. He will hate one and love the other. He will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.«
14 Hearing this the Pharisees made fun of Jesus, because they loved money.
15 Jesus said: »You make yourselves look righteous to other people. God knows your hearts. The things considered of great value by people are worth nothing in God’s sight.
16 »The Law of Moses and the writings of the prophets was in effect until John the Baptist. From that time on the Good News about the Kingdom of God is being taught.
17 »It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the smallest detail of the Law to be eliminated.
18 »A man who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery. The man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. [Jesus continued to tell illustrations.]
19 »A rich man dressed in the most expensive clothes and lived in great luxury every day.
20 »A poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, used to be brought to the rich man’s door.
21 »He hoped he could eat the bits of food that fell from the rich man’s table. Then the dogs would come and lick his sores.
22 »The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man died and was buried.
23 »He was in great torment in the grave (hades). He looked up and saw Abraham, far away, with Lazarus at his side.
24 »He called out: Father Abraham! Take pity on me! Please send Lazarus to dip his finger in some water and cool off my tongue. I am in torment in this fire!
25 »Abraham said: Remember, my son, in your lifetime you were given good things, while Lazarus got all the bad things. Now he is enjoying himself while you are in torment.
26 »There is a deep pit lying between us, so that those who want to cross over from here to you cannot do so. And no one can cross over to us from where you are.
27 »The rich man said: I beg you, father Abraham, send Lazarus to my father’s house.
28 »Have him go warn my five brothers that they will not come to this place of torment.
29 »Abraham said: Your brothers have Moses and the prophets to warn them. They should listen to them.
30 »The rich man responded: It is not enough father Abraham! If someone from the dead went to them they would repent.
31 »Abraham said: If they would not listen to Moses and the prophets, they would not listen to someone from the dead.«