The Parable of the Shrewd Manager

LUK 16:1

KJV

And 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.

BSB

Jesus also said to His disciples, “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions.

Koinōnos

And he was also saying to the disciples, "A certain wealthy man had a household manager, and this man was accused to him with a malicious slander of squandering his possessions.

LUK 16:2

KJV

And 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.

BSB

So he called him in to ask, ‘What is this I hear about you? Turn in an account of your management, for you cannot be manager any longer.’

Koinōnos

And calling him, he said to him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer manage.

LUK 16:3

KJV

Then 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.

BSB

The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, now that my master is taking away my position? I am too weak to dig and too ashamed to beg.

Koinōnos

And the household manager said within himself, 'What will I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg as a mendicant.

LUK 16:4

KJV

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

BSB

I know what I will do so that after my removal from management, people will welcome me into their homes.’

Koinōnos

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

LUK 16:5

KJV

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

BSB

And he called in each one of his masterʼs debtors. ‘How much do you owe my master?’ he asked the first.

Koinōnos

And calling each one of his master's debtors, he said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?

LUK 16:6

KJV

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

BSB

‘A hundred measures of olive oil,’ he answered. ‘Take your bill,’ said the manager, ‘sit down quickly, and write fifty.’

Koinōnos

He said, 'A hundred measures of olive oil.' He said to him, 'Take your written agreement and sit down quickly and write fifty.

LUK 16:7

KJV

Then 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.

BSB

Then he asked another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ ‘A hundred measures of wheat,’ he replied. ‘Take your bill and write eighty,’ he told him.

Koinōnos

Then he said to another, 'And you — how much do you owe?' He said, 'A hundred measures of grain.' He says to him, 'Take your written agreement and write eighty.

LUK 16:8

KJV

And 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.

BSB

The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the sons of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the sons of light.

Koinōnos

And the master praised the dishonest manager because he acted shrewdly, for the sons of this age are shrewder in their dealings with their own generation than the sons of the light.

LUK 16:9

KJV

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

BSB

I tell you, use worldly wealth to make friends for yourselves so that when it is gone, they will welcome you into eternal dwellings.

Koinōnos

And Jesus said: I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it fails, they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.

LUK 16:10

KJV

He 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.

BSB

Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.

Koinōnos

The one faithful in what is least is also faithful in much, and the one dishonest in what is least is also dishonest in much.

LUK 16:11

KJV

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

BSB

So if you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will entrust you with true riches?

Koinōnos

If therefore you have not proved faithful in dishonest wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?

LUK 16:12

KJV

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

BSB

And if you have not been faithful with the belongings of another, who will give you belongings of your own?

Koinōnos

And if you have not proved faithful in what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own?

LUK 16:13

KJV

No 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.

BSB

No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

Koinōnos

No household slave can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and personified Wealth.