Luke 16

Faithfulness and Service Luke 16:9–13

⁹Verse 9. 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. ¹⁰Verse 10. 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. ¹¹Verse 11. If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? ¹²Verse 12. If you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? ¹³Verse 13. 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.”

Confronting the Pharisees Luke 16:14–18

¹⁴Verse 14. The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they scoffed at him. ¹⁵Verse 15. 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. ¹⁶Verse 16. 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. ¹⁷Verse 17. But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one tiny stroke of a pen in the law to fall.

¹⁸Verse 18. 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 Luke 16:19–26

¹⁹Verse 19. “Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every day. ²⁰Verse 20. A certain beggar, named Lazarus, was taken to his gate, full of sores, ²¹Verse 21. 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. ²²Verse 22. The beggar died, and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried. ²³Verse 23. In Hades, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far off, and Lazarus at his bosom.

²⁴Verse 24. 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.’ ²⁵Verse 25. “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. ²⁶Verse 26. 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.’

The Rich Man's Plea Luke 16:27–31

²⁷Verse 27. “He said, ‘I ask you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house; ²⁸Verse 28. for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, so they won’t also come into this place of torment.’ ²⁹Verse 29. “But Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ ³⁰Verse 30. “He said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ ³¹Verse 31. “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.’”