American King James Version - AKJV - 1999
Luke 16
1
And he said also to his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused to him that he had wasted his goods.
Reference
Good
1 Peter 4:10
Parallel theme
Luke 12:42
James 4:3
Titus 1:7
Luke 15:13
Luke 15:30
Proverbs 18:9
Luke 19:20
Luke 8:3
Luke 16:19
2
And he called him, and said to him, How is it that I hear this of you? give an account of your stewardship; for you may be no longer steward.
Reference
3
Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord takes away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.
4
I 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 every one of his lord's debtors to him, and said to the first, How much owe you to my lord?
6
And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said to him, Take your bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.
Reference
7
Then said he to another, And how much owe you? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said to him, Take your bill, and write fourscore.
8
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.
Reference
Light
1 Thessalonians 5:5
Ephesians 5:8
John 12:36
Parallel theme
Luke 16:4
References Lord
Genesis 3:1
Righteousness
Luke 16:10
9
And I say to you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when you fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.
Reference
Parallel theme
Matthew 19:21
Matthew 6:24
Proverbs 19:17
Luke 12:33
Luke 16:13
Luke 11:41
Acts 10:31
Righteousness
Luke 16:11
Daniel 4:27
Luke 14:14
10
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.
Reference
11
If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
Reference
Faith
James 2:5
Parallel theme
Ephesians 3:8
Luke 12:33
Luke 18:22
Revelation 3:18
Righteousness
Luke 16:9
12
And if you 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: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
Reference
14
And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.
Reference
15
And he said to them, You are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knows your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
Reference
Parallel theme
1 Samuel 16:7
Proverbs 21:2
Jeremiah 17:10
Proverbs 16:5
Luke 11:39
References God
1 Corinthians 4:5
Acts 15:8
1 Peter 3:4
1 Chronicles 29:17
Righteousness
Luke 10:29
16
The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presses into it.
Reference
Kingdom
Matthew 3:2
Matthew 4:17
Matthew 10:7
Luke 10:11
Luke 10:9
Prophecy
Luke 16:31
Acts 3:18
Luke 16:29
References John
Matthew 21:32
Word
John 1:45
17
And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one pronunciation mark of the law to fail.
Reference
18
Whoever puts away his wife, and marries another, commits adultery: and whoever marries her that is put away from her husband commits adultery.
Reference
19
There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
Reference
20
And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
Reference
People
21
And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
Reference
Parallel theme
Matthew 15:27
22
And 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;
Reference
23
And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and sees Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Reference
24
And 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.
Reference
Grace
James 2:13
Parallel theme
Revelation 22:1
John 4:10
Matthew 25:41
John 4:14
Revelation 20:15
James 3:6
Zechariah 14:12
References Abraham
Luke 3:8
Luke 16:30
25
But Abraham said, Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and you are tormented.
Reference
26
And 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 there.
Reference
27
Then he said, I pray you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house:
28
For I have five brothers; that he may testify to them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
Reference
Witness
Acts 20:23
30
And he said, No, father Abraham: but if one went to them from the dead, they will repent.
Reference
Summary of Luke 16
Luke 16 focuses on stewardship, wealth, faithfulness, generosity, accountability, and the danger of allowing money to become a person's master, using two major teachings: the parable of the shrewd manager and the story of the rich man and Lazarus.
Jesus first tells His disciples about a wealthy man's manager who is accused of wasting his master's possessions and is informed that he will lose his position. Realizing that his future is uncertain, the manager acts quickly by reducing the debts of several people who owe his master money, apparently hoping that these people will later welcome him into their homes.
Although Jesus does not approve the manager's dishonesty, He points out his shrewdness and ability to think ahead, teaching that His followers should also recognize that their present circumstances are temporary and should use their resources wisely in light of the future.
Jesus then develops the lesson by explaining that faithfulness in small matters demonstrates faithfulness in larger matters, and that people cannot truly serve both God and money because wealth can become a competing master that demands loyalty, security, and devotion.
The Pharisees respond by mocking Jesus because they are lovers of money, and Jesus exposes the difference between appearing righteous before people and actually having a heart that is right before God.
He explains that God sees what is hidden within a person's heart, reminding His listeners that the things society admires—wealth, status, influence, and outward religious respectability—may not be the things God values most.
Jesus then briefly discusses the Law, the Prophets, John, God's kingdom, and marriage, reinforcing that the arrival of God's kingdom does not mean that God's moral purposes have become irrelevant.
The chapter's second major teaching is the story of the rich man and Lazarus, which presents an enormous contrast between two men living almost side by side.
The rich man wears expensive clothing and enjoys luxurious meals every day, while Lazarus lies outside his gate covered with sores and longs merely to eat what falls from the rich man's table.
The striking feature of the story is that Lazarus is not separated from the rich man by distance; he is separated by indifference.
The rich man has abundant resources and Lazarus has almost nothing, yet the rich man apparently does nothing to relieve his suffering.
After both men die, their circumstances are dramatically reversed: Lazarus is comforted beside Abraham, while the rich man experiences torment and discovers that the great divide between them can no longer be crossed.
The story therefore warns that wealth itself is not identified as the sin, but selfishness, indifference, and failure to use one's resources to care for others are treated with extreme seriousness.
The rich man then asks Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his five brothers, but Abraham explains that they already have Moses and the Prophets, meaning that God's revealed Word already provides sufficient warning about how they should live.
When the rich man argues that someone rising from the dead would convince them, Abraham responds that people who refuse to listen to God's existing revelation will not necessarily be convinced even by such a dramatic miracle.
This ending reinforces one of the chapter's strongest themes: the problem is often not a lack of evidence but an unwillingness to respond to the truth that has already been given.
Historically, Luke 16 belongs to the 1st century AD, during Jesus' ministry around AD 28–30. Wealthy landowners commonly employed estate managers, agricultural commodities such as olive oil and wheat were central to the economy, purple clothing and fine linen represented high social status, and poverty was a significant reality in the Roman-era Mediterranean world.
The chapter's teaching about Lazarus also reflects the strong Jewish emphasis on caring for the poor and vulnerable, while its references to Moses and the Prophets point to the authoritative Scriptures known by Jesus' Jewish audience.
Luke 16 ultimately teaches that wealth is temporary, stewardship is a spiritual responsibility, faithfulness is revealed in everyday decisions, and people must use their resources with eternal priorities in mind rather than allowing money, comfort, or social status to replace devotion to God and compassion toward others.
Jesus first tells His disciples about a wealthy man's manager who is accused of wasting his master's possessions and is informed that he will lose his position. Realizing that his future is uncertain, the manager acts quickly by reducing the debts of several people who owe his master money, apparently hoping that these people will later welcome him into their homes.
Although Jesus does not approve the manager's dishonesty, He points out his shrewdness and ability to think ahead, teaching that His followers should also recognize that their present circumstances are temporary and should use their resources wisely in light of the future.
Jesus then develops the lesson by explaining that faithfulness in small matters demonstrates faithfulness in larger matters, and that people cannot truly serve both God and money because wealth can become a competing master that demands loyalty, security, and devotion.
The Pharisees respond by mocking Jesus because they are lovers of money, and Jesus exposes the difference between appearing righteous before people and actually having a heart that is right before God.
He explains that God sees what is hidden within a person's heart, reminding His listeners that the things society admires—wealth, status, influence, and outward religious respectability—may not be the things God values most.
Jesus then briefly discusses the Law, the Prophets, John, God's kingdom, and marriage, reinforcing that the arrival of God's kingdom does not mean that God's moral purposes have become irrelevant.
The chapter's second major teaching is the story of the rich man and Lazarus, which presents an enormous contrast between two men living almost side by side.
The rich man wears expensive clothing and enjoys luxurious meals every day, while Lazarus lies outside his gate covered with sores and longs merely to eat what falls from the rich man's table.
The striking feature of the story is that Lazarus is not separated from the rich man by distance; he is separated by indifference.
The rich man has abundant resources and Lazarus has almost nothing, yet the rich man apparently does nothing to relieve his suffering.
After both men die, their circumstances are dramatically reversed: Lazarus is comforted beside Abraham, while the rich man experiences torment and discovers that the great divide between them can no longer be crossed.
The story therefore warns that wealth itself is not identified as the sin, but selfishness, indifference, and failure to use one's resources to care for others are treated with extreme seriousness.
The rich man then asks Abraham to send Lazarus to warn his five brothers, but Abraham explains that they already have Moses and the Prophets, meaning that God's revealed Word already provides sufficient warning about how they should live.
When the rich man argues that someone rising from the dead would convince them, Abraham responds that people who refuse to listen to God's existing revelation will not necessarily be convinced even by such a dramatic miracle.
This ending reinforces one of the chapter's strongest themes: the problem is often not a lack of evidence but an unwillingness to respond to the truth that has already been given.
Historically, Luke 16 belongs to the 1st century AD, during Jesus' ministry around AD 28–30. Wealthy landowners commonly employed estate managers, agricultural commodities such as olive oil and wheat were central to the economy, purple clothing and fine linen represented high social status, and poverty was a significant reality in the Roman-era Mediterranean world.
The chapter's teaching about Lazarus also reflects the strong Jewish emphasis on caring for the poor and vulnerable, while its references to Moses and the Prophets point to the authoritative Scriptures known by Jesus' Jewish audience.
Luke 16 ultimately teaches that wealth is temporary, stewardship is a spiritual responsibility, faithfulness is revealed in everyday decisions, and people must use their resources with eternal priorities in mind rather than allowing money, comfort, or social status to replace devotion to God and compassion toward others.