1 耶稣又对门徒说,有一个财主的管家。别人向他主人告他浪费主人的财物。
Jesustold his disciples: 'There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wastinghis possessions.
2 主人叫他来,对他说,我听见你这事怎么样呢?把你所经管的交代明白。因你不能再作我的管家。Sohe called him in and asked him, `What is this I hear about you? Give an accountof your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.'
3 那管家心里说,主人辞我,不用我再作管家,我将来作什么?锄地呢?无力。讨饭呢?怕羞。'Themanager said to himself, `What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job.I'm not strong enough to dig, and I'm ashamed to beg--
4 我知道怎么行,好叫人在我不作管家之后,接我到他们家里去。Iknow what I'll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me intotheir houses.'
5 于是把欠他主人债的,一个一个地叫了来,问头一个说,你欠我主人多少。'Sohe called in each one of his master's debtors. He asked the first, `How much doyou owe my master?'
6 他说,一百篓油。每篓约五十斤管家说,拿你的账快坐下写五十。'`Eighthundred gallons of olive oil,' he replied. 'The manager told him, `Take yourbill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred.'7 又问一个说,你欠多少。他说,一百石麦子。管家说,拿你的账写八十。'Thenhe asked the second, `And how much do you owe?' '`A thousand bushels of wheat,'he replied. 'He told him, `Take your bill and make it eight hundred.'
8 主人就夸奖这不义的管家作事聪明。因为今世之子,在世事之上,较比光明之子,更加聪明。'Themaster commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For thepeople of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than arethe people of the light.9 我又告诉你们,要借着那不义的钱财,结交朋友。到了钱财无用的时候,他们可以接你们到永存的帐幕里去。Itell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it isgone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.10 人在最小的事上忠心,在大事上也忠心。在最小的事上不义,在大事上也不义。'Whoevercan be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever isdishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
11 倘若你们在不义的钱财上不忠心,谁还把那真实的钱财托付你们呢?Soif you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust youwith true riches?
12 倘若你们在别人的东西上不忠心,谁还把你们自己的东西给你们呢?Andif you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will giveyou property of your own?
13 一个仆人不能事奉两个主。不是恶这个爱那个,就是重这个轻那个。你们不能又事奉神,又事奉玛门。'Noservant 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 bothGod and Money.'