Luke 16:8
6 ‘A hundred measures of olive oil,’ he answered. ‘Take your bill,’ said the manager. ‘Sit down quickly, and write fifty.’
7 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.
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.
9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to make friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, they will welcome you into eternal dwellings.
10 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.
Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- 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.
- 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.
- WEB
- “His lord commended the dishonest manager because he had done wisely, for the children of this world are, in their own generation, wiser than the children of the light.
- ASV
- And his lord commended the unrighteous steward because he had done wisely: for the sons of this world are for their own generation wiser than the sons of the light.
- DARBY
- And the lord praised the unrighteous steward because he had done prudently. For the sons of this world are, for their own generation, more prudent than the sons of light.
- BLB
- And the master praised the unrighteous manager because he acted shrewdly, because the sons of this age are more shrewd than the sons of the light in their own generation.
- ÅB
- Og Herren roste den urettferdige husholder for at han hadde båret seg klokt ad; for denne verdens barn er klokere mot sin egen slekt enn lysets barn.
- OTB
- Herren roste den uærlige forvalteren fordi han hadde handlet klokt; for denne verdens barn er klokere i å omgås sine egne enn lysets barn.
- B1930
- Og Herren roste den urettferdige husholder for at han hadde båret sig klokt ad; for denne verdens barn er klokere mot sin egen slekt enn lysets barn.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
1 Thessalonians 5:5
For you are all sons of the light and sons of the day; we do not belong to the night or to the darkness.
Read in contextEphesians 5:8
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,
Read in contextJohn 12:36
While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of light.” After Jesus had spoken these things, He went away and was hidden from them.
Read in contextProverbs 6:6–8
Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker; observe its ways and become wise.
Read in contextLuke 16:10
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.
Read in contextExodus 1:10
Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase even more; and if a war breaks out, they may join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.”
Read in contextLuke 16:4
I know what I will do, so that after my removal from management, people will welcome me into their homes.’
Read in context1 Corinthians 3:18
Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise.
Read in context