Luke 16:12

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to someone else, who will give you what is your own?

King James Version (1611)
And if ye haue not bene faithful in that which is another mans, who shall giue you that which is your owne?

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

English Standard Version
And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own?

New American Standard Bible
"And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own?

New Century Version
And if you cannot be trusted with things that belong to someone else, who will give you things of your own?

Amplified Bible
"And if you have not been faithful in the use of that [earthly wealth] which belongs to another [whether God or man, and of which you are a trustee], who will give you that which is your own?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own?

Legacy Standard Bible
And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own?

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

Contemporary English Version
And if you cannot be trusted with what belongs to someone else, who will give you something that will be your own?

Complete Jewish Bible
And if you haven't been trustworthy with what belongs to someone else, who will give you what ought to belong to you?

Darby Translation
and if ye have not been faithful in that which is another's, who shall give to you your own?

Easy-to-Read Version
And if you cannot be trusted with the things that belong to someone else, you will not be given anything of your own.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And if ye haue not bene faithfull in another mans goods, who shall giue you that which is yours?

George Lamsa Translation
And if you are not found faithful with that which is not your own, who will give you that which is your own?

Good News Translation
And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to someone else, who will give you what belongs to you?

Lexham English Bible
And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you your own?

Literal Translation
And if you were not faithful in that of another, who will give to you that which is yours?

American Standard Version
And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own?

Bible in Basic English
And if you have not been true in your care of the property of other people, who will give you that which is yours?

Hebrew Names Version
If you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own?

International Standard Version
And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to foreigners, who will give you what is your own?

Etheridge Translation
And if in that which is not yours you are not found faithful, your own who will give to you ?

Murdock Translation
And if ye have not been found faithful in that which is not yours, who will give to you that which is yours?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And yf ye haue not ben faythfull in another mans businesse, who shall geue you that which is your owne?

English Revised Version
And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own?

World English Bible
If you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own?

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And if ye have not been fauthful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own?

Weymouth's New Testament
And if you have not been faithful in dealing with that which is not your own, who will give you that which is your own?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And if ye weren not trewe in othere mennus thing, who schal yyue to you that that is youre?

Update Bible Version
And if you haven't been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own?

Webster's Bible Translation
And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who will give you that which is your own?

New English Translation
And if you haven't been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you your own?

New King James Version
And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own?

New Living Translation
And if you are not faithful with other people's things, why should you be trusted with things of your own?

New Life Bible
If you have not been faithful in that which belongs to another person, who will give you things to have as your own?

New Revised Standard
And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, if, in what was another's, ye proved unfaithful, your own, who will give unto you?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?

Revised Standard Version
And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own?

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And yf ye have not bene faithfull in another manes busines: who shall geve you youre awne?

Young's Literal Translation
and if in the other's ye became not faithful -- your own, who shall give to you?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And yf ye haue not bene faithfull in anothers mans busynesse, who wil geue you that which is youre awne?

Mace New Testament (1729)
if you have imbezel'd what another gave you in trust, how can he give you an estate in perpetuity?

Simplified Cowboy Version
If you can't take care of other people's things, why should you be given more things of your own?

Contextual Overview

¹Jesus said to his disciples, "There was once a rich man who had a manager. He got reports that the manager had been taking advantage of his position by running up huge personal expenses. So he called him in and said, ‘What's this I hear about you? You're fired. And I want a complete audit of your books.' ³"The manager said to himself, ‘What am I going to do? I've lost my job as manager. I'm not strong enough for a laboring job, and I'm too proud to beg.... Ah, I've got a plan. Here's what I'll do... then when I'm turned out into the street, people will take me into their houses.' ⁵ "Then he went at it. One after another, he called in the people who were in debt to his master. He said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?' ⁶ "He replied, ‘A hundred jugs of olive oil.' "The manager said, ‘Here, take your bill, sit down here—quick now—write fifty.' ⁷ "To the next he said, ‘And you, what do you owe?' "He answered, ‘A hundred sacks of wheat.' "He said, ‘Take your bill, write in eighty.' ⁸"Now here's a surprise: The master praised the crooked manager! And why? Because he knew how to look after himself. Streetwise people are smarter in this regard than law-abiding citizens. They are on constant alert, looking for angles, surviving by their wits. I want you to be smart in the same way—but for what is right—using every adversity to stimulate you to creative survival, to concentrate your attention on the bare essentials, so you'll live, really live, and not complacently just get by on good behavior." ¹⁰Jesus went on to make these comments: If you're honest in small things, you'll be honest in big things; If you're a crook in small things, you'll be a crook in big things. If you're not honest in small jobs, who will put you in charge of the store? No worker can serve two bosses: He'll either hate the first and love the second Or adore the first and despise the second. You can't serve both God and the Bank. ¹⁴When the Pharisees, a money-obsessed bunch, heard him say these things, they rolled their eyes, dismissing him as hopelessly out of touch. So Jesus spoke to them: "You are masters at making yourselves look good in front of others, but God knows what's behind the appearance. What society sees and calls monumental, God sees through and calls monstrous. God's Law and the Prophets climaxed in John; Now it's all kingdom of God—the glad news and compelling invitation to every man and woman. The sky will disintegrate and the earth dissolve before a single letter of God's Law wears out. Using the legalities of divorce as a cover for lust is adultery; Using the legalities of marriage as a cover for lust is adultery.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

in: Luke 19:13-26, 1 Chronicles 29:14-16, Job 1:21, Ezekiel 16:16-21, Hosea 2:8, Matthew 25:14-29

that which is your: Luke 10:42, Colossians 3:3, Colossians 3:4, 1 Peter 1:4, 1 Peter 1:5

Reciprocal: Proverbs 8:18 - durable Luke 16:6 - Take Luke 16:10 - faithful in 2 Corinthians 6:10 - and

Cross-References

Genesis 16:5
Sarai told Abram, "It's all your fault that I'm suffering this abuse. I put my maid in bed with you and the minute she knows she's pregnant, she treats me like I'm nothing. May God decide which of us is right."

Genesis 21:20
God was on the boy's side as he grew up. He lived out in the desert and became a skilled archer. He lived in the Paran wilderness. And his mother got him a wife from Egypt.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's,.... Which is not a man's own, but what is committed to him by another; בממון אחרים, "with the mammon of others a", to speak in the language of the Jews; and of mammon, our Lord is speaking, and here of another man's, of which they were only stewards, as he in the preceding parable was: hence we read b of

שומרי ממון, "keepers of mammon", who were intrusted with another's substance; and such are here supposed, which, if unfaithful in,

who shall give you that which is your own? that is, should you unjustly detain, or make an ill use of another man's substance lodged in your hands, how can you expect but that you will be dealt with in like manner by others, who will not pay you yours, they have in their possession, but convert it to their own use? A like distinction of another's and a man's own, may be observed among the Jews:

"there are (say they c,) four sorts of men in respect of giving alms; he that would give, but would not have others give, his eye is evil, בשל אחרים, "in that which is other men's" (i.e. as the commentator observes d, lest the goods of others should be increased, and they get a good name); he that would that others should give, but he will not give himself, his eye is evil, בשלו, "in that which is his own"; he that gives, and would have others give, he is a "good man"; he that neither gives, nor would have others give, he is an "ungodly man";''

see Romans 5:7. Interpreters generally understand by "that which is another man's", in the first clause, the things of this world, which men are possessed of, because these are not of themselves, but from another, from God; and they are but stewards, rather than proprietors of them; and they are for the good of others, and not for themselves; and are not lasting, but in a little while will pass from them to others: and by "that which is your own", they understand the good things of grace and glory, which, when once bestowed on man, are his own property, and for his own use, and will never be alienated from him, but will always abide with him: but if he is unfaithful in the former, how should he expect the latter to be given to him?

a Jarchi in Pirke Abot, c. 5, sect. 13. b T. Hieros. Succa, fol. 53. 1. c Pirke Abot, c. 5. sect. 13. d Jarchi in ib.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Another man’s - The word “man’s” is not in the original. It is, “If ye have been unfaithful managers for another.” It refers, doubtless, to “God.” The wealth of the world is “his.” It is committed to us as his stewards. It is uncertain and deceitful, and at any moment he can take it away from us. It is still “his;” and if, while intrusted with “this,” we are unfaithful, we cannot expect that he will confer on us the rewards of heaven.

That which is your own - The riches of heaven, which, if once given to us, may be considered as “ours” - that is, it will be permanent and fixed, and will not be taken away “as if” at the pleasure of another. We may “calculate” on it, and look forward with the assurance that it will “continue” to be “ours” forever, and will not be taken away like the riches of this world, “as if” they were not ours. The meaning of the whole parable is, therefore, thus expressed: If we do not use the things of this world as we ought - with honesty, truth, wisdom, and integrity, we cannot have evidence of piety, and shall not be received into heaven. If we are true to that which is least, it is an evidence that we are the children of God, and he will commit to our trust that which is of infinite importance, even the eternal riches and glory of heaven.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Luke 16:12. That which is another man's — Or rather another's, τω αλλοτριω. That is, worldly riches, called another's:

1. Because they belong to God, and he has not designed that they should be any man's portion.

2. Because they are continually changing their possessors, being in the way of commerce, and in providence going from one to another. This property of worldly goods is often referred to by both sacred and profane writers. See a fine passage in Horace, Sat. l. ii. s. 2. v. 129.

Nam propriae telluris herum natura neque illum,

Nec me, nec quemquam statuit.

Nature will no perpetual heir assign,

Nor make the farm his property, or mine.

FRANCIS.

And the following in one of our own poets: -

"Who steals my purse steals trash; 'tis something, nothing;

'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands."

That which is your own? — Grace and glory, which God has particularly designed for you; which are the only proper satisfying portion for the soul, and which no man can enjoy in their plenitude, unless he be faithful to the first small motions and influences of the Divine Spirit.