Chapter
Verse

Luke 16:2

ESV And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’
NIV So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’
NASB And he summoned him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’
CSB So he called the manager in and asked, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you can no longer be my manager.’
NLT So the employer called him in and said, ‘What’s this I hear about you? Get your report in order, because you are going to be fired.’
KJV And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.
NKJV So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’

What does Luke 16:2 mean?

This often-controversial parable is meant to teach Jesus' disciples to be clever in worldly ways while building treasure for the kingdom of God. The specific focus is on how to use money for spiritual benefit. In the parable of the dishonest manager, a rich man discovers his hired supervisor has been wasting his possessions and calls him to account.

Only the manager, not the owner, has records of the property being overseen. This adds to the mystery. The manager is not being charged with theft. It's uncertain what part of his job he failed at; he at least was able to keep detailed records. Still, the manager has a problem. It seems he has been in an administrative role for some time. He is used to a lifestyle that makes begging seem impossible, and he feels that manual labor would be too hard. His only option is to find another, similar job (Luke 16:3–4).

Quickly, the man calls his master's debtors and together they change the records of their debts (Luke 16:5–7). His plan is meant to make new friends who might hire him. Either by changing fees or adjusting interest, he devises a clever way to improve his situation.
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