Les paraboles de Jésus
The Unjust Steward
Jesus tells of a steward accused of wasting his master's possessions. Before losing his job, he reduces the debts owed to his master by the debtors to secure friends for himself. The master commends his shrewdness, and Jesus urges faithfulness, stating that one cannot serve both God and mammon.
Luc 16,1-13
1He also said to the disciples: "There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this manager was squandering his master's possessions.
Ἔλεγεν δὲ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ⸀μαθητάς· Ἄνθρωπός τις ἦν πλούσιος ὃς εἶχεν οἰκονόμον, καὶ οὗτος διεβλήθη αὐτῷ ὡς διασκορπίζων τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ.
2So he called him in and said, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you can no longer be manager.'
καὶ φωνήσας αὐτὸν εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Τί τοῦτο ἀκούω περὶ σοῦ; ἀπόδος τὸν λόγον τῆς οἰκονομίας σου, οὐ γὰρ ⸀δύνῃ ἔτι οἰκονομεῖν.
3The manager said to himself, 'What shall I do? My master is taking the management away from me. I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg.
εἶπεν δὲ ἐν ἑαυτῷ ὁ οἰκονόμος· Τί ποιήσω ὅτι ὁ κύριός μου ἀφαιρεῖται τὴν οἰκονομίαν ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ; σκάπτειν οὐκ ἰσχύω, ἐπαιτεῖν αἰσχύνομαι·
4I know what I will do, so that when I am removed from my position people will welcome me into their homes.'
ἔγνων τί ποιήσω, ἵνα ὅταν μετασταθῶ ⸀ἐκ τῆς οἰκονομίας δέξωνταί με εἰς τοὺς οἴκους ⸀ἑαυτῶν.
5So he called in each one of his master's debtors. He asked the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'
καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος ἕνα ἕκαστον τῶν χρεοφειλετῶν τοῦ κυρίου ἑαυτοῦ ἔλεγεν τῷ πρώτῳ· Πόσον ὀφείλεις τῷ κυρίῳ μου;
6'A hundred baths of olive oil,' he answered. He said to him, 'Take your bill, sit down quickly, and write fifty.'
ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· Ἑκατὸν βάτους ἐλαίου· ⸂ὁ δὲ⸃ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Δέξαι σου ⸂τὰ γράμματα⸃ καὶ καθίσας ταχέως γράψον πεντήκοντα.
7Then he asked another, 'And how much do you owe?' 'A hundred kors of wheat,' he said. He told him, 'Take your bill and write eighty.'
ἔπειτα ἑτέρῳ εἶπεν· Σὺ δὲ πόσον ὀφείλεις; ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· Ἑκατὸν κόρους σίτου· ⸀λέγει αὐτῷ· Δέξαι σου ⸂τὰ γράμματα⸃ καὶ γράψον ὀγδοήκοντα.
8And the master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the children of this age are shrewder in dealing with their own generation than the children of light.
καὶ ἐπῄνεσεν ὁ κύριος τὸν οἰκονόμον τῆς ἀδικίας ὅτι φρονίμως ἐποίησεν· ὅτι οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου φρονιμώτεροι ὑπὲρ τοὺς υἱοὺς τοῦ φωτὸς εἰς τὴν γενεὰν τὴν ἑαυτῶν εἰσιν.
9And I tell you: make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when it is gone they may welcome you into the eternal dwellings.
καὶ ἐγὼ ὑμῖν λέγω, ⸂ἑαυτοῖς ποιήσατε⸃ φίλους ἐκ τοῦ μαμωνᾶ τῆς ἀδικίας, ἵνα ὅταν ⸀ἐκλίπῃ δέξωνται ὑμᾶς εἰς τὰς αἰωνίους σκηνάς.
10Whoever is faithful in the smallest matter is also faithful in much, and whoever is dishonest in the smallest matter is also dishonest in much.
Ὁ πιστὸς ἐν ἐλαχίστῳ καὶ ἐν πολλῷ πιστός ἐστιν, καὶ ὁ ἐν ἐλαχίστῳ ἄδικος καὶ ἐν πολλῷ ἄδικός ἐστιν.
11So if you have not been faithful with unrighteous wealth, who will entrust you with true riches?
εἰ οὖν ἐν τῷ ἀδίκῳ μαμωνᾷ πιστοὶ οὐκ ἐγένεσθε, τὸ ἀληθινὸν τίς ὑμῖν πιστεύσει;
12And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own?
καὶ εἰ ἐν τῷ ἀλλοτρίῳ πιστοὶ οὐκ ἐγένεσθε, τὸ ⸀ὑμέτερον τίς ⸂δώσει ὑμῖν⸃;
13No servant 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 both God and money."
οὐδεὶς οἰκέτης δύναται δυσὶ κυρίοις δουλεύειν· ἢ γὰρ τὸν ἕνα μισήσει καὶ τὸν ἕτερον ἀγαπήσει, ἢ ἑνὸς ἀνθέξεται καὶ τοῦ ἑτέρου καταφρονήσει. οὐ δύνασθε θεῷ δουλεύειν καὶ μαμωνᾷ.