Luke 16:7 - An Understandable Version (2005 edition) Then he said to another [customer], ‘And how much do you owe [him]?’ And he answered, ‘One thousand bushels of wheat.’ The property manager said to him, ‘Take your contract and write eight hundred [bushels].’ More versionsKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore. Amplified Bible - Classic Edition After that he said to another, And how much do you owe? He said, A hundred measures [about 900 bushels] of wheat. He said to him, Take back your written acknowledgement of obligation, and write eighty [about 700 bushels]. American Standard Version (1901) Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, A hundred measures of wheat. He saith unto him, Take thy bond, and write fourscore. Common English Bible Then the manager said to another, ‘How much do you owe?’ He said, ‘One thousand bushels of wheat.’He said, ‘Take your contract and write eight hundred.’ Catholic Public Domain Version Next, he said to another, 'In truth, how much do you owe?' And he said, 'One hundred measures of wheat.' He said to him, 'Take your record books, and write eighty.' Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version Then he said to another: And how much dost thou owe? Who said: An hundred quarters of wheat. He said to him: Take thy bill, and write eighty. |
But that [same] servant went out and found one of his fellow-servants who owed him a small sum of money [Note: The amount was about 100 twelve hour days of a farm laborer’s pay or about $10,800 in 2005]. He grabbed him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay [me] what you owe.’
And he replied, ‘Eight hundred gallons of [olive] oil.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your contract and quickly sit down and write in four hundred [gallons].’
So, his master commended the dishonest property manager for his shrewdness. For worldly people are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of light [i.e., God’s people].
and has been a widow [all these years], and is now eighty-four years old.) She has never left the Temple, but worships [God] by fasting [i.e., going without food and/or water for religious reasons] and praying night and day.
So, he sent a third [slave] and they wounded him also and threw him out [of the vineyard].
Then Jesus began speaking to the people. [Note: And perhaps to the religious leaders as well. See Mark 11:18 with 12:1]. He told them this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, then leased it out to tenant farmers and went to another country for a long time.