complete verse (Luke 16:2)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 16:2:

  • Noongar: “So the boss called him to come in and said, ‘What’s this I hear about you? Write everything about my property so I can see what has been happening because now you can not work for me.'” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “That is why the rich man called his servant, he said to him: ‘What is this I am hearing that they are accusing you (sing.) of? right now, show me all the debt books. From this day it will no longer be you (sing.) who manages my riches!'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Therefore he sent message to him and when he arrived, his master said to him, ‘What is it that I hear about you? Give/hand over to me now a list of all the things in your power/that you are ruling over and the money that comes in and goes out, for I am no longer making you caretaker.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “When that rich man heard that, he called to him that servant, and he said to him, ‘It’s really true, this accusation against you. Return to me everything that I’ve entrusted to you because it can no longer be that you are the one to be in charge of my wealth.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “So the rich-man had-him-called and said to him, ‘What is this that I have heard-reported about you (sing.)? Bring the list of what you (sing.) have been taking-care-of, because I am removing you (sing.) from your (sing.) work.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “That’s why that rich person called for the manager to question him. ‘What’s this,’ he said, ‘that I am hearing about you? Today, show me with nothing lacking your management of my assets/possessions, for from today it’s no longer you who are my manager.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Luke 16:2

Exegesis:

kai phōnēsas auton eipen autō ‘and he summoned him and said to him.’ For phōneō as synonymous with kaleō cf. on 14.12.

ti touto akouō peri sou lit. ‘what this I hear about you,’ with demonstrative touto loosely appositive to interrogative ti, implying that the question concerns something which both parties know about.

apodos ton logon tēs oikonomias sou ‘render the account of your managing.’ As the article ton shows the reference is here to some specific account, i.e. the final account, as the rest of the verse shows.

oikonomia (also vv. 3 and 4) ‘the function of a manager,’ ‘stewardship,’ ‘agency,’ cf. on v. 3.

ou gar dunē oikonomein ‘for you cannot be manager any longer.’

oikonomeō ‘to act as manager,’ ‘to be manager.’

Translation:

He called him, or, ‘had him called,’ ‘caused(-someone)-to-fetch that man’ (Tae’ 1933). Again the subject may have to be specified, cf. e.g. ‘the rich man sent to call him’ (Sranan Tongo).

Turn in the account of your stewardship may be described by, ‘write down what you received and spent,’ ‘count-for-me all that came-in, went-out’ (Tae’ 1933), ‘show the books of your stewardship’ (Kituba, similarly Trukese, Pohnpeian), ‘give me so that I can hear about your supervision’ (Shona 1966). Your stewardship, or as a verbal phrase, ‘the way you managed my property,’ ‘what you did as my steward/manager.’

You can no longer be steward, or, ‘you cannot remain (or, continue as) my steward.’

Quoted with permission from Reiling, J. and Swellengrebel, J.L. A Handbook on the Gospel of Luke. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1971. For this and other handbooks for translators see here . Make sure to also consult the Handbook on the Gospel of Mark for parallel or similar verses.