^7:40So¹⁴² Jesus answered him,¹⁴³ “Simon, I have something to say to you.” He replied,¹⁴⁴ “Say it, Teacher.” ^7:41“A certain creditor¹⁴⁵ had two debtors; one owed him¹⁴⁶ five hundred silver coins,¹⁴⁷ and the other fifty. ^7:42When they could not pay, he canceled¹⁴⁸ the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” ^7:43Simon answered,¹⁴⁹ “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.”¹⁵⁰ Jesus¹⁵¹ said to him, “You have judged rightly.”

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Footnotes

142 Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the connection with the preceding statement recording the Pharisee’s thoughts.
143 Grk “answering, said to him.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified to “answered him.” Jesus answered him. Note that as the Pharisee is denying to himself that Jesus is a prophet, Jesus is reading his thoughts.
144 Grk “he said.”
145 A creditor was a moneylender, whose business was to lend money to others at a fixed rate of interest.
146 The word “him” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
147 Grk “five hundred denarii.” The silver coins were denarii. The denarius was worth about a day’s wage for a laborer; this would be an amount worth not quite two years’ pay. The debts were significant: They represented two months’ pay and one and three quarter years’ pay (20 months) based on a six day work week.
148 The verb ἐχαρίσατο (echarisato) could be translated as “forgave.” Of course this pictures the forgiveness of God’s grace, which is not earned but bestowed with faith (see v. 49).
149 Grk “answering, said.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified to “answered.”
150 Grk “the one to whom he forgave more” (see v. 42).
151 Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”

“A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, teacher,” he said.

“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Jesus replied to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”

He said, “Say it, teacher.”

“A creditor had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Since they could not pay it back, he graciously forgave them both. So, which of them will love him more?”

Simon answered, “I suppose the one he forgave more.”

“You have judged correctly,” he told him.

NLTNew Living Translation

Then Jesus answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the Pharisee, “I have something to say to you.”

“Go ahead, Teacher,” Simon replied.

Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other. But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?”

Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.”

“That’s right,” Jesus said.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he said, “Teacher, say it.” “There were two debtors who owed a certain creditor. One owed five hundred denarii and the other fifty. When they were not able to repay him, he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered and said, “I suppose that it is the one to whom he forgave more.” And he said to him, “You have judged correctly.”

KJV 1900King James Version

And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.

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