So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. | Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. |
Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. | Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. |
|
Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me. | If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. |
He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.” | And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” |
For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many. | For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. |
The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’ | His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ |
Serve only the Lord your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him. | You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him. |
For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building. | For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building. |
For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. | For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. |
And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul. And you must always obey the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good. | And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good? |
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. | All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. |
For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many. | Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. |
The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. | The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way. |
But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. | It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave. |
For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do. | For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. |
And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. | If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. |
But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord. | And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. |
But be very careful to obey all the commands and the instructions that Moses gave to you. Love the Lord your God, walk in all his ways, obey his commands, hold firmly to him, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul. | Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul. |
But be sure to fear the Lord and faithfully serve him. Think of all the wonderful things he has done for you. | Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you. |
No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. | No one can serve two masters, for 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 God and money. |
For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. | Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. |
But the Lord will redeem those who serve him. No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned. | The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned. |
Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. | How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. |
Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. | Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. |
I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. | Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. |