Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, July 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

New Century Version

Luke 16:13

"No servant can serve two masters. The servant will hate one master and love the other, or will follow one master and refuse to follow the other. You cannot serve both God and worldly riches."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Consistency;   Decision;   Hypocrisy;   Jesus, the Christ;   Mammon;   Rich, the;   Servant;   Worldliness;   Scofield Reference Index - Parables;   Thompson Chain Reference - Call, Divine;   Decision;   Divine;   Double-Mindedness;   God;   Invitations, Divine;   Invitations-Warnings;   Moral Agents, Free;   Neutrality, No;   No;   Service;   Steadfastness-Instability;   Undivided Service;   Work-Workers, Religious;   The Topic Concordance - Servants;   Service;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Parables;   Wealth;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Heaven, Heavens, Heavenlies;   Wealth;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Idolatry;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Jesus Christ;   Versions;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Double-Minded;   Luke, Gospel of;   Mammon;   Master;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Gospels;   Love, Lover, Lovely, Beloved;   Mammon;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Almsgiving ;   Covetousness;   Despise;   Devotion;   Discourse;   Hating, Hatred;   Lord (2);   Lust (2);   Mammon;   Organization (2);   Parable;   Perplexity;   Science (2);   Self-Control;   Sermon on the Mount;   Slave, Slavery (2);   Steward, Stewardship;   Wealth;   Wealth (2);   Winter ;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Mammon ;   Servant;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Bible, the;   Lazarus;   Mammon;   Steward;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
No
King James Version (1611)
No seruant can serue two masters, for either he will hate the one, and loue the other: or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other: yee cannot serue God and Mammon.
King James Version
No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
English Standard Version
No servant 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."
New American Standard Bible
"No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."
Amplified Bible
"No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand devotedly by the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon [that is, your earthly possessions or anything else you trust in and rely on instead of God]."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."
Legacy Standard Bible
No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."
Berean Standard Bible
No 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."
Contemporary English Version
You cannot be the slave of two masters. You will like one more than the other or be more loyal to one than to the other. You cannot serve God and money.
Complete Jewish Bible
No servant can be slave to two masters, for he will either hate the first and love the second, or scorn the second and be loyal to the first. You can't be a slave to both God and money."
Darby Translation
No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and will love the other, or he will cleave to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Easy-to-Read Version
"You cannot serve two masters at the same time. You will hate one master and love the other. Or you will be loyal to one and not care about the other. You cannot serve God and Money at the same time."
Geneva Bible (1587)
No seruaunt can serue two masters: for either he shal hate the one, and loue the other: or els he shal leane to the one, and despise the other. Yee can not serue God and riches.
George Lamsa Translation
No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and like the other; or he will honor one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (wealth).
Good News Translation
"No servant can be the slave of two masters; such a slave will hate one and love the other or will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."
Lexham English Bible
No domestic slave is able to serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and will despise the other. You are not able to serve God and money."
Literal Translation
No servant is able to serve two lords; for either he will hate the one, and he will love the other; or he will cling to one, and he will despise the other. You are unable to serve God and mammon.
American Standard Version
No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Bible in Basic English
No man may be a servant to two masters: for he will have hate for the one and love for the other; or he will keep to the one and have no respect for the other. You may not be servants of God and of wealth.
Hebrew Names Version
No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. You aren't able to serve God and mammon."
International Standard Version
"No servant can serve two masters. For either he will hate one and love the other, or be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and riches!"mammon, an Aram. term meaning wealth">[fn]Matthew 6:24;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
No man can serve two lords; for either the one he will hate, and the other he will love; or the one he will honour, and the other despise. You cannot serve Aloha and wealth.
Murdock Translation
There is no servant, who can serve two lords. For, either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will honor the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
No man can serue two maisters: For either he shall hate the one, and loue the other: or els, he shall leane to the one, and despise the other. Ye can not serue God, and Mammon.
English Revised Version
No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
World English Bible
No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. You aren't able to serve God and mammon."
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or he will cleave to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon.
Weymouth's New Testament
"No servant can be in bondage to two masters. For either he will hate one and love the other, or else he will cling fast to one and scorn the other. You cannot be bondservants both of God and of gold."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
No seruaunt may serue to twei lordis; for ether he schal hate `the toon, and loue the tothir; ethir he schal drawe to `the toon, and schal dispise the tothir. Ye moun not serue to God and to ritchesse.
Update Bible Version
No household slave can serve as a slave to two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or he will hold to one, and despise the other. You can't serve as a slave to God and mammon.
Webster's Bible Translation
No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
New English Translation
No servant 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."
New King James Version
"No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."
New Living Translation
"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."
New Life Bible
No servant can have two bosses. He will hate the one and love the other. Or, he will be faithful to one and not faithful to the other. You cannot be faithful to God and to riches at the same time."
New Revised Standard
No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
No domestic, can, unto two masters, be in service; for either, the one, he will hate, and, the other, love, or, unto the one, he will hold, and, the other, despise: Ye cannot, unto God, be in service, and unto Riches.
Douay-Rheims Bible
No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one and love the other: or he will hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
Revised Standard Version
No servant 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 mammon."
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
No servaunt can serve .ii. masters for other he shall hate ye one and love ye other or els he shall lene to the one and despyse the other. Ye can not serve God and mammon.
Young's Literal Translation
`No domestic is able to serve two lords, for either the one he will hate, and the other he will love; or one he will hold to, and of the other he will be heedless; ye are not able to serve God and mammon.'
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
No seruaunt can serue two masters: for either he shal hate the one, and loue ye other: or els he shal leane to the one, and despyse the other. Ye can not serue God and Mammon.
Mace New Testament (1729)
a servant cannot serve two masters: for either he will neglect the one, and attend the other; or he will be attached to the first, and misbehave to the last. you cannot serve God and mammon.
Simplified Cowboy Version
"No cowboy can ride for two outfits, for he will favor one over the other. He will be loyal to one and learn to hate the other. You cannot ride for God if you are a slave to money."

Contextual Overview

1 Jesus also said to his followers, "Once there was a rich man who had a manager to take care of his business. This manager was accused of cheating him. 2 So he called the manager in and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give me a report of what you have done with my money, because you can't be my manager any longer.' 3 The manager thought to himself, ‘What will I do since my master is taking my job away from me? I am not strong enough to dig ditches, and I am ashamed to beg. 4 I know what I'll do so that when I lose my job people will welcome me into their homes.' 5 "So the manager called in everyone who owed the master any money. He asked the first one, ‘How much do you owe?' 6 He answered, ‘Eight hundred gallons of olive oil.' The manager said to him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and write four hundred gallons.' 7 Then the manager asked another one, ‘How much do you owe?' He answered, ‘One thousand bushels of wheat.' Then the manager said to him, ‘Take your bill and write eight hundred bushels.' 8 So, the master praised the dishonest manager for being clever. Yes, worldly people are more clever with their own kind than spiritual people are. 9 "I tell you, make friends for yourselves using worldly riches so that when those riches are gone, you will be welcomed in those homes that continue forever. 10 Whoever can be trusted with a little can also be trusted with a lot, and whoever is dishonest with a little is dishonest with a lot.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

servant: Luke 9:50, Luke 11:23, Joshua 24:15, Matthew 4:10, Matthew 6:24, Romans 6:16-22, Romans 8:5-8, James 4:4, 1 John 2:15, 1 John 2:16

hate: Luke 14:26

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 17:33 - They feared Proverbs 28:11 - rich Jeremiah 22:17 - covetousness Hosea 10:2 - Their heart is divided Hosea 12:8 - Yet Matthew 19:23 - That Luke 8:14 - and are Luke 16:9 - of the 2 Timothy 4:10 - having Hebrews 13:5 - conversation

Cross-References

Genesis 16:1
Sarai, Abram's wife, had no children, but she had a slave girl from Egypt named Hagar.
Genesis 16:5
Then Sarai said to Abram, "This is your fault. I gave my slave girl to you, and when she became pregnant, she began to treat me badly. Let the Lord decide who is right—you or me."
Genesis 16:7
The angel of the Lord found Hagar beside a spring of water in the desert, by the road to Shur.
Genesis 16:9
The angel of the Lord said to her, "Go home to your mistress and obey her."
Genesis 16:10
The angel also said, "I will give you so many descendants they cannot be counted."
Genesis 16:12
Ishmael will be like a wild donkey. He will be against everyone, and everyone will be against him. He will attack all his brothers."
Genesis 22:14
So Abraham named that place The Lord Provides. Even today people say, "On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided."
Genesis 28:17
He was afraid and said, "This place frightens me! It is surely the house of God and the gate of heaven."
Genesis 31:42
But the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac, was with me. Otherwise, you would have sent me away with nothing. But he saw the trouble I had and the hard work I did, and last night he corrected you."
Judges 6:24
So Gideon built an altar there to worship the Lord and named it The Lord Is Peace. It still stands at Ophrah, where the Abiezrites live.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

No servant can serve two masters,....

:-.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the notes at Matthew 6:24.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Luke 16:13. No servant can serve two masters — The heart will be either wholly taken up with God, or wholly engrossed with the world. Matthew 6:24; Matthew 6:24.


 
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