Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, July 26th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

Simplified Cowboy Version

Luke 16:13

"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."

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."
New Century Version
"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."
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.

Contextual Overview

1Jesus told his twelve cowboys this story, "There was a rich rancher who hired a bean counter to manage his properties. One day, the rancher was informed that the bean counter was wasting a lot of money. 2The rancher called him in and said, 'I've heard a lot about what you've been doing with my money and property. Give me the books and get out of here. You're fired.' 3"The bean counter was beside himself with worry. He said to himself, 'My boss is firing me, and I don't know what to do. I'm not strong enough to be a cowboy, and I've got too much pride to beg. 4I know what I'll do! I'll make some quick friends by using the rancher's business so I can call in some favors after I'm fired.' 5"So he called in everyone who owed the rancher anything and made them a deal to reduce their debt. He asked the first one, 'How much do you owe my boss?' 6"'One hundred barrels of olive oil,' the man answered. "'I'll reduce that debt by half if you can pay it now.' 7Then he called another guy and asked, 'How much do you owe my boss?' "The guy said, 'One thousand bushels of wheat.' "The bean counter said, 'I'll reduce that to only eight hundred if you can pay it now.' 8"After all of this, the rancher still fired the bean counter, but he admired the way he collected the debts and set himself up for the future. 9So here's what I'm trying to tell you, use any earthly gain you have to help people. And when you have nothing left, God will welcome you in. 10"If you can be trusted with little things, more will be trusted to you. If you cannot be trusted with small tasks, you cannot be trusted with bigger ones.

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

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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