KJV 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.
VERSE STUDY • KJV
Luke 16:13
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.
Read it in 5 translations
BSB 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.”
WEB 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.”
ASV 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.
YLT 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.’
Surrounding context — Luke 16
10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true [riches]?
12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?
13 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.
14 And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.
15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
16 The law and the prophets [were] until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.
Topics connected to this verse
Original-language word links
These Hebrew/Greek tokens are linked by Strong's number. Click one for its lexicon definition and other occurrences.
ΟὐδεὶςG3762 · oudeisnoneοἰκέτηςG3610 · oiketēsslaveδύναταιG1410 · dunamaibe ableδυσὶνG1417 · duotwoκυρίοιςG2962 · kurioslord: Godδουλεύειν·G1398 · douleuōbe a slaveἢG2228 · ēorγὰρG1063 · garforτὸνG3588 · hothe/this/whoἕναG1520 · ehisoneμισήσειG3404 · miseōto hateκαὶG2532 · kaiandτὸνG3588 · hothe/this/whoἕτερονG2087 · heterosotherἀγαπήσει,G25 · agapaōto loveἢG2228 · ēorἑνὸςG1520 · ehisoneἀνθέξεταιG472 · antechōto cling toκαὶG2532 · kaiandτοῦG3588 · hothe/this/whoἑτέρουG2087 · heterosotherκαταφρονήσει.G2706 · kataphroneōto despiseοὐG3756 · ounoδύνασθεG1410 · dunamaibe ableθεῷG2316 · theosGodδουλεύεινG1398 · douleuōbe a slaveκαὶG2532 · kaiandμαμωνᾷ.¶G3126 · mammōnaswealth
Cross-references
1 John 2:15-16Love not the world, neither the things [that are] in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.Matthew 6:24No man 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.James 4:4Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.Romans 8:5-8For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.Joshua 24:15And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that [were] on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.Luke 14:26If any [man] come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.Luke 11:23He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.Matthew 4:10Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.Romans 6:16-22Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?Luke 16:9And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.Luke 9:50And Jesus said unto him, Forbid [him] not: for he that is not against us is for us.
HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION
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