American Standard Version of 1901
Versliste
But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your teacher, and all ye are brethren.
Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the concision:
If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came (and the scripture cannot be broken),
Who then is the faithful and wise {Greek: bondservant.}servant, whom his lord hath set over his household, to give them their food in due season?
Blessed is that {Greek: bondservant.}servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
Verily I say unto you, that he will set him over all that he hath.
And on the morrow he took out two {See marginal note on chapter 7:41.}shillings, and gave them to the host, and said, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, I, when I come back again, will repay thee.
And he gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
But we beseech you, brethren, to know them that labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
and to esteem them exceeding highly in love for their work's sake. Be at peace among yourselves.
But I counted it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow-worker and fellow-soldier, and your {Greek: apostle.}messenger and minister to my need;
since he longed {Many ancient authorities read to see you all.}after you all, and was sore troubled, because ye had heard that he was sick:
for indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, that I might not have sorrow upon sorrow.
I have sent him therefore the more diligently, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.
Receive him therefore in the Lord with all joy; and hold such in honor:
Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and in teaching.
Pray for us: for we are persuaded that we have a good conscience, desiring to live honorably in all things.
Now I beseech you, brethren (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have set themselves to minister unto the saints),
Elijah was a man of like {Or, nature}passions with us, and he prayed {Greek: with prayer.}fervently that it might not rain; and it rained not on the earth for three years and six months.
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he shall guide you into all the truth: for he shall not speak from himself; but what things soever he shall hear, these shall he speak: and he shall declare unto you the things that are to come.
may be strong to apprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
Enter ye in by the narrow gate: for wide {Some ancient authorities omit is the gate.}is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many are they that enter in thereby.
{Many ancient authorities read How narrow is the gate &c.}For narrow is the gate, and straitened the way, that leadeth unto life, and few are they that find it.
Upon this many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
For there are certain men crept in privily, even they who were of old {Or, set forth}written of beforehand unto this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying {Or, the only Master, and our Lord Jesus Christ}our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, meet for the master's use, prepared unto every good work.
but if I tarry long, that thou mayest know {Or, how thou oughtest to behave thyself}how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and {Or, stay}ground of the truth.
Let us therefore go forth unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.
Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which {Some ancient authorities read ye.}they received of us.
But when some were hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.
And this continued for the space of two years; so that all they that dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
but {Or, now I write}as it is, I wrote unto you not to keep company, if any man that is named a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a one no, not to eat.
But them that are without God judgeth. Put away the wicked man from among yourselves.
Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, {Or, holding a straight course in the word of truth Or, rightly dividing the word of truth}handling aright the word of truth.
But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your teacher, and all ye are brethren.
And call no man your father on the earth: for one is your Father, {Greek: the heavenly.}even he who is in heaven.
Neither be ye called masters: for one is your master, even the Christ.
But he that is {Greek: greater.}greatest among you shall be your {Or, minister}servant.
And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled; and whosoever shall humble himself shall be exalted.
And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called to him the {Or, presbyters}elders of the church.
And when they were come to him, he said unto them,Ye yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, after what manner I was with you all the time,
serving the Lord with all lowliness of mind, and with tears, and with trials which befell me by the plots of the Jews;
how I shrank not from declaring unto you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly, and from house to house,
testifying both to Jews and to Greeks repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus {Many ancient authorities omit Christ.}Christ.
But we beseech you, brethren, to know them that labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
and to esteem them exceeding highly in love for their work's sake. Be at peace among yourselves.
And we exhort you, brethren, admonish the disorderly, encourage the fainthearted, support the weak, be longsuffering toward all.
See that none render unto any one evil for evil; but always follow after that which is good, one toward another, and toward all.
These things also command, that they may be without reproach.
But if any provideth not for his own, and specially his own household, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever.
Let none be enrolled as a widow under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man,
well reported of for good works; if she hath brought up children, if she hath used hospitality to strangers, if she hath washed the saints' feet, if she hath relieved the afflicted, if she hath diligently followed every good work.
But younger widows refuse: for when they have waxed wanton against Christ, they desire to marry;
having condemnation, because they have rejected their first {Greek: faith.}pledge.
And withal they learn also to be idle, going about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.
I desire therefore that the younger {Or, women}widows marry, bear children, rule the household, give no occasion to the adversary for reviling:
for already some are turned aside after Satan.
If any woman that believeth hath widows, let her relieve them, and let not the church be burdened; that it may relieve them that are widows indeed.
Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and in teaching.
For the scripture saith, {Deuteronomy 25:4.}Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn. And, The laborer is worthy of his hire.
Against an elder receive not an accusation, except at the mouth of two or three witnesses.