Luke 16:13 - An Understandable Version (2005 edition)

¹³ No person can serve two masters, for he will either hate the one and love the other, or else he will cling to the one [i.e., as a close friend] and look down on the other. You cannot serve God and material things [at the same time].”

More versions

King James Version (Oxford) 1769

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.

Amplified Bible - Classic Edition

¹³ No servant is able to serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (riches, or anything in which you trust and on which you rely).

American Standard Version (1901)

¹³ 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.

Common English Bible

¹³ No household servant can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be loyal to the one and have contempt for the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

Catholic Public Domain Version

¹³ No servant is able to serve two lords. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will cling to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."

Luke 16:13 Cross References

Matthew 6:24

No person can serve two masters, for he will either hate the one and love the other, or else he will cling to the one and look down on the other. You cannot serve God and material things [at the same time].

Luke 14:26

“If anyone comes to me [i.e., to be my disciple], and does not hate his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers and sisters and, yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

James 4:4

You people who have become unfaithful to God, do you not know that being [intimate] friends with the world [of sin] means hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever determines to be an [intimate] friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

Luke 11:23

The person who is not on my side is [actually] against me. And the person who does not gather [people to me] is [actually] driving them away [from me].

Luke 16:9

Therefore, I tell you, make friends for yourselves by using worldly wealth, so that when it fails [i.e., when you run out of money] they [i.e., the friends you made with its wise and benevolent use] may welcome you into the eternal [i.e., heavenly] dwelling places. [Note: The idea here seems to be that by your shrewd use of material possessions for the benefit of others, you are actually storing up treasures for yourself in heaven].

Matthew 4:10

Then Jesus replied to him, “Get away from me Satan, for it is written [Deut. 6:13], ‘You are supposed to worship the Lord your God, and serve only Him.’”

Luke 9:50

But Jesus said to him; “Do not try to stop him, for the person who is not against you is for you.”

Luke 16:12

And if you have not been trustworthy with what belongs to someone else, who will give you something of your own?