All who are under the yoke as slaves should regard their own masters as worthy of all respect, so that God’s name and his teaching will not be blasphemed.
Yet do this with gentleness and reverence, keeping a clear conscience, so that when you are accused, those who disparage your good conduct in Christ will be put to shame.
Conduct yourselves honourably among the Gentiles, so that when they slander you as evildoers, they will observe your good works and will glorify God on the day he visits.
They said, ‘Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who has a good reputation with the whole Jewish nation, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to call you to his house and to hear a message from you.’
‘A son honours his father, and a servant his master. But if I am a father, where is my honour? And if I am a master, where is your fear of me? says the Lord of Armies to you priests, who despise my name.’ Yet you ask, ‘How have we despised your name? ’
I will honour the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations #– #the name you have profaned among them. The nations will know that I am the Lord #– #this is the declaration of the Lord God #– #when I demonstrate my holiness through you in their sight.
When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned my holy name, because it was said about them, “These are the people of the Lord, yet they had to leave his land in exile.”
Isn’t this the fast I choose: To break the chains of wickedness, to untie the ropes of the yoke, to set the oppressed free, and to tear off every yoke?
So now what have I here’ – this is the Lord’s declaration – ‘that my people are taken away for nothing? Its rulers wail’ – this is the Lord’s declaration – ‘and my name is continually blasphemed all day long.
I was angry with my people; I profaned my possession, and I handed them over to you. You showed them no mercy; you made your yoke very heavy on the elderly.
Then the Levites #– #Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah #– #said, ‘Stand up. Blessed be the Lord your God from everlasting to everlasting.’ Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise.
But his servants approached and said to him, ‘My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more should you do it when he only tells you, “Wash and be clean”? ’
you will serve your enemies that the Lord will send against you, in famine, thirst, nakedness, and a lack of everything. He will place an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you.
and said, ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not withheld his kindness and faithfulness from my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey to the house of my master’s relatives.’