A son will honor the father, and the servant his lord; and if I a father, where mine honor? and if I their lord, where my fear? said Jehovah of armies to you, O priests despising my name. And ye said, In what did we despise thy name?
No more as a servant, but above a servant, a dearly beloved brother, especially to me, and how much rather to thee, also in the flesh, and in the Lord?
Therefore, my beloved, as ye have always listened, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, with fear and tremor effect your own salvation.
For our boasting is this, the testimony of our consciousness, that in simplicity and purity of God, not in fleshly wisdom, but in the grace of God, we turned back in the world, and more eminently to you.
For I also am a man under power, having soldiers under me: and I say to this, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my servant, Do this, and he does.
Behold, as the eyes of servants to the hand of their lords, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes are to Jehovah our God, even till he compassionate us.
And I knew, my God, that thou triest the heart, and from uprightness thou wilt delight. I in the uprightness of my heart gave willingly all these: and now thy people were found here; I saw with gladness to show themselves willing to thee.
And, now fear ye Jehovah and serve him in uprightness and in truth; and remove the gods which your fathers served beyond the river and in Egypt; and serve ye Jehovah.