"No onecanservetwomasters;for eitherhe will hatethe oneand lovethe other,orhe will be devotedto oneand despisethe other.You cannotserveGodand wealth.
So they broughttheir livestockto Joseph,and Josephgavethem foodin exchange for the horsesand the flocksand the herdsand the donkeys;and he fedthem with foodin exchange for alltheir livestockthat year.
Elijahcamenearto allthe peopleand said,"Howlong[will] you hesitatebetweentwoopinions?Ifthe LORDis God,followHim; but ifBaal,followhim." But the peopledid not answerhim a word.
So while thesenationsfearedthe LORD,they also servedtheir idols;their childrenlikewiseand their grandchildren,as their fathersdid,so they doto thisday.
"As for you, O houseof Israel,"thussaysthe LordGOD,"Go,serveeveryonehis idols;but lateryou will surelylistento Me, and My holynameyou will profanenolongerwith your giftsand with your idols.
"And those who bowdownon the housetopsto the hostof heaven,And those who bowdown[and] swearto the LORDand [yet] swearby Milcom,
ThenJesussaidto him, "Go,Satan!For it is written,YOU SHALL WORSHIPTHE LORDYOUR GOD,AND SERVEHIM ONLY.'"
"Thereforeifyou have not beenfaithfulin the [use of] unrighteouswealth,whowill entrustthe true [riches] to you?
"Noservantcanservetwomasters;for eitherhe will hatethe oneand lovethe other,or elsehe will be devotedto oneand despisethe other.You cannotserveGodand wealth."
"And I sayto you, makefriendsfor yourselvesby meansof the wealthof unrighteousness,sothat whenit fails,they will receiveyou into the eternaldwellings.
For am I nowseeking the favorof men,orof God?Oram I strivingto pleasemen?IfI were stilltrying to pleasemen,I would not be a bond-servantof Christ.
Instructthosewho are richin thispresentworldnot to be conceitedorto fix their hopeon the uncertaintyof riches,but on God,who richlysuppliesus with all thingsto enjoy.
for Demas,having lovedthispresentworld,has desertedme and goneto Thessalonica;Crescens[has gone] to Galatia,Titusto Dalmatia.
You adulteresses,do you not knowthat friendshipwith the worldis hostilitytoward God?Thereforewhoeverwishesto be a friendof the worldmakeshimself an enemyof God.
"Ifit is disagreeablein your sightto servethe LORD,choosefor yourselves todaywhomyou will serve:whetherthe godswhichyour fathersservedwhichwere beyondthe River,or the godsof the Amoritesin whoselandyou are living;but as for me and my house,we will servethe LORD."
Then Samuelspoketo allthe houseof Israel,saying,"Ifyou returnto the LORDwith allyour heart,removethe foreigngodsand the Ashtarothfrom amongyou and directyour heartsto the LORDand serveHim alone;and He will deliveryou from the handof the Philistines."
