Stay excited about your faith as you serve the Lord.

殷勤，不可懒惰；要心里火热，常常服侍主。

殷勤，不可懒惰。要灵里火热；常常服侍主。

殷勤，不可懒惰。要灵里火热；常常服侍主。

要殷勤，不可懒惰，要常常火热地事奉主。

殷勤不可懒惰，心灵要火热，常常服事主；

殷勤而不懒惰，灵里时时火热，常常服事主。

殷勤，不可懶惰；要心裏火熱，常常服事主。

殷勤，不可懶惰。要靈裏火熱；常常服侍主。

殷勤，不可懶惰。要靈裏火熱；常常服侍主。

要殷勤，不可懶惰，要常常火熱地事奉主。

殷勤不可懶惰，心靈要火熱，常常服事主；

論熱切、要不因循；心靈要火熱；對主要服事；

殷勤而不懶惰，靈裡時時火熱，常常服事主。

勤而毋怠、熱衷事主、

論勤則勿怠、論志則宜銳、論主則當事、

當殷勤勿怠、中熱志銳、且奉事主、

處事切忌因循、事主何妨熱烈。

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.

Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.

Do not lack diligence in zeal; be fervent in the Spirit; serve the Lord.

not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;

not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;

in diligence not slothful; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;

Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord.

Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;

Do not lag in zeal, be enthusiastic in spirit, serve the Lord.

not lagging in diligence; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;

God is fair. He will not forget what you have done. He will remember the love you have shown him. You showed it when you helped his people. And you show it when you keep on helping them.We want each of you to be faithful to the very end. If you are, then what you hope for will fully happen.

Apollos had been taught the way of the Lord. He spoke with great power. He taught the truth about Jesus. But he only knew about John’s baptism.

‘ I know what you are doing. I know you aren’t cold or hot. I wish you were either one or the other!But you are lukewarm. You aren’t hot or cold. So I am going to spit you out of my mouth.

Most of all, love one another deeply. Love erases many sins by forgiving them.

People who refuse to work want things and get nothing. But the desires of people who work hard are completely satisfied.

Anyone who has been stealing must never steal again. Instead, they must work. They must do something useful with their own hands. Then they will have something to give to people in need.

Brothers and sisters, here is a command we give you. We give it in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Keep away from every believer who doesn’t want to work and makes trouble. Keep away from any believer who doesn’t live up to the teaching you received from us.You know how you should follow our example. We worked when we were with you.We didn’t eat anyone’s food without paying for it. In fact, it was just the opposite. We worked night and day. We worked very hard so that we wouldn’t cause any expense to any of you.We worked, even though we have the right to receive help from you. We did it in order to be a model for you to follow.Even when we were with you, we gave you a rule. We said,“ Anyone who won’t work shouldn’t be allowed to eat.”We hear that some people among you don’t want to work and are making trouble. They aren’t really busy. Instead, they are bothering others.We belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. So we strongly command people like that to settle down. They have to earn the food they eat.

Do you see someone who does good work? That person will serve kings. That person won’t serve officials of lower rank.

Those who don’t want to work hurt those who send them. They are like vinegar on the teeth or smoke in the eyes.

Because evil will grow, most people’s love will grow cold.

Pharaoh said,“ You are lazy! That’s why you keep saying,‘ Let us go. We want to offer sacrifices to the Lord.’

You have made yourselves pure by obeying the truth. So you have an honest and true love for each other. So love one another deeply, from your hearts.

Slaves, obey your masters here on earth. Respect them and honor them with a heart that is true. Obey them just as you would obey Christ.Don’t obey them only to please them when they are watching. Do it because you are slaves of Christ. Be sure your heart does what God wants.Serve your masters with all your heart. Work as serving the Lord and not as serving people.You know that the Lord will give each person a reward. He will give it to them in keeping with the good they do. It doesn’t matter whether they are a slave or not.

A person who doesn’t want to work says,“ There’s a lion in the road! There’s an angry lion wandering in the streets!”A person who doesn’t want to work turns over in bed just like a door that swings back and forth.A person who doesn’t want to work leaves his hand in his plate. He acts as if he is too tired to bring his hand back up to his mouth.A person who doesn’t want to work is wiser in his own eyes than seven people who give careful answers.

We are receiving a kingdom that can’t be shaken. So let us be thankful. Then we can worship God in a way that pleases him. Let us worship him with deep respect and wonder.

You yourselves know that I have used my own hands to meet my needs. I have also met the needs of my companions.In everything I did, I showed you that we must work hard and help the weak. We must remember the words of the Lord Jesus. He said,‘ It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

And do everything you can to live a quiet life. You should mind your own business. And work with your hands, just as we told you to.Then unbelievers will have respect for your everyday life. And you won’t have to depend on anyone.

I served the Lord with tears and without pride. I served him when I was greatly tested. I was tested by the evil plans of the Jews who disagreed with me.

Besides, they get into the habit of having nothing to do. They go around from house to house. They waste their time. They also bother other people and say things that make no sense. They shouldn’t say those things.

Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything. Don’t do it just to please them when they are watching you. Obey them with an honest heart. Do it out of respect for the Lord.Work at everything you do with all your heart. Work as if you were working for the Lord, not for human masters.Work because you know that you will finally receive as a reward what the Lord wants you to have. You are slaves of the Lord Christ.

I went past the field of someone who didn’t want to work. I went past the vineyard of someone who didn’t have any sense.Thorns had grown up everywhere. The ground was covered with weeds. The stone wall had fallen down.I applied my heart to what I observed. I learned a lesson from what I saw.You might sleep a little or take a little nap. You might even fold your hands and rest.Then you would be poor, as if someone had robbed you. You would have little, as if someone had stolen from you.

Masters, give your slaves what is right and fair. Do it because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.

You people who don’t want to work, think about the ant! Consider its ways and be wise!It has no commander. It has no leader or ruler.But it stores up its food in summer. It gathers its food at harvest time.You lazy people, how long will you lie there? When will you get up from your sleep?

Israel’s prophets are blind. They don’t know the Lord. All of them are like watchdogs that can’t even bark. They just lie around and dream. They love to sleep.

So confess your sins to one another. Pray for one another so that you might be healed. The prayer of a godly person is powerful. Things happen because of it.

Teach slaves to obey their masters in everything they do. Tell them to try to please their masters. They must not talk back to them.They must not steal from them. Instead, they must show that they can be trusted completely. Then they will make the teaching about God our Savior appealing in every way.

“ His master replied,‘ You evil, lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I have not planted? You knew that I gather crops where I have not scattered seed?

‘ But here is something I hold against you. You have turned away from the love you had at first.

Anyone who doesn’t want to work is like someone who destroys.

Epaphras sends greetings. He is one of you. He serves Christ Jesus. He is always praying hard for you. He prays that you will hold on tightly to all that God has in mind for us. He prays that you will keep growing in your knowledge of what God wants. He also prays that you will be completely sure about it.I am happy to tell you that he is working very hard for you. He is also working hard for everyone in Laodicea and Hierapolis.

No matter what you do, work at it with all your might. Remember, you are going to the place of the dead. And there isn’t any work or planning or knowledge or wisdom there.

The person who was a slave when the Lord chose them is now the Lord’s free person. The one who was free when God chose them is now a slave of Christ.