MAT 6:24 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object, red:negative.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT No one is able to serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and will love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and will despise the other. You are not able to serve God and wealth.

UST Servants cannot serve two different masters at the same time. If they tried to do that, they would hate one of them and love the other one, or they would be loyal to one of them and consider the other one to be unimportant. In the same way, you cannot devote your life to serving God if you are also devoting your life to acquiring money and other material possessions.

BSB No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to [the] one and despise the other. You cannot serve [both] God and money.

MSB No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to [the] one and despise the other. You cannot serve [both] God and money.

BLB No one is able to serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and he will love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and he will despise the other. You are not able to serve God and mammon.

AICNT “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

OEB No one can serve two masters, for either they will hate one and love the other, or else they will attach themselves to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

WEBBE “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

LSV None is able to serve two lords, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to the one, and despise the other; you are not able to serve God and wealth.

FBV No one can serve two masters. Either you'll hate one and love the other, or you'll be devoted to one and despise the other. You can't serve both God and Money.[fn]

6:24 Literally, “Mammon,” a transliteration from the Aramaic word for the Syrian god of money and wealth.

TCNT “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

T4T “No one is able to serve two different bosses at the same time. If he tried to do that, he would dislike one of them and love the other one, or he would be loyal to one of them and despise the other one [DOU]. Similarly, you cannot devote your life to worshipping God and worshipping money and material goods at the same time.”

LEB “No one is able to serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You are not able to serve God and money.[fn]

6:24 Traditionally transliterated from the Greek as “mammon”

BBE No man is able to be a servant to two masters: for he will have hate for the one and love for the other, or he will keep to one and have no respect for the other. You may not be servants of God and of wealth.

Moff No one can serve two masters:
⇔ either he will hate one and love the other,
⇔ or else he will stand by the one and despise the other--
⇔ you cannot serve both God and Mammon.
¶ 

Wymth "No man can be the bondservant of two masters; for either he will dislike one and like the other, or he will attach himself to one and think slightingly of the other. You cannot be the bondservants both of God and of gold.

ASV No man 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.

DRA No man can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one, and love the other: or he will sustain the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

YLT 'None is able to serve two lords, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to the one, and despise the other; ye are not able to serve God and Mammon.

Drby No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and will love the other, or he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve [fn]God and mammon.

6.24 Elohim

RV No man 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.
(No man 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/You_all cannot serve God and mammon. )

SLT None can serve two lords: for either he will hate one and love the other; or hold firmly to one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Wbstr No man 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.

KJB-1769 ¶ No man 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.
(¶ No man 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/You_all cannot serve God and mammon. )

KJB-1611 ¶ No man can serue two masters: for either he will hate the one and loue the other, or else hee will holde to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serue God and Mammon.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation and punctuation)

Bshps No man can serue two maisters. For either he shall hate the one, & loue the other: or els leane to the one, and dispise the other. Ye can not serue God, and mammon.
(No man can serve two masters. For either he shall hate the one, and love the other: or else lean to the one, and despise the other. Ye/You_all cannot serve God, and mammon.)

Gnva No man can serue two masters: for eyther he shall hate the one, and loue the other, or els he shall leane to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serue God and riches.
(No man can serve two masters: for eyther he shall hate the one, and love the other, or else he shall lean to the one, and despise the other. Ye/You_all cannot serve God and riches. )

Cvdl No ma can serue two masters. For ether he shall hate the one and loue the other: or els he shall leane to the one, and despise the other: Ye can not serue God and mammon.
(No man can serve two masters. For either he shall hate the one and love the other: or else he shall lean to the one, and despise the other: Ye/You_all cannot serve God and mammon.)

TNT No man an serve two masters. For ether he shall hate the one and love the other: or els he shall lene to the one and despise the other: ye can not serve God and mammon.
(No man an serve two masters. For either he shall hate the one and love the other: or else he shall lean to the one and despise the other: ye/you_all cannot serve God and mammon. )

Wycl No man may serue tweyn lordis, for ethir he schal hate `the toon, and loue the tother; ethir he shal susteyne `the toon, and dispise the tothir. Ye moun not serue God and richessis.
(No man may serve twain/two_or_both lords, for either he shall hate the toon, and love the other; either he shall sustain the toon, and despise the other. Ye/You_all may/can not serve God and riches.)

Luth Niemand kann zweien Herren dienen. Entweder er wird einen hassen und den andern lieben, oder wird einem anhangen und den andern verachten. Ihr könnt nicht GOtt dienen und dem Mammon.
(Niemand can two gentlemen serve/be_of_service. Entweder he becomes a hate(v) and the change love(v), or becomes on attach and the change despise/scorn. You(pl) can not God serve/be_of_service and to_him Mammon.)

ClVg Nemo potest duobus dominis servire: aut enim unum odio habebit, et alterum diliget: aut unum sustinebit, et alterum contemnet. Non potestis Deo servire et mammonæ.[fn]
(Nobody can for_two masters to_serve: or because one hate will_have, and the_other diliget: or one will_endure, and the_other contemnet. Not/No can_you to_God to_serve and mammonæ. )

6.24 Nemo potest, etc. Quasi: non poteritis ad oculum hominum bona agere, et ex his Deo placere. Non simul in cœlo et in terra thesaurizare, nec et vitiis et virtutibus deservire. Quidquid facis, vel ex amore Dei, vel servitute diaboli. Cum regnum Dei et diaboli dissideant inter se, in utroque nemo potest simul militare: unde qui baptizantur, diabolo abrenuntiant et operibus ejus. Aut enim unum odio. Nihil est medium. Quidquid enim facis, aut ex amore Dei, vel ex servitute diaboli. AUG. Diabolus enim semper est odio habendus: Deus vero, etc., usque ad sed contemnunt, victi concupiscentia sua et persuasione diabolica. Aut unum sustinebit. ID. Non quidem diligit: nemo enim diabolum diligit, sed sua cupiditate implicatus, etc., usque ad etsi non amet illum cujus ancillam diligit. Alterum contemnet. Non quidem odio habebit: nullius enim conscientia Deum potest odisse, quod retractavit idem Augustinus, dicens: Non video fuisse dicendum. Multi enim sunt de quibus scriptum est: Superbia eorum qui te oderunt Psal. 3., etc. Et mammonæ. Mammona, Syra lingua, divitiæ, quibus servire Deum negare est. Non dicit habere: quod fieri licet ut bene dispenset, sed servire, quod est avari. Dicitur hoc nomen esse dæmonis qui præest divitiis, non quod in ejus ditione sunt: sed quod his utitur ad decipiendum, irretiendo laqueis divitiarum.

6.24 Nobody can, etc. Quasi: not/no will_be_ableis to eye of_men good(s) to_act, and from his to_God please. Not/No at_the_same_time in/into/on sky and in/into/on earth/land thesaurizare, but_not and vices/defects and virtues deservire. Whatever you_do, or from with_love of_God, or servitude devils. Since kingdom of_God and devils dissideant between himself, in/into/on both nobody/no_one can at_the_same_time militare: from_where/who who/which baptizantur, devil abrenuntiant and works his. Aut because one hate. Nothing it_is medium. Whatever because you_do, or from with_love of_God, or from servitude devils. AUG. Diabolus because always it_is hate habendus: God indeed/however, etc., until to but they_despise, defeated desire his_own and persuasione devilsca. Aut one will_endure. ID. Not/No indeed he_loves: nobody/no_one because devil he_loves, but his_own with_desire implicatus, etc., until to even_though not/no amet him whose maidservant he_loves. Alterum contemnet. Not/No indeed hate will_have: nobody's because conscience God can odisse, that retractavit the_same Augustinus, saying: Not/No I_see to_have_been sayendum. Multi because are from/about to_whom written it_is: Prouda their who/which you(sg) they_hate Psal. 3., etc. And mammonæ. Mammona, Syra tongue/language, wealth, to_whom to_serve God negare it_is. Not/No he_says to_have: that to_be_done although as well dispenset, but to_serve, that it_is avari. Sayitur this name to_be dæmonis who/which beforeest wealth, not/no that in/into/on his ditione are: but that his uses to decipiendum, irretiendo laqueis of_riches.

UGNT οὐδεὶς δύναται δυσὶ κυρίοις δουλεύειν; ἢ γὰρ τὸν ἕνα μισήσει καὶ τὸν ἕτερον ἀγαπήσει, ἢ ἑνὸς ἀνθέξεται καὶ τοῦ ἑτέρου καταφρονήσει. οὐ δύνασθε Θεῷ δουλεύειν καὶ μαμωνᾷ.
(oudeis dunatai dusi kuriois douleuein; aʸ gar ton hena misaʸsei kai ton heteron agapaʸsei, aʸ henos anthexetai kai tou heterou katafronaʸsei. ou dunasthe Theōi douleuein kai mamōna.)

SBL-GNT Οὐδεὶς δύναται δυσὶ κυρίοις δουλεύειν· ἢ γὰρ τὸν ἕνα μισήσει καὶ τὸν ἕτερον ἀγαπήσει, ἢ ἑνὸς ἀνθέξεται καὶ τοῦ ἑτέρου καταφρονήσει. οὐ δύνασθε θεῷ δουλεύειν καὶ μαμωνᾷ.
(Oudeis dunatai dusi kuriois douleuein; aʸ gar ton hena misaʸsei kai ton heteron agapaʸsei, aʸ henos anthexetai kai tou heterou katafronaʸsei. ou dunasthe theōi douleuein kai mamōna.)

RP-GNT Οὐδεὶς δύναται δυσὶν κυρίοις δουλεύειν· ἢ γὰρ τὸν ἕνα μισήσει, καὶ τὸν ἕτερον ἀγαπήσει· ἢ ἑνὸς ἀνθέξεται, καὶ τοῦ ἑτέρου καταφρονήσει. Οὐ δύνασθε θεῷ δουλεύειν καὶ μαμωνᾷ.
(Oudeis dunatai dusin kuriois douleuein; aʸ gar ton hena misaʸsei, kai ton heteron agapaʸsei; aʸ henos anthexetai, kai tou heterou katafronaʸsei. Ou dunasthe theōi douleuein kai mamōna.)

TC-GNT Οὐδεὶς δύναται δυσὶ κυρίοις δουλεύειν· ἢ γὰρ τὸν ἕνα μισήσει, καὶ τὸν ἕτερον ἀγαπήσει· ἢ ἑνὸς ἀνθέξεται, καὶ τοῦ ἑτέρου καταφρονήσει. Οὐ δύνασθε Θεῷ δουλεύειν καὶ [fn]μαμωνᾷ.
(Oudeis dunatai dusi kuriois douleuein; aʸ gar ton hena misaʸsei, kai ton heteron agapaʸsei; aʸ henos anthexetai, kai tou heterou katafronaʸsei. Ou dunasthe Theōi douleuein kai mamōna. )

6:24 μαμωνα ¦ μαμμωνα TR

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 5:1–7:29: Jesus preached a sermon on a mountain

For many years, English versions and Christians have commonly referred to Matthew 5–7 as “The Sermon on the Mount.” In some translations, it may be helpful to include a heading for chapters 5–7 that is on a level above the section heading for 5:1–12.

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

The Sermon on the Mountain

The sermon that Jesus preached on a mountain

Jesus taught people on the side of a mountain/hill

Paragraph 6:24

In this paragraph, Jesus compared his disciples to servants/slaves. He also compared God and money to two masters. He said that people who want to be his disciples cannot serve both God and money.

This verse is almost word-for-word the same as Luke 16:13.

6:24a

No one can serve two masters:

¶ “No slave can have two masters.
¶ “No one can fully work for two owners/bosses at the same time.

No one can serve two masters: The Greek word that the BSB translates as serve means “do the work of a slave.”

The word masters refers to “owners of slaves.”

This entire clause means that no slave can work for two masters/owners at the same time and be equally loyal to both.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

No slave can work for two owners at the same time

No one can completely obey two bosses at the same time

6:24b–c

Before you translate 6:24b–c, there are two issues to consider:

Issue 1: The way the clauses are connected

Verse 6:24b–c is the basis for the conclusion in 6:24a. The Greek introduces this basis with a conjunction that is often translated as “for.” However, the BSB does not translate this word.

In some languages, it is more natural to put the basis (6:24b–c) before the conclusion (6:24a). For example:

^24b If a servant has two masters, he will hate the one and love the other, ^24cor he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. ^24aSo/Therefore, no one can serve two masters.

Even if you do not translate this conjunction, you should think about the most natural way in your language to order the clauses in this verse.

Issue 2: Parallelism

The clause “he will hate the one and love the other” (in 6:24b) and the clause “he will be devoted to the one and despise the other” (in 6:24c) are a parallelism. A parallelism is a feature of poetry where two (or more) lines are related to each other in some way. In this parallelism, the two lines repeat the same information, but in a different order. The first part of 24b has a similar meaning to the last part of 24c, and the last part of 24b has a similar meaning to the first part of 24c.This is called a chiastic parallelism. The similar parts are shown here:

^24bEither he will hate the one and love the other

^24cor he will be devoted to the one and despise the other

In some languages, it is not natural to repeat the same information in two ways. In other languages, the words “Either” and “or” will wrongly imply that a servant must choose either 6:24b or 6:24c.

Here are some other ways to translate this parallelism:

Keep the parallelism but use a word like “also,” rather than “either/or.” For example:
He will hate one master and love the other. He will also be devoted to one master and despise the other.
Combine the parallel parts. Put “hate” and “despise” in one statement, and “love” and “be devoted to” in the other statement. For example:
He will hate and despise one master, and he will love and be devoted to the other master.
Use a comparison. For example:
He will love one master more than the other. He will be more devoted to one master than to the other.

6:24b

Either he will hate the one and love the other,

He will hate one master/boss, and love the other.
If he tries to obey two bosses, he will love one boss more than the other boss.

Either: The Greek word that the BSB translates as Either introduces one possible attitude of a servant who was trying to serve two masters. A similar attitude is described in 6:24c. Since the two attitudes are not contradictory alternatives, it may be better to omit an explicit translation of the word Either.

Also, see the discussion about “or” in the note on 6:24c.

he will hate the one and love the other: This clause implies a situation in which a slave tries to serve two masters at the same time. In some languages, this information may need to be made explicit. For example:

if he had two masters, he would hate the one and love the other

if he tried to serve two masters, he would hate the one and love the other

hate…love: Jesus probably used the strong opposites of hate and love here in a comparative sense. By comparison with a slave’s feeling of love for one master, his feeling for the second master would seem like hatred. One way to translate this as a comparative is:

he will love one master more than the other master

Consider whether it will be more effective to use the absolute terms hate and love or a comparative statement.

the one…the other: The phrases the one and the other mean “one master” and “the other master.”

6:24c

or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.

He will be loyal to one and not respect the other.
He will be more faithful to one than the other.

or: The conjunction or introduces a statement that is parallel to 6:24b. It is not contradictory to 6:24b. So in some languages it may be best to omit an explicit translation of the word or.

Here are some other possible ways to connect 24c with 24b:

As I said,

I repeat,

See also the discussion above about “Either” and “or” in 6:24b–c.

he will be devoted to the one and despise the other: This clause is parallel to 6:24b. It expresses the same idea using different words. The verb translated as be devoted to is a synonym of “love” in 6:24b. And the verb translated as despise is a synonym of “hate” in 6:24b. However, here the ideas are reversed for poetic effect. If it is not natural in your language to reverse the order of the verbs in this way, you may keep the same order as in 6:24b. For example:

he will despise one master and be devoted to the other.

be devoted to: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as be devoted to means “be loyal to.”

Here are some other ways to translate this verb:

be faithful to

enthusiastically follow

be…loyal to (CEV)

despise: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as despise means “disrespect someone” and “treat someone with scorn and contempt.”

Here are some other ways to translate this verb:

not respect

disdain

scorn

6:24d

You cannot serve both God and money.

Therefore, you^(plur) cannot serve God and money/riches at the same time.”
A person cannot have God as his master and money as his master at the same time.”

You cannot serve both God and money: Jesus was saying that a person who loves money and says he also loves God is like a slave who is trying to serve two masters. Either God or money can be the master of a person, but not both. A person must choose which one they will love and serve.

You: In Greek, the pronoun You is plural. However, 6:24d is a general statement that is true of everyone. So you should use your normal pronoun or phrase for general statements. For example:

You^(sing) cannot serve God and money

We^(incl) cannot serve God and money

A person cannot serve God and money

money: The Greek word that the BSB translates as money includes money, property, and possessions.

Here are some other ways to translate this entire clause:

You cannot serve God and wealth (NRSV)

You cannot serve both God and worldly riches (NCV)

If people in your area will not understand a literal translation of “serve wealth,” you may want to use the concept of “master” from 6:24a. For example:

You^(plur) cannot have both God as your master and wealth as your master

Or you may want to translate in a nonmetaphorical way. For example:

In the same way, you^(plur) cannot love God above all else and seek money above all else at the same time.

If money is what you love the most, then you cannot also love God the most.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

δυσὶ κυρίοις

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Οὐδείς δύναται δυσί κυρίοις δουλεύειν ἤ γάρ τόν ἕνα μισήσει καί τόν ἕτερον ἀγαπήσει ἤ ἑνός ἀνθέξεται καί τοῦ ἑτέρου καταφρονήσει Οὒ δύνασθε Θεῷ δουλεύειν καί μαμωνᾷ)

The implication is that a servant could not meet the competing demands of two different masters at the same time with equal loyalty. You could include this information if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: [two different masters equally well at the same time]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

ἢ γὰρ τὸν ἕνα μισήσει καὶ τὸν ἕτερον ἀγαπήσει, ἢ ἑνὸς ἀνθέξεται καὶ τοῦ ἑτέρου καταφρονήσει

These two clauses mean basically the same thing. The second emphasizes the meaning of the first by repeating the same idea with different words. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could combine the two clauses into one. Alternate translation: [for he will hate and despise the one and will love and be devoted to the other] or [for he is certain to love and serve one of them much better than the other]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / nominaladj

τὸν ἕνα & τὸν ἕτερον & ἑνὸς & τοῦ ἑτέρου

Jesus is using the adjectives one and other as nouns to refer to the two different masters. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you could translate these word with equivalent phrases. Alternate translation: [one master … the other master … one master … the other master]

Note 4 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

οὐ δύνασθε

Here Jesus introduces the application of his general statement about two masters. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that introduces an application. Alternate translation: [Similarly, you are not able]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

οὐ δύνασθε Θεῷ δουλεύειν καὶ μαμωνᾷ

Here, Jesus speaks of wealth as if it were a person whom someone could serve. He means that it is impossible to focus on serving God and also to focus on becoming wealthy. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [You are not able to serve God and also focus on gaining wealth]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

μαμωνᾷ

money

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of wealth, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [money] or [focus on becoming wealthy]