(A)Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, (B)not by compulsion but [a]willingly, (C)not for dishonest gain but eagerly;

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 5:2 NU adds according to God

shepherd and guide and protect the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not [motivated] for shameful gain, but with wholehearted enthusiasm;

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Be shepherds of God’s flock(A) that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be;(B) not pursuing dishonest gain,(C) but eager to serve;

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Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

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Heal the sick, [a]cleanse the lepers, [b]raise the dead, cast out demons. (A)Freely you have received, freely give.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 10:8 NU raise the dead, cleanse the lepers
  2. Matthew 10:8 M omits raise the dead

Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

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Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,[a] drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 10:8 The Greek word traditionally translated leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin.

Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

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11 (A)“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. 12 But a [a]hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and (B)leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. 13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.

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Footnotes

  1. John 10:12 hired man

11 [a]I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd [b]lays down His [own] life for the sheep.(A) 12 But the hired man [who merely serves for wages], who is neither the shepherd nor the owner of the sheep, when he sees the wolf coming, deserts the flock and runs away; and the wolf snatches the sheep and scatters them. 13 The man runs because he is a hired hand [who serves only for wages] and is not concerned about the [safety of the] sheep.

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Footnotes

  1. John 10:11 The fourth of the memorable “I am” statements. See note 6:35.
  2. John 10:11 A reference to the atoning sacrifice Jesus was going to make to provide the way for sinners to be saved and reconciled with God.

11 “I am(A) the good shepherd.(B) The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.(C) 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away.(D) Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

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11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.

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An Invitation to Abundant Life

55 “Ho! (A)Everyone who thirsts,
Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,
(B)Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price.
Why do you [a]spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And let your soul delight itself in abundance.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 55:2 Lit. weigh out silver

The Free Offer of Mercy

55 “Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters;
And you who have no money come, buy grain and eat.
Come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without cost [simply accept it as a gift from God].(A)

“Why do you spend money for that which is not bread,
And your earnings for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And let your soul delight in [a]abundance.(B)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 55:2 Lit fatness.

Invitation to the Thirsty

55 “Come, all you who are thirsty,(A)
    come to the waters;(B)
and you who have no money,
    come, buy(C) and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk(D)
    without money and without cost.(E)
Why spend money on what is not bread,
    and your labor on what does not satisfy?(F)
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,(G)
    and you will delight in the richest(H) of fare.

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55 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

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17 For we are not, as [a]so many, (A)peddling[b] the word of God; but as (B)of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 2:17 M the rest
  2. 2 Corinthians 2:17 adulterating for gain

17 For we are not like many, [acting like merchants] peddling God’s word [shortchanging and adulterating God’s message]; but from pure [uncompromised] motives, as [commissioned and sent] from God, we speak [His message] in Christ in the sight of God.

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17 Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit.(A) On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity,(B) as those sent from God.(C)

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17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

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18 What is my reward then? That (A)when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel [a]of Christ without charge, that I (B)may not abuse my authority in the gospel.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 9:18 NU omits of Christ

18 What then is my reward? [Just this:] that, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge [to everyone], so as not to take advantage of my rights [as a preacher and apostle] in [preaching] the gospel.

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18 What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge,(A) and so not make full use of my rights(B) as a preacher of the gospel.

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18 What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.

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nor did we eat anyone’s bread [a]free of charge, but worked with (A)labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, not because we do not have (B)authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us.

10 For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Thessalonians 3:8 Lit. for nothing

nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we worked night and day [to pay our own way] so that we would not be a financial burden on any of you [for our support]; not because we do not have a right to such support, but [we provided our own financial support] to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you would follow our example. 10 For even while we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is [a]not to eat, either.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Thessalonians 3:10 I.e. if one is able, but unwilling to work to provide for himself or his family, it is unjust for him to receive the necessities of life provided free by those who willingly work.

nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked(A) night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help,(B) but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate.(C) 10 For even when we were with you,(D) we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work(E) shall not eat.”

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Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:

Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.

10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

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