Ephesians 6:7

Amplified Bible

rendering service with goodwill, as to the Lord, and not [only] to men,

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
Do your work, and be happy to do it. Work as though it is the Lord you are serving, not just an earthly master.

Revised Standard Version
rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to men,

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
with good will servinge ye Lorde and not men.

Hebrew Names Version
with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men;

New American Standard Bible
With goodwill render service, as to the Lord, and not to people,

New Century Version
Do your work with enthusiasm. Work as if you were serving the Lord, not as if you were serving only men and women.

Update Bible Version
with good will serving as slaves, as to the Lord, and not to men:

Webster's Bible Translation
With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:

English Standard Version
rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man,

World English Bible
with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men;

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
With good will doing service as unto the Lord, and not to men:

Weymouth's New Testament
With right good will, be faithful to your duty as service rendered to the Lord and not to man.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
with good wille seruynge as to the Lord, and not as to men;

English Revised Version
with good will doing service, as unto the Lord, and not unto men:

Berean Standard Bible
Serve with good will, as to the Lord and not to men,

Contemporary English Version
Gladly serve your masters, as though they were the Lord himself, and not simply people.

American Standard Version
with good will doing service, as unto the Lord, and not unto men:

Bible in Basic English
Doing your work readily, as to the Lord, and not to men:

Complete Jewish Bible
Work willingly as slaves, as people do who are serving not merely human beings but the Lord.

Darby Translation
serving with good will as to the Lord, and not to men;

International Standard Version
Serve willingly, as if you were serving the Lord and not merely people.as to the Lord and not people">[fn]

Etheridge Translation
And serve them from all your soul, in love, as unto our Lord, and not as unto men;

Murdock Translation
And serve them with your whole heart, in love, as if serving our Lord and not men;

King James Version (1611)
With good will doing seruice, as to the Lord, and not to men,

New Living Translation
Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

New Life Bible
Be happy as you work. Do your work as for the Lord, not for men.

New Revised Standard
Render service with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not to men and women,

Geneva Bible (1587)
With good will, seruing the Lord, and not men.

George Lamsa Translation
And serve well with your whole soul, with love, as to our LORD, and not to men:

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
with good will, rendering service - as unto the Lord, and not unto men;

Douay-Rheims Bible
With a good will serving, as to the Lord, and not to men.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Doyng the wyll of God fro the heart, with good wyll seruyng the Lorde, and not men:

Good News Translation
Do your work as slaves cheerfully, as though you served the Lord, and not merely human beings.

Christian Standard Bible®
Serve with a good attitude, as to the Lord and not to people,

King James Version
With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:

Lexham English Bible
serving with goodwill as to the Lord and not to people,

Literal Translation
serving as slaves with good will to the Lord, and not as to men,

Young's Literal Translation
with good-will serving, as to the Lord, and not to men,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
with good wyll. Thynke that ye serue the LORDE and not me:

Mace New Testament (1729)
serve them with affection, as if it was to the Lord,

New English Translation
Obey with enthusiasm, as though serving the Lord and not people,

New King James Version
with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men,

Simplified Cowboy Version
Work hard, just as if it were Jesus standing there telling you what to do.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men,

Legacy Standard Bible
serving with good will as to the Lord, and not to men,

Contextual Overview

¹Children, obey your parents in the Lord [that is, accept their guidance and discipline as His representatives], for this is right [for obedience teaches wisdom and self-discipline]. ²HONOR [esteem, value as precious] YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER [and be respectful to them]—this is the first commandment with a promise— ³SO THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY HAVE A LONG LIFE ON THE EARTH. ⁴Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger [do not exasperate them to the point of resentment with demands that are trivial or unreasonable or humiliating or abusive; nor by showing favoritism or indifference to any of them], but bring them up [tenderly, with lovingkindness] in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. ⁵Slaves, be obedient to those who are your earthly masters, with respect for authority, and with a sincere heart [seeking to please them], as [service] to Christ— ⁶not in the way of eye-service [working only when someone is watching you and only] to please men, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart; ⁷rendering service with goodwill, as to the Lord, and not [only] to men,⁸knowing that whatever good thing each one does, he will receive this back from the Lord, whether [he is] slave or free. ⁹You masters, do the same [showing goodwill] toward them, and give up threatening and abusive words, knowing that [He who is] both their true Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with Him [regardless of one's earthly status].

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

good: Genesis 31:6, Genesis 31:38-40, 2 Kings 5:2, 2 Kings 5:3, 2 Kings 5:13

as: Ephesians 6:5, Ephesians 6:6, 1 Corinthians 10:31

Reciprocal: Acts 20:19 - Serving Colossians 3:23 - as 1 Peter 2:15 - so

Cross-References

Genesis 6:1
Now it happened, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them,

Genesis 6:2
that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful and desirable; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose and desired.

Genesis 6:3
Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not strive and remain with man forever, because he is indeed flesh [sinful, corrupt—given over to sensual appetites]; nevertheless his days shall yet be a hundred and twenty years."

Genesis 6:4
There were Nephilim (men of stature, notorious men) on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God lived with the daughters of men, and they gave birth to their children. These were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown (great reputation, fame).

Genesis 6:20
"Of fowls and birds according to their kind, of animals according to their kind, of every crawling thing of the ground according to its kind—two of every kind shall come to you to keep them alive.

Genesis 6:22
So Noah did this; according to all that God commanded him, that is what he did.

Psalms 37:20
But the wicked (ungodly) will perish, And the enemies of the LORD will be like the glory of the pastures and like the fat of lambs [that is consumed in smoke], They vanish—like smoke they vanish away.

Proverbs 10:27
The [reverent] fear of the LORD [worshiping, obeying, serving, and trusting Him with awe-filled respect] prolongs one's life, But the years of the wicked will be shortened.

Proverbs 16:4
The LORD has made everything for its own purpose, Even the wicked [according to their role] for the day of evil.

Hosea 4:3
Therefore the land [continually] mourns, And everyone who lives in it languishes [in tragic suffering] Together with the animals of the open country and the birds of the heavens; Even the fish of the sea disappear.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

With good will doing service,.... To their masters; not grudgingly, with an ill will; no otherwise, nor longer than when they are forced to it; but of a ready mind, and with a cheerful spirit, taking delight in their work, and reckoning it a pleasure to serve their masters; as an Israelite that is not sold, who does his work ברצונו, "with his good will", and according to his own mind b; doing what they do

as to the Lord, and not to men; not merely because it is the will of men, and they are commanded by them, and in order to please them, but because it is the will of the Lord, and is wellpleasing in his sight.

b Maimon. Hilchot Abadim, c. 1. sect. 7.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

As to the Lord, and not to men - That is, he should regard his lot in life as having been ordered by Divine Providence for some wise and good purpose; and until he may be permitted to enjoy his liberty in a quiet and peaceable manner (notes, 1 Corinthians 7:21), he should perform his duties with fidelity, and feel that he was rendering acceptable service to God. This would reconcile him to much of the hardships of his lot. The feeling that “God” has ordered the circumstances of our lives, and that he has some wise and good ends to answer by it, makes us contented there; though we may feel that our fellowman may be doing us injustice. It was this principle that made the martyrs so patient under the wrongs done them by people; and this may make even a slave patient and submissive under the wrongs of a master. But let not a master think, because a pious slave shows this spirit, that, therefore, the slave feels that the master is right in withholding his freedom; nor let him suppose, because religion requires the slave to be submissive and obedient, that, therefore, it approves of what the master does. It does this no more than it sanctioned the conduct of Nero and Mary, because religion required the martyrs to be unresisting, and to allow themselves to be led to the stake. A conscientious slave may find happiness in submitting to God, and doing his will, just as a conscientious martyr may. But this does not sanction the wrong, either of the slave-owner or of the persecutor.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 7. With good will — μετ ευνοιας. With cheerfulness; do not take up your service as a cross, or bear it as a burden; but take it as coming in the order of God's providence, and a thing that is pleasing to him.