" No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

"If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him [My] Father will honor.

For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.

For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus.

knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings.

Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ:

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants -- things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified [it] by His angel to His servant John,

Now the sons of Eli [were] corrupt; they did not know the LORD.

Then he would thrust [it] into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; and the priest would take for himself all that the fleshhook brought up. So they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there.

And [if] the man said to him, "They should really burn the fat first; [then] you may take [as much] as your heart desires," he would then answer him, "[No,] but you must give [it] now; and if not, I will take [it] by force."

His watchmen [are] blind, They are all ignorant; They [are] all dumb dogs, They cannot bark; Sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.

"Come," [one says,] "I will bring wine, And we will fill ourselves with intoxicating drink; Tomorrow will be as today, [And] much more abundant."

"And will you profane Me among My people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, killing people who should not die, and keeping people alive who should not live, by your lying to My people who listen to lies?"

They eat up the sin of My people; They set their heart on their iniquity.

For they shall eat, but not have enough; They shall commit harlotry, but not increase; Because they have ceased obeying the LORD.

Thus says the LORD concerning the prophets Who make my people stray; Who chant "Peace" While they chew with their teeth, But who prepare war against him Who puts nothing into their mouths:

"Who [is there] even among you who would shut the doors, So that you would not kindle fire [on] My altar in vain? I have no pleasure in you," Says the LORD of hosts, "Nor will I accept an offering from your hands.

"But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,'

"the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for [him] and at an hour that he is not aware of,

whose end [is] destruction, whose god [is their] belly, and [whose] glory [is] in their shame -- who set their mind on earthly things.

useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a [means of] gain. From such withdraw yourself.

and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. [They are] presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries,

But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption,

having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. [They have] a heart trained in covetous practices, [and are] accursed children.

These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving [only] themselves. [They are] clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots;

Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, "Shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?" And they said, "Go up, for God will deliver it into the king's hand."

Then the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, "Now listen, the words of the prophets with one accord encourage the king. Therefore please let your word be like [the word of] one of them, and speak encouragement."

Then he came to the king; and the king said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?" And he said, "Go and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand!"

Then he said, "I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the LORD said, 'These have no master. Let each return to his house in peace.' "

Who say to the seers, "Do not see," And to the prophets, "Do not prophesy to us right things; Speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits.

Get out of the way, Turn aside from the path, Cause the Holy One of Israel To cease from before us."

Therefore I will give their wives to others, [And] their fields to those who will inherit [them;] Because from the least even to the greatest Everyone is given to covetousness; From the prophet even to the priest Everyone deals falsely.

For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of My people slightly, Saying, 'Peace, peace!' When [there is] no peace.

They continually say to those who despise Me, 'The LORD has said, "You shall have peace" '; And [to] everyone who walks according to the dictates of his own heart, they say, 'No evil shall come upon you.' "

And it happened in the same year, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year [and] in the fifth month, [that] Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, who [was] from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the LORD in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying,

'Within two full years I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the LORD's house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon.

Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and in the presence of all the people who stood in the house of the LORD,

"Nevertheless hear now this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people:

"As for the prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be known [as] one whom the LORD has truly sent."

Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, "Hear now, Hananiah, the LORD has not sent you, but you make this people trust in a lie.

So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.

'[that is,] the prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her when [there is] no peace,' " says the Lord GOD.

Thus says the LORD concerning the prophets Who make my people stray; Who chant "Peace" While they chew with their teeth, But who prepare war against him Who puts nothing into their mouths:

" Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

"Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.

"For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.

But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

For such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.

Therefore [it is] no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words.

and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a [means of] gain. From such withdraw yourself.

But shun profane [and] idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.

who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some.

For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts,

For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,

One of them, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans [are] always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons."

By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.

For when they speak great swelling [words] of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error.

For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the [spirit] of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.

These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling [words,] flattering people to gain advantage.

For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil.

The law of the LORD [is] perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD [is] sure, making wise the simple;

The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.

O you simple ones, understand prudence, And you fools, be of an understanding heart.

The simple believes every word, But the prudent considers well his steps.

A prudent [man] foresees evil and hides himself, But the simple pass on and are punished.

But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.