New Living Translation
Romans 12:11
11Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.
Romans 12:11 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
- New International Version (NIV)Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.
- New King James Version (NKJV)not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
Context of Romans 12:11
9Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. 12Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. 13When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.
Read all of Romans 12Romans 12:11 word by word
τῇ σπουδῇ μὴ ὀκνηροί, τῷ πνεύματι ζέοντες, τῷ κυρίῳ δουλεύοντες,Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Romans 12:11
- Exodus 5:17But Pharaoh shouted, “You’re just lazy! Lazy! That’s why you’re saying, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifices to the Lord.’
- Proverbs 6:6Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise!
- Proverbs 10:26Lazy people irritate their employers, like vinegar to the teeth or smoke in the eyes.
- Proverbs 13:4Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.
- Proverbs 18:9A lazy person is as bad as someone who destroys things.
- Proverbs 22:29Do you see any truly competent workers? They will serve kings rather than working for ordinary people.
- Proverbs 24:30I walked by the field of a lazy person, the vineyard of one with no common sense.
- Proverbs 26:13The lazy person claims, “There’s a lion on the road! Yes, I’m sure there’s a lion out there!”
- Ecclesiastes 9:10Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.
- Isaiah 56:10For the leaders of my people— the Lord’s watchmen, his shepherds— are blind and ignorant. They are like silent watchdogs that give no warning when danger comes. They love to lie around, sleeping and dreaming.
- Matthew 25:26“But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate,
- Acts 20:34You know that these hands of mine have worked to supply my own needs and even the needs of those who were with me.
- Ephesians 4:28If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:11Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:6And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received from us.
- 1 Timothy 5:13And if they are on the list, they will learn to be lazy and will spend their time gossiping from house to house, meddling in other people’s business and talking about things they shouldn’t.
Commentaries on Romans 12:11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11Not slothful in business - That God, who forbade working on the seventh day, has, by the same authority, enjoined it on the other six days. He who neglects to labor during the week is as culpable as he is who works on the Sabbath. An idle, slothful person can never be a Christian. Fervent in spirit - ͅ · Do nothing at any time but what is to the glory of God, and do every thing as unto him; and in every thing let your hearts be engaged. Be always in…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11Not slothful - The word rendered “slothful” refers to those who are slow, idle, destitute of promptness of mind and activity; compare Matthew 25:16. In business - ͂ͅ ͂ͅ tē spoudēThis is the same word which in Romans 12:8 is rendered “diligence.” It properly denotes haste, intensity, ardor of mind; and hence, also it denotes industry, labor. The direction means that we should be diligently occupied in our proper employment. It does not refer to any…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-16Verses 9-16 The professed love of Christians to each other should be sincere, free from deceit, and unmeaning and deceitful compliments. Depending on Divine grace, they must detest and dread all evil, and love and delight in whatever is kind and useful. We must not only do that which is good, but we must cleave to it. All our duty towards one another is summed up in one word, love. This denotes the love of parents to their children; which is more tender…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord: This means a deep commitment to God that motivates a person to serve faithfully and actively. Christians should eagerly serve the Lord by caring for and supporting others within the church.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. not slothful in business--The word rendered "business" means "zeal," "diligence," "purpose"; denoting the energy of action. serving the Lord--that is, the Lord Jesus (see Ep 6:5-8). Another reading--"serving the time," or "the occasion"--which differs in form but very slightly from the received reading, has been adopted by good critics [Luther, Olshausen, Fritzsche, Meyer]. But as manuscript authority is decidedly against it, so is internal evidence…Read the comment
Topics related to Romans 12:11
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Romans 12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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