35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;

36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.

37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.

38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.

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Watchfulness(A)(B)

35 “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes.(C) Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.(D) 38 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak.

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You Must Be Ready

35 (A)“Stay dressed for action[a] and (B)keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are (C)waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and (D)knocks. 37 (E)Blessed are those servants[b] whom the master finds (F)awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, (G)he will dress himself for service and (H)have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants!

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 12:35 Greek Let your loins stay girded; compare Exodus 12:11
  2. Luke 12:37 Or bondservants

Ready for the Master’s Return

35 “Be ready for service[a] and have your lamps lit.(A) 36 You are to be like people waiting for their master(B) to return from the wedding banquet(C) so that when he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once.(D) 37 Blessed will be those servants the master finds alert(E) when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will get ready,[b] have them recline at the table, then come and serve them.(F) 38 If he comes in the middle of the night, or even near dawn,[c] and finds them alert, blessed are those servants.

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Footnotes

  1. 12:35 Lit “Let your loins be girded; an idiom for tying up loose outer clothing in preparation for action; Ex 12:11
  2. 12:37 Lit will gird himself
  3. 12:38 Lit even in the second or third watch

Be in Readiness

35 [a](A)Be dressed in (B)readiness, and keep your lamps lit. 36 Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find (C)on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that (D)he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them. 38 (E)Whether he comes in the [b]second watch, or even in the [c]third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 12:35 Lit Let your loins be girded
  2. Luke 12:38 I.e. 9 p.m. to midnight
  3. Luke 12:38 I.e. midnight to 3 a.m.