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17 Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.

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17 Have confidence in your leaders(A) and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you(B) as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.

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Paul’s Final Advice

12 Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. 13 Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other.

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Final Instructions

12 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard(A) among you, who care for you in the Lord(B) and who admonish you. 13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.(C)

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17 Elders who do their work well should be respected and paid well,[a] especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching.

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Footnotes

  1. 5:17 Greek should be worthy of double honor.

17 The elders(A) who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor,(B) especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.

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Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith.

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Remember your leaders,(A) who spoke the word of God(B) to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate(C) their faith.

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In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for

“God opposes the proud
    but gives grace to the humble.”[a]

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Footnotes

  1. 5:5 Prov 3:34 (Greek version).

In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves(A) to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility(B) toward one another, because,

“God opposes the proud
    but shows favor to the humble.”[a](C)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 5:5 Prov. 3:34

28 “So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood[a]—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as leaders.[b]

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Footnotes

  1. 20:28a Or with the blood of his own [Son].
  2. 20:28b Or overseers, or bishops.

28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock(A) of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.(B) Be shepherds of the church of God,[a](C) which he bought(D) with his own blood.[b](E)

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 20:28 Many manuscripts of the Lord
  2. Acts 20:28 Or with the blood of his own Son

Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example.

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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; not lording it over(D) those entrusted to you, but being examples(E) to the flock.

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17 And if you still refuse to listen,
    I will weep alone because of your pride.
My eyes will overflow with tears,
    because the Lord’s flock will be led away into exile.

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17 If you do not listen,(A)
    I will weep in secret
    because of your pride;
my eyes will weep bitterly,
    overflowing with tears,(B)
    because the Lord’s flock(C) will be taken captive.(D)

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Shine Brightly for Christ

12 Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.

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Do Everything Without Grumbling

12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,(A)

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16 to submit to them and others like them who serve with such devotion.

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16 to submit(A) to such people and to everyone who joins in the work and labors at it.

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“Now, son of man, I am making you a watchman for the people of Israel. Therefore, listen to what I say and warn them for me. If I announce that some wicked people are sure to die and you fail to tell them to change their ways, then they will die in their sins, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths. But if you warn them to repent and they don’t repent, they will die in their sins, but you will have saved yourself.

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“Son of man, I have made you a watchman(A) for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.(B) When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,(C)’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for[a] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.(D) But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so,(E) they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.(F)

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 33:8 Or in; also in verse 9

17 “Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for Israel. Whenever you receive a message from me, warn people immediately. 18 If I warn the wicked, saying, ‘You are under the penalty of death,’ but you fail to deliver the warning, they will die in their sins. And I will hold you responsible for their deaths. 19 If you warn them and they refuse to repent and keep on sinning, they will die in their sins. But you will have saved yourself because you obeyed me.

20 “If righteous people turn away from their righteous behavior and ignore the obstacles I put in their way, they will die. And if you do not warn them, they will die in their sins. None of their righteous acts will be remembered, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths. 21 But if you warn righteous people not to sin and they listen to you and do not sin, they will live, and you will have saved yourself, too.”

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17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman(A) for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.(B) 18 When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,(C)’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for[a] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.(D) 19 But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn(E) from their wickedness(F) or from their evil ways, they will die(G) for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.(H)

20 “Again, when a righteous person turns(I) from their righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block(J) before them, they will die. Since you did not warn them, they will die for their sin. The righteous things that person did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.(K) 21 But if you do warn the righteous person not to sin and they do not sin, they will surely live because they took warning, and you will have saved yourself.(L)

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 3:18 Or in; also in verses 19 and 20

12 Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God.

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12 So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.(A)

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