<p class="poetry">&#8220;Now, according to your word,<n id="1" /> Sovereign Lord,<n id="2" /> permit<n id="3" /> your servant<n id="4" /> to depart<n id="5" /> in peace.p>

So<n id="1" /> when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave<n id="2" /> well.p>

He won&#8217;t thank the slave because he did what he was told,<n id="1" /> will he?<n id="2" />

A centurion<n id="1" /> there<n id="2" /> had a slave<n id="3" /> who was highly regarded,<n id="4" /> but who was sick and at the point of death.

Blessed is that slave<n id="1" /> whom his master finds at work<n id="2" /> when he returns.

Then<n id="1" /> the slave said, &#8216;Sir, what you instructed has been done, and there is still room.&#8217;<n id="2" />

So<n id="1" /> he sent another slave. They beat this one too, treated him outrageously, and sent him away empty-handed.<n id="2" />

When the centurion<n id="1" /> heard<n id="2" /> about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders<n id="3" /> to him, asking him to come<n id="4" /> and heal his slave.

That<n id="1" /> servant who knew his master&#8217;s will but did not get ready or do what his master asked<n id="2" /> will receive a severe beating.

At<n id="1" /> the time for the banquet<n id="2" /> he sent his slave<n id="3" /> to tell those who had been invited, &#8216;Come, because everything is now ready.&#8217;

So<n id="1" /> the master said to his<n id="2" /> slave, &#8216;Go out to the highways<n id="3" /> and country roads<n id="4" /> and urge<n id="5" /> people<n id="6" /> to come in, so that my house will be filled.<n id="7" />

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;Would any one of you say<n id="1" /> to your slave<n id="2" /> who comes in from the field after plowing or shepherding sheep, &#8216;Come at once and sit down for a meal&#8217;?<n id="3" />

So you too, when you have done everything you were commanded to do, should say, &#8216;We are slaves undeserving of special praise;<n id="1" /> we have only done what was our duty.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

And he summoned ten of his slaves,<n id="1" /> gave them ten minas,<n id="2" /> and said to them, &#8216;Do business with these until I come back.&#8217;

And the king<n id="1" /> said to him, &#8216;Well done, good slave! Because you have been faithful<n id="2" /> in a very small matter, you will have authority<n id="3" /> over ten cities.&#8217;

When harvest time came, he sent a slave<n id="1" /> to the tenants so that they would give<n id="2" /> him his portion of the crop.<n id="3" /> However, the tenants beat his slave<n id="4" /> and sent him away empty-handed.

Then<n id="1" /> one of them<n id="2" /> struck the high priest&#8217;s slave,<n id="3" /> cutting off his right ear.

So<n id="1" /> the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the master of the household was furious<n id="2" /> and said to his slave, &#8216;Go out quickly<n id="3" /> to the streets and alleys of the city,<n id="4" /> and bring in the poor,<n id="5" /> the crippled,<n id="6" /> the blind, and the lame.&#8217;

For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me.<n id="1" /> I say to this one, &#8216;Go,&#8217; and he goes,<n id="2" /> and to another, &#8216;Come,&#8217; and he comes, and to my slave, &#8216;Do this,&#8217; and he does it.&#8221;<n id="3" />

Blessed are those slaves<n id="1" /> whom their master finds alert<n id="2" /> when he returns! I tell you the truth,<n id="3" /> he will dress himself to serve,<n id="4" /> have them take their place at the table,<n id="5" /> and will come<n id="6" /> and wait on them!<n id="7" />