Colossians 3:23
New International Version
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,

New Living Translation
Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

English Standard Version
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,

Berean Standard Bible
Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men,

Berean Literal Bible
Whatever you might do, work from the soul, as to the Lord and not to men,

King James Bible
And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

New King James Version
And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,

New American Standard Bible
Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people,

NASB 1995
Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men,

NASB 1977
Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men;

Legacy Standard Bible
Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men,

Amplified Bible
Whatever you do [whatever your task may be], work from the soul [that is, put in your very best effort], as [something done] for the Lord and not for men,

Christian Standard Bible
Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men,

American Standard Version
whatsoever ye do, work heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And do all that you do with all your soul, as for Our Lord, and not as for the children of men.

Contemporary English Version
Do your work willingly, as though you were serving the Lord himself, and not just your earthly master.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Whatsoever you do, do it from the heart, as to the Lord, and not to men:

English Revised Version
whatsoever ye do, work heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Whatever you do, do it wholeheartedly as though you were working for your real master and not merely for humans.

Good News Translation
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for people.

International Standard Version
Whatever you do, work at it wholeheartedly as though you were doing it for the Lord and not merely for people.

Literal Standard Version
and all, whatever you may do—out of soul work—as to the LORD, and not to men,

Majority Standard Bible
And whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men,

New American Bible
Whatever you do, do from the heart, as for the Lord and not for others,

NET Bible
Whatever you are doing, work at it with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not for people,

New Revised Standard Version
Whatever your task, put yourselves into it, as done for the Lord and not for your masters,

New Heart English Bible
And whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord, and not for people,

Webster's Bible Translation
And whatever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not to men;

Weymouth New Testament
Whatever you are doing, let your hearts be in your work, as a thing done for the Lord and not for men.

World English Bible
And whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,

Young's Literal Translation
and all, whatever ye may do -- out of soul work -- as to the Lord, and not to men,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Christian Households
22Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything, not only to please them while they are watching, but with sincerity of heart and fear of the Lord. 23Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men, 24because you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.…

Cross References
Ecclesiastes 9:10
Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, for in Sheol, where you are going, there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.

Ephesians 6:7
Serve with good will, as to the Lord and not to men,


Treasury of Scripture

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not to men;

whatsoever.

Colossians 3:17
And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

2 Chronicles 31:21
And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.

Psalm 47:6,7
Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises…

as.

Zechariah 7:5-7
Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? …

Matthew 6:16
Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Romans 14:6,8
He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks…

Jump to Previous
Heart Heartily Hearts Labour Rather Readily Serving Soul Task Whatever Whatsoever Work Working
Jump to Next
Heart Heartily Hearts Labour Rather Readily Serving Soul Task Whatever Whatsoever Work Working
Colossians 3
1. He shows where we should seek Christ.
5. He exhorts to holiness;
10. to put off the old self, and put on Christ;
12. exhorting to charity, humility,
18. and other duties.














Verse 23. - Whatever ye be doing, work (therein) from (the) soul, as to the Lord, and not to men (ver. 17; Ephesians 6:6, 7; 1 Corinthians 7:21-23). (On the first clause, see ver. 17.) In the Revised Text, however, the turn of expression differs from that of ver. 17, πᾶν being cancelled. The writer is thinking, not so much of the variety of service possible, as of the spirit which should pervade it. "Do" is replaced in the second clause by the more energetic "work," opposed to indolent or useless doing (comp. Ephesians 4:28; 2 Thessalonians 3:10; John 5:17; John 9:4). "From [ἐκ, out of] the soul "indicates the spring of their exertions - inward principle, not outward compulsion; the servant must put his soul into his work. "Soul" implies, even more than "heart," the engagement of the man's best individual powers (comp. Philippians 1:27, as well as Ephesians 6:6). The slaves' daily taskwork is to be done, not only in sight and in fear of the Lord (ver. 22 b; Ephesians 5:21), but as actually "to the Lord." Him they are serving (ver. 24 b), who alone is "the Lord" (Colossians 2:6); every mean and hard task is dignified and sweetened by the thought of being done for him, and the commonest work must be done with the zeal and thoroughness that his service demands (comp. Ephesians 6:7, "with good will doing bond service"). The word "not" (οὐ instead of μὴ) implies that their service is actually rendered to One other and higher than "men" (1 Corinthians 7:22; Galatians 1:10).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Whatever
(Ho)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that.

you do,
ποιῆτε (poiēte)
Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4160: (a) I make, manufacture, construct, (b) I do, act, cause. Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do.

work at it
ἐργάζεσθε (ergazesthe)
Verb - Present Imperative Middle or Passive - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 2038: To work, trade, perform, do, practice, commit, acquire by labor.

with your whole being,
ψυχῆς (psychēs)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 5590: From psucho; breath, i.e. spirit, abstractly or concretely.

for
ὡς (hōs)
Adverb
Strong's 5613: Probably adverb of comparative from hos; which how, i.e. In that manner.

the
τῷ (tō)
Article - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Lord
Κυρίῳ (Kyriō)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2962: Lord, master, sir; the Lord. From kuros; supreme in authority, i.e. controller; by implication, Master.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

not
οὐκ (ouk)
Adverb
Strong's 3756: No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.

for men,
ἀνθρώποις (anthrōpois)
Noun - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 444: A man, one of the human race. From aner and ops; man-faced, i.e. A human being.


Links
Colossians 3:23 NIV
Colossians 3:23 NLT
Colossians 3:23 ESV
Colossians 3:23 NASB
Colossians 3:23 KJV

Colossians 3:23 BibleApps.com
Colossians 3:23 Biblia Paralela
Colossians 3:23 Chinese Bible
Colossians 3:23 French Bible
Colossians 3:23 Catholic Bible

NT Letters: Colossians 3:23 And whatever you do work heartily as (Coloss. Col Co)
Colossians 3:22
Top of Page
Top of Page