41 Bible Verses about Servanthood, In Society

When you buy a Hebrew slave he will be your slave for six years. In the seventh year he may leave as a free man without paying for his freedom. If he was single at the time you bought him he alone must be set free. If he was married at that time, both he and his wife must be given their freedom. If his master gives him a wife, and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children will belong to her master. He shall go out alone.read more.
What if the slave loves his wife and children so much that he will not leave without them? He must stand beside either the door or the doorpost at the place of worship. His owner will punch a small hole through one of his ears with a sharp metal rod. This makes him a slave for life.

If you buy Israelites (your own brothers) as slaves, you must set them free after six years. Do not send him away empty handed when you set him free. Supply him liberally from your flock and from your threshing floor and from your wine vat. Give to him as Jehovah your God has blessed you.read more.
Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and Jehovah your God redeemed you. Therefore I command you this today! If he says to you: I will not leave you. If it is because he loves you and your household, since he fares well with you, then you shall take an awl and pierce it through his ear into the door. He will be your servant for a very long time. You should do likewise to your maidservant. It should not seem hard to you when you set him free. After all he has given you six years with double the service of a hired man. Jehovah your God will bless you in whatever you do.

Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be a long lasting covenant.

After you have circumcised your purchased slave he may eat of it.

The seventh day is a Sabbath dedicated to Jehovah your God. Do not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you.

The seventh day is the Sabbath of Jehovah your God: in it you should not do any work. Your son and daughter should not work. Your manservant and maidservant should not work. Your ox, donkey, cattle or any stranger living with you should not work. Your manservant and maidservant should rest as much as you do.

If an Israelite becomes poor and sells himself to you, do not work him like a slave. He will be like a hired worker or a visitor to you. He may work with you until the year of jubilee. Then you will release him and his children to go back to their family and the property of their ancestors.read more.
They are my servants. I brought them out of Egypt. They must never be sold as slaves. Do not treat them harshly. Respect your God. You may have male and female slaves, but buy them from the nations around you. You may also buy the children of the foreigners who are living among you. Such children born in your land may become your property. You may leave them as an inheritance to your children, whom they must serve as long as they live. But you must not treat any Israelites harshly. Suppose a foreigner living with you becomes rich, while some Israelites become poor and sell themselves as slaves to that foreigner or to a member of that foreigner's family. He has the right to be set free by a relative, such as a brother. His uncle, his cousin, or some other relative could also buy him back. If he becomes rich, he could buy his own freedom. Then he and his buyer must take into account the number of years from the year he was bought until the year of jubilee. His sale price will be adjusted based on the number of years he was with his buyer. This is like the wages of a hired worker. If there are many years left, he must refund from his purchase price an amount equal to those years. If there are only a few years left until the year of jubilee, he must take them into account. He must refund from his purchase price an amount equal to those years. He should serve his buyer as a hired worker during those years. His buyer should not treat him harshly. If he cannot buy his freedom he and his children will be released in the year of jubilee. The Israelites belong to me! They are my servants. I brought them out of Egypt. I am Jehovah your God!'

When you go to war with your enemies and Jehovah your God hands them over to you, you may take them captive. If you see a beautiful woman among the captives and your heart is set on her, you may marry her. Take her to your home. She should shave her head and cut her nails.read more.
She should no longer wear the clothes she was wearing when you captured her. She may live in your house and mourn the loss of her father and mother for one month. After that you may marry her. Later if you are not happy with the woman you may divorce her. She may go free. But you have slept with her as your wife, so you cannot sell her as a slave or make her into your own slave.

You stand today, all of you, before Jehovah your God: your leaders, your tribes, your elders and your officers, even all the men of Israel. Your little ones, your wives, and the alien who is within your camps, from the one who chops your wood to the one who draws your water,

Sheshan had no sons, only daughters. He had an Egyptian servant named Jarha. Sheshan gave his daughter in marriage to his servant Jarha, and she bore him Attai.

David replied to Saul: I am a shepherd for my father's sheep. When a lion or a bear comes and carries off a sheep from the flock,

Is the young man Absalom all right? The king asked. Ahimaaz answered: I saw a lot of confusion when Joab sent me away. I did not know what it meant.

The letter stated: This letter will introduce my officer Naaman. I want you to cure him of his leprosy.

This is a copy of the letter that they sent to Artaxerxes the king: 'Your servants living across the river send these words:

The king's favor is toward a wise servant. His anger is against the one who causes shame.

The kingdom of heaven is like a king who went over his accounts with his servants.

Ahaz sent representatives to Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, saying: I am your servant and your son. Come help me against the kings of Aram and Israel who have taken up arms against me.

As soon as the kings who were subject to Hadadezer realized that they had been defeated by the Israelites, they made peace with them and became their subjects. The Syrians were afraid to help the Ammonites any more.

When the vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him. So the Arameans were not willing to help the Ammonites anymore.

Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against him. Hoshea became his servant and sent him offerings.

Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded Judah. Jehoiakim king of Judah was forced to serve him for three years. Then he rebelled and fought against him.

Foreigners will rebuild your walls, and their kings will serve you. I struck you because of my anger, but in my favor I have compassion on you.

There was a servant of Saul's family named Ziba. He was told to go to David. Are you Ziba? The king asked. I am at your service. He answered.

My lords, he said, come to my home to wash your feet, and be my guests for the night. You may get up in the morning as early as you like and be on your way again. Oh no, they said, We will spend the night out here in the city square.

He informed them to say: Your obedient servant, Jacob, reports to my master Esau that I have been staying with Laban and that I have delayed my return until now.

I had two sons who fought with each other in the field. There was no one to separate them. One killed the other.

The fifty prophets from Jericho saw him and said: The power of Elijah is on Elisha! So they went to meet him and bowed down before him. They said: There are fifty of us here. We are all strong men. Let us go and look for your master. Maybe the Spirit of Jehovah has carried him away and left him on some mountain or in some valley. Elisha answered: You must not go.

The widow of a member of a group of prophets said to Elisha: My husband has died! As you know, he was a man who respected God. A man to whom he owed money came to take away my two sons as slaves in payment for my husband's debt.

One of them urged him to go with them and he agreed.

Test your servants, please, for ten days. Give them vegetables to eat and water to drink. You compare our appearance and the appearance of the young people who eat the king's special food. Then you deal with us according to what you see.

The Chaldeans spoke in the Syrian language: O king, may you live for a very long time. Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it.

He who troubles his own house will inherit the wind. The fool will serve the wise of heart.

He with a servant who is lightly esteemed is better off than he who has no food and yet is honored.

A wise servant will rule over a son who causes shame and share the inheritance among the brothers.

A servant will not be corrected by words alone. Even though he understands he will not respond.

Do not incriminate a servant to his master, or he will curse you could be found guilty.

Do not be called Rabbi (master) (teacher) (leader), for only one is your teacher. You are all brothers. Call no man your father on the earth, for only one is your Father in heaven. Do not be called master (teacher) (leader), for only one is your master, and he is Christ.read more.
The greatest among you will be your servant. He who exalts himself will be humbled. He who humbles himself will be exalted.

You cannot serve two masters. You will hate one and love the other. You will be loyal to one master and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money (wealth) (material possessions).

Let us say you have a servant who is plowing or looking after the sheep. Do you tell him to hurry and eat his meal when he comes in from the field? No you do not. You say to him get my supper ready. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. After that you may have your meal. Does the servant deserve thanks for obeying orders?read more.
The same applies to you. When you have done all you have been told to do, you say, we are unworthy servants. We have done what we ought to have done.

Remember the word I said to you. A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they obeyed my word, they will obey yours also.

I say through the grace given to me that every man among you should not think more highly of himself than he ought to think. But to think soberly, just as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith. For we have many members in one body and all members do not have the same function. These many members are one body in Christ, and every one, individually, is a member one of the other.read more.
We have gifts that differ according to the grace that is given to us. Whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on our ministering; or he who teaches on teaching; or he who exhorts; on exhortation; he who gives let him do it with liberality; he who rules, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.