So the slaves ¹  of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?’

He said, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So ¹  the slaves replied, ‘Do you want us to go and gather them?’

When ¹  his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were very upset and went and told their lord everything that had taken place.

And those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all they found, both bad and good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

“For it is like a man going on a journey, who summoned his slaves ¹  and entrusted his property to them.

Even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night ¹  and finds them alert, ²  blessed are those slaves! ³ 

And he summoned ten of his slaves, ¹  gave them ten minas, ²  and said to them, ‘Do business with these until I come back.’

But I will punish ¹  the nation they serve as slaves,’ said God, ‘and after these things they will come out of there ²  and worship ³  me in this place.’ ⁴ 

Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God redeemed you from there; therefore I am commanding you to do all this.

If he is able to fight with me and strike me down, we will become your servants. But if I prevail against him and strike him down, you will become our servants and will serve us.”

Those who are under the yoke as slaves ¹  must regard their own masters as deserving of full respect. This will prevent ²  the name of God and Christian teaching ³  from being discredited. ⁴ 

For we too were once foolish, disobedient, misled, enslaved to various passions and desires, spending our lives in evil and envy, hateful and hating one another.

Furthermore, remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and so be careful to observe these statutes.

You must not return an escaped slave to his master when he has run away to you. ¹ 

“If I have disregarded the right of my male servants or my female servants when they disputed ¹  with me,

because you know that each person, whether slave or free, if he does something good, this ¹  will be rewarded by the Lord.

And now, though we share the same flesh and blood as our fellow countrymen, ¹  and our children are just like their children, ²  still we have found it necessary to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. ³  Some of our daughters have been subjected to slavery, while we are powerless to help, ⁴  since our fields and vineyards now belong to other people.” ⁵ 

Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain ¹  that your descendants will be strangers ²  in a foreign country. ³  They will be enslaved and oppressed ⁴  for four hundred years.

but if a priest buys a person with his own money, ¹  that person ²  may eat the holy offerings, ³  and those born in the priest’s ⁴  own house may eat his food. ⁵ 

Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you; therefore, I am commanding you to do this thing today.