But the tenants seized his slaves, beat one, ¹  killed another, and stoned another.

Again he sent other slaves, more than the first, and they treated them the same way.

The ¹  rest seized his slaves, insolently mistreated them, and killed them.

and he begins to beat his fellow slaves and to eat and drink with drunkards,

After ¹  a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled his accounts with them.

So ¹  he called one of the slaves ²  and asked what was happening.

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free with regard to righteousness.

You were bought with a price. Do not become slaves of men.

Do you not know that if you present yourselves ¹  as obedient slaves, ²  you are slaves of the one you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or obedience resulting in righteousness? ³ 

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

“For this reason, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves. ¹ 

When the harvest time was near, he sent his slaves ¹  to the tenants to collect his portion of the crop. ² 

He sent his slaves ¹  to summon those who had been invited to the banquet, but they would not come.

Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but the ones who had been invited were not worthy.

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

For we do not proclaim ¹  ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves ²  for Jesus’ sake.

Slaves, ¹  obey your human masters ²  with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart as to Christ,

Masters, treat your slaves with justice and fairness, because you know that you also have a master in heaven.

Slaves ¹  are to be subject to their own masters in everything, ²  to do what is wanted and not talk back,

Live ¹  as free people, not using your freedom as a pretext for evil, but as God’s slaves. ²