John 12:26
New International Version
Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

New Living Translation
Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.

English Standard Version
If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

Berean Standard Bible
If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, My servant will be as well. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.

Berean Literal Bible
If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.

King James Bible
If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

New King James Version
If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.

New American Standard Bible
If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.

NASB 1995
“If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.

NASB 1977
“If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall My servant also be; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.

Legacy Standard Bible
If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.

Amplified Bible
If anyone serves Me, he must [continue to faithfully] follow Me [without hesitation, holding steadfastly to Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]; and wherever I am [in heaven’s glory], there will My servant be also. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.

Christian Standard Bible
If anyone serves me, he must follow me. Where I am, there my servant also will be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me. Where I am, there My servant also will be. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.

American Standard Version
If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will the Father honor.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“If a man serves me, he shall come after me, and where I am there shall also my servant be. Whoever ministers to me, The Father shall honor.”

Contemporary English Version
If you serve me, you must go with me. My servants will be with me wherever I am. If you serve me, my Father will honor you.

Douay-Rheims Bible
If any man minister to me, let him follow me; and where I am, there also shall my minister be. If any man minister to me, him will my Father honour.

English Revised Version
If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will the Father honour.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Those who serve me must follow me. My servants will be with me wherever I will be. If people serve me, the Father will honor them.

Good News Translation
Whoever wants to serve me must follow me, so that my servant will be with me where I am. And my Father will honor anyone who serves me.

International Standard Version
If anyone serves me, he must follow me. And where I am, there my servant will also be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him."

Literal Standard Version
if anyone may minister to Me, let him follow Me, and where I am, there My servant will be also; and if anyone may minister to Me—the Father will honor him.

Majority Standard Bible
If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, My servant will be as well. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.

New American Bible
Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me.

NET Bible
If anyone wants to serve me, he must follow me, and where I am, my servant will be too. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

New Revised Standard Version
Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.

New Heart English Bible
If anyone serves me, let him follow me; and where I am, there will my servant also be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

Webster's Bible Translation
If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honor.

Weymouth New Testament
If a man wishes to be my servant, let him follow me; and where I am, there too shall my servant be. If a man wishes to be my servant, the Father will honour him.

World English Bible
If anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I am, there my servant will also be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

Young's Literal Translation
if any one may minister to me, let him follow me, and where I am, there also my ministrant shall be; and if any one may minister to me -- honour him will the Father.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jesus Predicts His Death
25Whoever loves his life will lose it, but whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, My servant will be as well. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. 27Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? No, it is for this purpose that I have come to this hour.…

Cross References
1 Samuel 2:30
Therefore, the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: 'I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever. But now the LORD declares: Far be it from Me! For I will honor those who honor Me, but those who despise Me will be disdained.

Psalm 91:15
When he calls out to Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him.

Luke 12:37
Blessed are those servants whom the master finds on watch when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve and will have them recline at the table, and he himself will come and wait on them.

John 14:3
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am.

John 17:24
Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, that they may see the glory You gave Me because You loved Me before the foundation of the world.

2 Corinthians 5:8
We are confident, then, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

Philippians 1:23
I am torn between the two. I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better indeed.


Treasury of Scripture

If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honor.

serve.

John 13:16
Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.

John 14:15
If ye love me, keep my commandments.

John 15:20
Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

let.

John 10:27
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

John 21:22
Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.

Numbers 14:24
But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.

where.

John 14:3
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

John 17:24
Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

Psalm 17:15
As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

him.

John 14:21-23
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him…

1 Samuel 2:30
Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

Proverbs 27:18
Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured.

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John 12
1. Jesus excuses Mary anointing his feet.
9. The people flock to see Lazarus.
10. The chief priests consult to kill him.
12. Jesus rides into Jerusalem.
20. Greeks desire to see Jesus.
23. He foretells his death.
37. The people are generally blinded;
42. yet many chief rulers believe, but do not confess him;
44. therefore Jesus calls earnestly for confession of faith.














(26) If any man serve me, let him follow me.--The close connection of John 12:23-25 make it certain that the spiritual law of sacrifice is there applied to the life of our Lord Himself. This verse makes it equally certain that the law is applied to those who follow Him. The point of the whole teaching is missed unless we think of the Greeks as present. They had come as volunteer disciples. Did they know what the discipleship was? Were they prepared to follow Him in self-sacrifice, that through sacrifice they may obtain eternal life? It had been the condition of earlier discipleship. It is laid down for the new disciples, but in the presence of the older ones who in the dark days that have now come were to learn what sacrifice meant. The Greeks needed no less than the Hebrews to learn it; the men of a wider civilisation and more philosophic thought no less than the fishermen of Galilee and the scribes of Jerusalem. All self-seeking, whether in the coarser forms of pleasure and power or in the more refined forms of emotion and thought, is self-loving; all self-sacrifice, whether in the daily round of duty to man or in the devotion of the whole self to God, is self-saving. Self-seeking is always akin to, and ofttimes one with, hatred of others; and hatred is death. Self-sacrifice is akin to, and one with, love to others; and love is life.

And where I am, there shall also my servant be.--This is an anticipation of the glory of the Son of man for which the hour had already come. (Comp. Note on John 17:24.)

If any man serve me, him will my Father honour.--The condition is the same as in the first clause of the verse, the difference of that which follows upon the condition again bringing out in the fulness of its meaning the law of life through sacrifice:

"If any man serve Me,"

{

"let him follow Me" . . .

}

"he that hateth his life in this world" . . .

Verse 26. - In this verse the Lord brings the light of heaven down into this deep paradox. He speaks like an anointed King and great Captain of salvation, who has (διάκονοι) "servants" willing to do his bidding. If any man will be my servant, let him follow me along the line which I am prepared to take, in the way of sacrifice and death, which is the true glorification; and where I am, there shall also my servant be. This association of the servant with the Lord, as the sufficient and the transcendent motive, pervades the Gospels (cf. John 14:3 and John 17:24; comp. also Luke 23:43, "with me in Paradise;" and 2 Corinthians 12:2, 4; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23). It is remarkable that Christ chose the twelve that they should be "with him" (Mark 3:14). There is no greater blessedness. Still, the Lord adds, If any man serve me, him will the Father honor. For the Father to honor a poor child of the dust seems almost more than we can receive. The conception of the steps by means of which the Lord makes this possible to his followers and servants produced in his own self-consciousness one of those sudden and overwhelming crises and changes from joy to perturbation, as of agony to peace and to reconcilement with the eternal Father's will, which prove how certainly St. John is always portraying the same Personage, the same transcendent character whom the synoptists describe (Luke 12:49, 50; comp. Luke 19:38, 41; Matthew 11:20, 25; Matthew 16:17, etc., and 21). More than this, the whole passage that follows is a solemn prelude to that agony of the garden which the synoptists alone record, while they omit this.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
If
ἐὰν (ean)
Conjunction
Strong's 1437: If. From ei and an; a conditional particle; in case that, provided, etc.

anyone
τις (tis)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5100: Any one, some one, a certain one or thing. An enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object.

serves
διακονῇ (diakonē)
Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1247: From diakonos; to be an attendant, i.e. Wait upon (figuratively) teacher; technically, to act as a Christian deacon.

Me,
ἐμοί (emoi)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

he must follow
ἀκολουθείτω (akoloutheitō)
Verb - Present Imperative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 190: To accompany, attend, follow. Properly, to be in the same way with, i.e. To accompany.

Me;
ἐμοὶ (emoi)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

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

where
ὅπου (hopou)
Adverb
Strong's 3699: Where, whither, in what place. From hos and pou; what(-ever) where, i.e. At whichever spot.

I
ἐγὼ (egō)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

am,
εἰμὶ (eimi)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

My
ἐμὸς (emos)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative Masculine 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1699: My, mine. From the oblique cases of ego; my.

servant
διάκονος (diakonos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1249: Probably from an obsolete diako; an attendant, i.e. a waiter; specially, a Christian teacher and pastor.

will be
ἔσται (estai)
Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

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

If
ἐάν (ean)
Conjunction
Strong's 1437: If. From ei and an; a conditional particle; in case that, provided, etc.

anyone
τις (tis)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5100: Any one, some one, a certain one or thing. An enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object.

serves
διακονῇ (diakonē)
Verb - Present Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1247: From diakonos; to be an attendant, i.e. Wait upon (figuratively) teacher; technically, to act as a Christian deacon.

Me,
ἐμοὶ (emoi)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

the
(ho)
Article - Nominative 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.

Father
Πατήρ (Patēr)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3962: Father, (Heavenly) Father, ancestor, elder, senior. Apparently a primary word; a 'father'.

will honor
τιμήσει (timēsei)
Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 5091: From timios; to prize, i.e. Fix a valuation upon; by implication, to revere.

him.
αὐτὸν (auton)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.


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NT Gospels: John 12:26 If anyone serves me let him follow (Jhn Jo Jn)
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