Romans 14:11

Amplified Bible

For it is written [in Scripture], "AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD."

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
Yes, the Scriptures say, "‘As surely as I live,' says the Lord, ‘Everyone will bow before me; everyone will say that I am God.'"

Revised Standard Version
for it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God."

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
For it is written: as truely as I lyve sayth ye lorde all knees shall bowe to me and all tonges shall geve a knowledge to God.

Hebrew Names Version
For it is written, "'As I live,' says the Lord, 'to me every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess to God.'"

International Standard Version
For it is written,Isaiah 45:23; Philippians 2:10;">[xr] "As certainly as I live, declares the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will praiseconfess">[fn] God."Isaiah 49:18; 45:23">[fn]

New American Standard Bible
For it is written: "AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, TO ME EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, AND EVERY TONGUE WILL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD."

New Century Version
because it is written in the Scriptures: "‘As surely as I live,' says the Lord, ‘Everyone will bow before me; everyone will say that I am God.'" Isaiah 45:23

Update Bible Version
For it is written, As I live, says the Lord, to me every knee shall bow, And every tongue shall confess to God.

Webster's Bible Translation
For it is written, [As] I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

English Standard Version
for it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God."

World English Bible
For it is written, "'As I live,' says the Lord, 'to me every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess to God.'"

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

Weymouth's New Testament
for it is written, "`As I live,' says the Lord, `to Me every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall make confession to God.'"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For it is writun, Y lyue, seith the Lord, for to me ech kne schal be bowid, and ech tunge schal knouleche to God.

English Revised Version
For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, to me every knee shall bow, And every tongue shall confess to God.

Berean Standard Bible
It is written: "As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before Me; every tongue will confess to God."

Contemporary English Version
In the Scriptures God says, "I swear by my very life that everyone will kneel down and praise my name!"

American Standard Version
For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, to me every knee shall bow, And every tongue shall confess to God.

Bible in Basic English
For it is said in the holy Writings, By my life, says the Lord, to me every knee will be bent, and every tongue will give worship to God.

Complete Jewish Bible
since it is written in the Tanakh, "As I live, says Adonai , every knee will bend before me, and every tongue will publicly acknowledge God."

Darby Translation
For it is written, *I* live, saith [the] Lord, that to me shall bow every knee, and every tongue shall confess to God.

Etheridge Translation
as it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, unto me every knee shall bow, and to me shall every tongue confess.

Murdock Translation
as it is written: As I live, saith the Lord, to me every knee shall bow; and to me every tongue shall give praise.

King James Version (1611)
For it is written, As I liue, saith the Lord, euery knee shall bow to mee, and euery tongue shall confesse to God.

New Living Translation
For the Scriptures say, "‘As surely as I live,' says the Lord , ‘every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.'"

New Life Bible
The Holy Writings say, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before Me. And every tongue will say that I am God."

New Revised Standard
For it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God."

Geneva Bible (1587)
For it is written, I liue, sayth the Lord, and euery knee shall bowe to me, and all tongues shall confesse vnto God.

George Lamsa Translation
For it is written, As I live, said the LORD, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess me.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For it is written - Living am, I, saith the Lord, unto me, shall bow every knee, and, every tongue, shall openly confess unto God.

Douay-Rheims Bible
For it is written: As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For it is written, I lyue, sayth the Lorde: and all knees shall bowe to me, & all tongues shall geue prayse to God.

Good News Translation
For the scripture says, "As surely as I am the living God, says the Lord, everyone will kneel before me, and everyone will confess that I am God."

Christian Standard Bible®
For it is written,

King James Version
For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

Lexham English Bible
For it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will praise God."

Literal Translation
For it has been written, "As I live, says the Lord, that every knee will bow to Me, and every tongue confess to God." Isa. 45:23

Young's Literal Translation
for it hath been written, `I live! saith the Lord -- to Me bow shall every knee, and every tongue shall confess to God;'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For it is wrytte: As truly as I lyue, (sayeth the LORDE) all knees shal bowe vnto me, & all tuges shal knowlege vnto God.

Mace New Testament (1729)
for it is written , "as I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God."

New English Translation
For it is written, " As I live , says the Lord , every knee will bow to me , and every tongue will give praise to God ."

New King James Version
For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord,Every knee shall bow to Me,And every tongue shall confess to God." Isaiah 45:23 ">[fn]

Simplified Cowboy Version
The Good Book says, "'As much as I am alive, every soul will bend the knee and every mouth shall pledge themselves to me,' says the Lord."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
For it is written, "AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD."

Legacy Standard Bible
For it is written,"As I live, says the Lord, to Me every knee shall bow,And every tongue shall confess to God."

Contextual Overview

¹As for the one whose faith is weak, accept him [into your fellowship], but not for [the purpose of] quarreling over his opinions. ²One man's faith permits him to eat everything, while the weak believer eats only vegetables [to avoid eating ritually unclean meat or something previously considered unclean]. ³The one who eats [everything] is not to look down on the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat must not criticize or pass judgment on the one who eats [everything], for God has accepted him. ⁴Who are you to judge the servant of another? Before his own master he stands [approved] or falls [out of favor]. And he [who serves the Master—the Lord] will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. ⁵One person regards one day as better [or more important] than another, while another regards every day [the same as any other]. Let everyone be fully convinced (assured, satisfied) in his own mind. ⁶He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord. He who eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; while he who abstains, abstains for the Lord and gives thanks to God. ⁷None of us lives for himself [for his own benefit, but for the Lord], and none of us dies for himself [but for the Lord]. ⁸If we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord. So then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. ⁹For Christ died and lived again for this reason, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. ¹⁰But you, why do you criticize your brother? Or you again, why do you look down on your [believing] brother or regard him with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God [who alone is judge].

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

As: Numbers 14:21, Numbers 14:28, Isaiah 49:18, Jeremiah 22:24, Ezekiel 5:11, Zephaniah 2:9

every knee: Psalms 72:11, Isaiah 45:22-25, Philippians 2:10, Revelation 5:14

confess: Romans 10:9, Romans 15:9, Matthew 10:32, 1 John 4:15, 2 John 1:7

Reciprocal: Genesis 43:26 - bowed 2 Chronicles 29:29 - bowed themselves Isaiah 65:16 - he that Jeremiah 12:16 - my name Ezekiel 33:11 - As I live Zephaniah 1:5 - by the Lord Zechariah 14:17 - that Mark 15:19 - and bowing Philippians 2:11 - is Lord James 4:7 - Submit

Cross-References

Genesis 12:5
Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had acquired, and the people (servants) which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan,

Genesis 14:16
And he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his nephew Lot and his possessions, and also the women, and the people.

Genesis 14:21
The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the people and keep the goods (spoils of battle) for yourself."

Deuteronomy 28:31
"Your ox will be slaughtered before your eyes, but you will not eat any of it; your donkey will be torn away from you, and it will not be returned to you; your sheep will be given to your enemies, and you will have no one to save you.

Deuteronomy 28:35
"The LORD will strike you on the knees and on the legs with sore boils that you cannot heal, from the sole of your foot to the crown of your head.

Deuteronomy 28:51
and it will eat the offspring of your herd and the produce of your ground until you are destroyed, who will leave you no grain, new wine, or oil, nor the offspring of your herd or the young of your flock until they have caused you to perish.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For it is written,.... In Isaiah 45:23; though Justin Martyr o cites a like passage with what follows, as out of Ezekiel 37, but no such words appear there, either in the Hebrew text, or Septuagint version:

as I live, saith the Lord; the form of an oath used often by the Lord; who because he could swear by no greater, he swore by himself, by his own life; signifying, that what he was about to say, would as surely come to pass, as that he lived; and in the original text in Isaiah it is, "I have sworn by myself"; which being generally expressed, the apostle, perfectly agreeable to the meaning of it, gives the particular form of oath he swore, as in Isaiah 49:18;

every knee shall bow to me; which is not to be understood literally of bowing of the knee at the name of Jesus, which has no foundation in this, nor in any other passage of Scripture, but figuratively, of the subjection of all creatures to Christ, both voluntary and involuntary. The Complutensian edition adds, "of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth", as in Philippians 2:10, from whence these words seem to be taken:

and every tongue shall confess to God; that is, everyone that has a tongue, every man, be he who he will, a good or a bad man, shall own at the last day, that Christ is God and Lord of all; see Philippians 2:10. It may be asked, how this passage appears to be a proof of what the apostle had asserted, for which purpose it seems to be cited, since here is nothing said of Christ, nor of his judgment seat, nor of all standing before it? to which may be returned, that it is clear from the context in the prophet, that the Messiah is the person speaking, who is said to be a just God and Saviour; and is represented as calling upon, and encouraging all sorts of persons to look to him for salvation; and as he in whom the church expected righteousness and strength, and in whom all the seed of Israel shall be justified, and shall glory; and which the Chaldee paraphrase all along interprets of מימרא דיי, "the Word of the Lord"; the essential Word of God, the true Messiah: moreover, the bowing of the knee, and swearing, or confessing, to him, relate to his lordship and dominion over all; and suppose him as sitting on his throne of glory, as Lord of all, or as a judge on his judgment seat, in a court of judicature, where such like actions as here mentioned are performed; and whereas every knee is to bow, and every tongue to confess to him, which include all mankind, it follows then, that all the saints shall stand before him, bow unto him, own him as their Lord, and be judged by him. Kimchi says p, that this shall be באחרת הימים, "in the last days": and which the apostle rightly refers to the day of the general judgment. This place affords a considerable proof of Christ's true and proper deity, being in the prophet styled "Jehovah", and by the apostle "God"; and such things being ascribed to him, as swearing by himself, which no creature may do, and the subjection and confession of all creatures to him, whether they will or not.

o Apolog. 2. pro Christianis, p. 87. p In Isaiah 45:23.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For it is written - This passage is recorded in Isaiah 45:23. It is not quoted literally, but the sense is preserved. In Isaiah there can be no doubt that it refers to Yahweh. The speaker expressly calls himself Yahweh, the name which is appropriate to God alone, and which is never applied to a creature; Romans 14:18. In the place before us, the words are applied by Paul expressly to Christ; compare Romans 14:10. This mode of quotation is a strong incidental proof that the apostle regarded the Lord Jesus as divine. On no other principle could he have made these quotations.

As I live - The Hebrew is, “I have sworn by myself.” One expression is equivalent to the other. An “oath” of God is often expressed by the phrase “as I live;” Numbers 14:21; Isaiah 49:18; Ezekiel 5:11; Ezekiel 14:16, etc.

Saith the Lord - These words are not in the Hebrew text, but are added by the apostle to show that the passage quoted was spoken by the Lord, the Messiah; compare Isaiah 45:18, Isaiah 45:22.

Every knee shall bow to me - To bow the knee” is an act expressing homage, submission, or adoration. It means that every person shall acknowledge him as God, and admit his right to universal dominion. The passage in Isaiah refers particularly to the homage which “his own people” should render to him; or rather, it means that all who are saved shall acknowledge “him” as their God and Saviour. The original reference was not to “all men,” but only to those who should be saved; Isaiah 45:17, Isaiah 45:21-22, Isaiah 45:24. In this sense the apostle uses it; not as denoting that “all men” should confess to God, but that all “Christians,” whether Jewish or Gentile converts, should alike give account to Him. “They” should all bow before their common God, and acknowledge “his” dominion over them. The passage originally did not refer particularly to the day of judgment, but expressed the truth that all believers should acknowledge his dominion. It is as applicable, however, to the judgment, as to any other act of homage which his people will render.

Every tongue shall confess to God - In the Hebrew, “Every tongue shall swear.” Not swear “by God,” but “to him;” that is, pay to him our vows, or “answer to him on oath” for our conduct; and this is the same as confessing to him, or acknowledging him as our Judge.