Luke 11:44

Bible in Basic English

A curse is on you! for you are like the resting-places of dead men, which are not seen, and men go walking over them without knowledge of it.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“Woe to you!

King James Version (1611)
Woe vnto you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites: for ye are as graues which appeare not, and the men that walk ouer them, are not aware of them.

King James Version
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.

English Standard Version
Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it."

New American Standard Bible
"Woe to you! For you are like unseen tombs, and the people who walk over them are unaware of it."

New Century Version
How terrible for you, because you are like hidden graves, which people walk on without knowing."

Amplified Bible
"Woe to you! For you are like graves which are unmarked, and people walk over them without being aware of it [and are ceremonially unclean]."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Woe to you! For you are like concealed tombs, and the people who walk over them are unaware of it."

Legacy Standard Bible
Woe to you! For you are like concealed tombs, and the people who walk over them are unaware of it."

Berean Standard Bible
Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, which men walk across without even noticing."

Contemporary English Version
But you are in for trouble! You are like unmarked graves that people walk on without even knowing it.

Complete Jewish Bible
"Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which people walk over without knowing it."

Darby Translation
Woe unto you, for ye are as the sepulchres which appear not, and the men walking over them do not know [it].

Easy-to-Read Version
It will be bad for you, because you are like hidden graves. People walk on them without knowing it."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Wo be to you, Scribes and Pharises, hypocrites: for ye are as graues which appeare not, and the men that walke ouer them, perceiue not.

George Lamsa Translation
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like graves that cannot be recognized, and men walk over them and know it not.

Good News Translation
How terrible for you! You are like unmarked graves which people walk on without knowing it."

Lexham English Bible
Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, and the people who walk over them do not know it!

Literal Translation
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees! Hypocrites! For you are as the unseen tombs, and the men walking above do not know.

American Standard Version
Woe unto you! for ye are as the tombs which appear not, and the men that walk over them know it not.

Hebrew Names Version
Woe to you, Sofrim and Perushim, hypocrites! For you are like hidden graves, and the men who walk over them don't know it."

International Standard Version
How terrible it will be for you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk on them without realizing it."Psalm 5:9; Matthew 23:27;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
Woe to you, scribes and Pharishee, hypocrites ! for you are like tombs that are not known, and men walk upon them, and do not know.

Murdock Translation
Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! for ye are like graves that are unknown, and men walk over them and do not know [fn] .

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Wo vnto you scribes and pharisees, ye hypocrites: for ye are as graues which appeare not, and the men that walke ouer them, are not ware of them.

English Revised Version
Woe unto you! for ye are as the tombs which appear not, and the men that walk over them know it not.

World English Bible
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like hidden graves, and the men who walk over them don't know it."

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
and salutations in the markets. Wo to you; for ye are as graves which appear not, and men that walk over them are not aware.

Weymouth's New Testament
Alas for you! for you are like the tombs which lie hidden, and the people who walk over them are not aware of their existence."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Wo to you, that ben as sepulcris, that ben not seyn, and men walkynge aboue witen not.

Update Bible Version
Woe to you! for you are as the tombs which do not appear, and the men that walk over [them] do not know it.

Webster's Bible Translation
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over [them] are not aware [of them].

New English Translation
Woe to you! You are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without realizing it!"

New King James Version
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! [fn] For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them."

New Living Translation
Yes, what sorrow awaits you! For you are like hidden graves in a field. People walk over them without knowing the corruption they are stepping on."

New Life Bible
It is bad for you, teachers of the Law and proud religious law-keepers and you who pretend to be someone you are not! For you are like graves that are hidden. Men walk on graves without knowing they are there."

New Revised Standard
Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without realizing it."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Alas for you! because ye are as the secret tombs: even the men that are walking above them, know it not.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Woe to you, because you are as sepulchres that appear not: and men that walk over are not aware.

Revised Standard Version
Woe to you! for you are like graves which are not seen, and men walk over them without knowing it."

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Wo be to you scribes and pharises ypocrites for ye are as graves which appere not and the men yt walke over the are not ware of the.

Young's Literal Translation
`Wo to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because ye are as the unseen tombs, and the men walking above have not known.'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Wo vnto you scrybes and Pharyses, ye ypocrites, for ye are like couered sepulcres, where ouer men walke, and are not awarre of them.

Mace New Testament (1729)
wo unto you: for you resemble subterraneous monuments, which men walk over, without perceiving them.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Y'all religious people are going to get what's coming to you. Y'all are like septic tanks in the ground. There's green grass on top that people admire, but they don't know the filth that lies underneath."

Contextual Overview

³⁷ Now, while he was talking, a Pharisee made a request that he would come to a meal with him; and he went in and took his seat at the meal. ³⁸ And when the Pharisee saw it, he was surprised because he came to the meal without first washing himself. ³⁹ And the Lord said to him, You Pharisees make the outside of the cup and the plate clean; but inside you are thieves and full of evil. ⁴⁰ O you foolish ones! did not he who made the outside in the same way make the inside? ⁴¹ But if you give to the poor such things as you are able, then all things are clean to you. ⁴² But a curse is on you, Pharisees! for you make men give a tenth of every sort of plant, and give no thought to right and the love of God; but it is right for you to do these things, and not let the others be undone. ⁴³ A curse is on you, Pharisees! for your desires are for the most important seats in the Synagogues and for words of respect said to you in the market-place. ⁴⁴ A curse is on you! for you are like the resting-places of dead men, which are not seen, and men go walking over them without knowledge of it. ⁴⁵ And one of the teachers of the law, answering, said to him, Master, in saying this, you give a bad name to us as to them. ⁴⁶ And he said, A curse is on you, teachers of the law! for while other men are crushed under the weight of the rules you make for them, you yourselves do not put so much as one finger to them.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

for: Numbers 19:16, Psalms 5:9, Hosea 9:8, Matthew 23:27, Matthew 23:28, Acts 23:3

Reciprocal: Leviticus 5:2 - hidden Ezekiel 39:15 - set Matthew 5:20 - exceed Matthew 16:3 - O ye Matthew 23:13 - woe Luke 12:1 - which Luke 14:3 - the lawyers 1 Peter 2:1 - hypocrisies

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites,.... As they are all along called by Matthew; though only here by Luke. The Vulgate Latin only reads, "woe unto you", leaving out all the rest: but the whole is retained in all the Oriental versions;

for ye are as graves which appear not; being covered with grass; "or which were not marked", as the Ethiopic version renders it; that is, were not whited or covered with lime, as some were, that they might be seen at a distance, and be known what they were; that so men might avoid going near them, and prevent their being defiled with them; :-

and the men that walk over them

are not aware of them; and so are defiled by them. Christ compares the Pharisees, because of their hypocrisy, and secret iniquity, both to whited sepulchres, and to those that were not: to those that were, because, like them, they looked beautiful without, and righteous in the sight of men, and yet were inwardly full of all manner of pollution and sin; and to those that were not, because they did not appear to be what they were, and men were deceived by them; and under specious pretences to religion and holiness, were by their corrupt doctrines and practices unawares drawn into the commission of sin. Regard may not only be had to graves covered with grass, or not marked with lime, by which they might be known; but also to what the Jews call, קבר התהום, "the grave of the abyss" z; a grave that is not known no more than if it was in the bottomless pit: so uncleanness by touching a dead body, which a man is not conscious of, is called the uncleanness of the abyss, or an unknown one a.

z Misn Parah. c. 3. sect. 2. Maimon. Hilch. Parah. c. 3. sect. a Maimon. in Misn. Nazir, c. 9. sect. 2. & Pesach. c. 7. sect. 7.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See Matthew 23:6, Matthew 23:27.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 44. Ye are as graves which appear not — In Matthew 23:27, our Lord tells them that they exactly resembled white-washed tombs: they had no fairness but on the outside: (see the note there:) but here he says they are like hidden tombs, graves which were not distinguished by any outward decorations, and were not elevated above the ground, so that those who walked over them did not consider what corruption was within; so they, under the veil of hypocrisy, covered their iniquities, so that those who had any intercourse or connection with them did not perceive what accomplished knaves they had to do with.