Luke 11:48

Bible in Basic English

So you are witnesses and give approval to the work of your fathers; for they put them to death and you make their last resting-places.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Therefore, you are witnesses

King James Version (1611)
Truely ye beare witnesse that ye allowe the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and yee build their sepulchres.

King James Version
Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.

English Standard Version
So you are witnesses and you consent to the deeds of your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their tombs.

New American Standard Bible
"So you are witnesses and you approve of the deeds of your fathers; because it was they who killed them, and you build their tombs.

New Century Version
And now you show that you approve of what your ancestors did. They killed the prophets, and you build tombs for them!

Amplified Bible
"So you are witnesses and approve the deeds of your fathers, because they [actually] killed them, and you repair or build their tombs.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"So you are witnesses and approve the deeds of your fathers; because it was they who killed them, and you build their tombs.

Legacy Standard Bible
So you are witnesses and approve the deeds of your fathers; because it was they who killed them, and you build their tombs.

Berean Standard Bible
So you are witnesses who consent to the deeds of your fathers: They killed the prophets, and you build their tombs.

Contemporary English Version
You must think that was the right thing for your people to do, or else you would not have built monuments for the prophets they murdered.

Complete Jewish Bible
Thus you testify that you completely approve of what your fathers did — they did the killing, you do the building!

Darby Translation
Ye bear witness then, and consent to the works of your fathers; for *they* killed them, and *ye* build [their sepulchres].

Easy-to-Read Version
And now you show all people that you agree with what your ancestors did. They killed the prophets, and you build tombs for the prophets!

Geneva Bible (1587)
Truely ye beare witnesse, and allowe the deedes of your fathers: for they killed them, and yee build their sepulchres.

George Lamsa Translation
Therefore you are witnesses, and you approve the works of your fathers; for they killed them, and yet you build their tombs.

Good News Translation
You yourselves admit, then, that you approve of what your ancestors did; they murdered the prophets, and you build their tombs.

Lexham English Bible
As a result you are witnesses, and you approve of the deeds of your fathers, because they killed them and you build their tombs!

Literal Translation
So you bear witness and consent to the works of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs.

American Standard Version
So ye are witnesses and consent unto the works of your fathers: for they killed them, and ye build their tombs.

Hebrew Names Version
So you testify and consent to the works of your fathers. For they killed them, and you build their tombs.

International Standard Version
So you are witnesses and approve of the deeds of your ancestors, because they killed those for whom you are building monuments.

Etheridge Translation
thus you bear witness that you consent in the deeds of your fathers; for they killed them, and you build their sepulchres.

Murdock Translation
Thus ye testify, that ye acquiesce in the deeds of your fathers; for they slew them, and ye build their sepulchres.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Truely, ye beare witnesse that ye alowe the deedes of your fathers: for they kylled them, and ye buylde their sepulchres.

English Revised Version
So ye are witnesses and consent unto the works of your fathers: for they killed them, and ye build their tombs.

World English Bible
So you testify and consent to the works of your fathers. For they killed them, and you build their tombs.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Truly ye bear witness that ye approve the deeds of your fathers: for whom they killed, ye build their sepulchres.

Weymouth's New Testament
It follows that you bear testimony to the actions of your forefathers and that you fully approve thereof. They slew, you build.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Treuli ye witnessen, that ye consenten to the werkis of youre fadris; for thei slowen hem, but ye bilden her sepulcris.

Update Bible Version
So you are witnesses and consent to the works of your fathers: for they killed them, and you build [their tombs].

Webster's Bible Translation
Truly ye bear testimony, that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchers.

New English Translation
So you testify that you approve of the deeds of your ancestors, because they killed the prophets and you build their tombs!

New King James Version
In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs.

New Living Translation
But in fact, you stand as witnesses who agree with what your ancestors did. They killed the prophets, and you join in their crime by building the monuments!

New Life Bible
You are saying what your fathers did was good, because they killed the early preachers and you are making their graves.

New Revised Standard
So you are witnesses and approve of the deeds of your ancestors; for they killed them, and you build their tombs.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Hence, witnesses, are ye, and find consenting pleasure in the works of your fathers: because, they, indeed, slew them, and, ye, are building, their tombs .

Douay-Rheims Bible
Truly you bear witness that you consent to the doings of your fathers. For they indeed killed them: and you build their sepulchres.

Revised Standard Version
So you are witnesses and consent to the deeds of your fathers; for they killed them, and you build their tombs.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
truly ye beare witnes that ye alowe the dedes of youre fathers for they kylled them and ye bylde their sepulchres.

Young's Literal Translation
Then do ye testify, and are well pleased with the works of your fathers, because they indeed killed them, and ye do build their tombs;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Doutles ye beare wytnesse, and consente vnto the dedes of yor fathers: for they slewe them, and ye buylde their sepulcres.

Mace New Testament (1729)
they were guilty of slaughter, and you raise monuments to their memory.

Simplified Cowboy Version
By acting like them, you agree with what they did.

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

ye bear: Joshua 24:22, Job 15:6, Psalms 64:8, Ezekiel 18:19

for: 2 Chronicles 36:16, Matthew 21:35-38, Hebrews 11:35-38, James 5:10

Reciprocal: Numbers 32:14 - an increase Psalms 49:13 - approve their sayings Ezekiel 20:18 - the statutes Malachi 3:7 - from the Matthew 23:29 - ye build Acts 22:20 - consenting Romans 7:15 - For that 1 Thessalonians 2:15 - killed Hebrews 6:6 - they crucify

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Truly ye bear witness, that ye allow the deeds of your fathers,.... Or "ye bear witness, and ye allow"; that is, they both witnessed that their fathers killed the prophets, and they consented to what they did, and approved of their actions:

for they indeed killed them; it must be owned, and not their sons:

and ye build their sepulchres; which was a bearing and keeping up a testimony against them, and a continuing a remembrance of their crimes; and which looked as though they approved of them, or otherwise they should have been content to have the prophets lie buried in silence, and not erected stately monuments over them, which seemed to be raised more for the honour of those that put them to death, than of the prophets themselves. Or, whereas they did this under specious pretences of disliking their fathers' sins, which yet secretly they loved, and were of the same wicked disposition against the ministers of the word, and which they would quickly show; this discovered their hypocrisy, and confirmed the character Christ had before given of them; for it follows,

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the notes at Matthew 23:29-36.

Luke 11:49

The wisdom of God - By the “wisdom of God,” here, is undoubtedly meant the Saviour himself. What he immediately says is not written in the Old Testament. Jesus is called “the word of God” John 1:1, because he is the medium by which God “speaks” or makes his will known. He is called “the wisdom of God,” because by him God makes his wisdom known in creation (Colossians 1:13-18 and in redemption 1 Corinthians 1:30. Many have also thought that the Messiah was referred to in the Proverbs 8:1 of Proverbs, under the name of Wisdom.

I will send ... - See Luke 10:3; Matthew 10:16.

Shall slay ... - Compare John 16:2; Acts 7:52, Acts 7:59; James 5:10; Acts 12:2; Acts 22:19; 2 Corinthians 11:24-25; 2 Chronicles 36:15-16.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 48. Truly ye bear witness — Ye acknowledge that those of old who killed the prophets were your fathers, and ye are about to show, by your conduct towards me and my apostles, that ye are not degenerated, that ye are as capable of murdering a prophet now, as they were of old.