Matthew 10:38

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

and anyone who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

King James Version (1611)
And he that taketh not his crosse, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

King James Version
And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

English Standard Version
And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

New American Standard Bible
"And the one who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

New Century Version
Whoever is not willing to carry the cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

Amplified Bible
"And he who does not take his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me] is not worthy of Me.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And hee that taketh not his crosse, and followeth after me, is not worthie of me.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

Legacy Standard Bible
And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

Contemporary English Version
And unless you are willing to take up your cross and come with me, you are not fit to be my disciples.

Complete Jewish Bible
And anyone who does not take up his execution-stake and follow me is not worthy of me.

Darby Translation
And he who does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.

Easy-to-Read Version
Those who will not accept the cross that is given to them when they follow me are not worthy of me.

George Lamsa Translation
And whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

Good News Translation
Those who do not take up their cross and follow in my steps are not fit to be my disciples.

Lexham English Bible
And whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

Literal Translation
And who does not take up his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

American Standard Version
And he that doth not take his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me.

Bible in Basic English
And he who does not take his cross and come after me is not good enough for me.

Hebrew Names Version
He who doesn't take his cross and follow after me, isn't worthy of me.

International Standard Version
The one who doesn't take up his cross and follow me isn't worthy of me.Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23; 14:27;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
And every one who taketh not his cross and cometh after me, is not worthy of me.

Murdock Translation
and he that doth not bear his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he that taketh not his crosse, & foloweth me, is not worthy of me.

English Revised Version
And he that doth not take his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me.

World English Bible
He who doesn't take his cross and follow after me, isn't worthy of me.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And he that taketh not his cross and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

Weymouth's New Testament
and any one who does not take up his cross and follow where I lead is not worthy of me.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he that takith not his croos, and sueth me, is not worthi to me.

Update Bible Version
And he that does not take his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth me, is not worthy of me.

New English Translation
And whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

New King James Version
And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

New Living Translation
If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine.

New Life Bible
He who does not take his cross and follow Me is not good enough for Me.

New Revised Standard
and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, he that doth not take his cross and follow after me, is not, worthy, of me.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he that taketh not up his cross, and followeth me, is not worthy of me.

Revised Standard Version
and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And he yt taketh not his crosse and foloweth me ys not mete for me.

Young's Literal Translation
and whoever doth not receive his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And he yt taketh not his crosse and foloweth me, is not mete for me.

Mace New Testament (1729)
and he that does not take his cross, and so follow after me, is unworthy of me.

THE MESSAGE
"If you don't go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don't deserve me. If your first concern is to look after yourself, you'll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you'll find both yourself and me.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Anyone who isn't willin' to take up his own cross and ride with me isn't worthy of me.

Contextual Overview

¹⁶Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. ¹⁷But beware of men; for they will hand you over to their councils and flog you in their synagogues. ¹⁸On My account, you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹But when they hand you over, do not worry about how to respond or what to say. In that hour you will be given what to say. ²⁰For it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. ²¹Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rise against their parents and have them put to death. ²²You will be hated by everyone on account of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved. ²³When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. Truly I tell you, you will not reach all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. ²⁴A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. ²⁵It is enough for a disciple to be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Matthew 16:24, Matthew 27:32, Mark 8:34, Mark 10:21, Luke 9:23, Luke 9:24, Luke 14:27, John 19:17

Reciprocal: Genesis 22:12 - now Proverbs 23:26 - give Haggai 1:9 - Because Matthew 19:29 - or brethren Matthew 22:8 - but Matthew 25:42 - General Luke 7:4 - worthy Luke 9:61 - but John 21:19 - Follow Acts 14:22 - we 2 Corinthians 5:14 - the love Hebrews 12:1 - let us lay 1 Peter 2:21 - even

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he that taketh not his cross,.... By the "cross", which was a Roman punishment, whereby malefactors were put to death, are meant all sorts of afflictions, reproaches, persecutions, and death itself; and particularly the ill will, hatred, and persecution, of near relations and friends, which must be expected by such, who bear a faithful testimony for Christ. Every minister of Christ, or professor of his name, has "his" own cross, his own particular afflictions, appointed by God, and laid on him by Christ, and which he should cheerfully take up, and patiently bear, for his sake. The allusion is to the custom of persons sentenced to be crucified, to carry their own cross, as Christ did his, and Simon the Cyrenian for him; and which our Lord here may have a respect unto, as well knowing what death he was to die, and that some of his disciples also would die the same death: wherefore Christ says,

and followeth after me; led on by his example, to preach or profess the Gospel, submit to the ordinances of it, and cheerfully suffer for the sake of it, when called to it. If a man, who would be thought to be a disciple of Christ, is not willing to do all this, but, in order to avoid it, complies with his friends, conforms to the world, and turns his back on Christ; of such an one he may well say, he

is not worthy of me; it is not convenient that he should stand among his disciples and followers.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And he that taketh not his cross ... - When persons were condemned to be crucified, a part of the sentence was that they should carry the cross on which they were to die to the place of execution. Thus, Christ carried his, until he fainted from fatigue and exhaustion. See notes at Matthew 27:31. The cross was usually composed of two rough beams of wood, united in the form of this figure of a cross It was an instrument of death. See the notes at Matthew 27:31-32. To carry it was burdensome, was disgraceful, was trying to the feelings, was an addition to the punishment. So “to carry the cross” is a figurative expression, denoting that we must endure whatever is burdensome, or is trying, or is considered disgraceful, in following Christ. It consists simply in doing our duty, let the people of the world think of it or speak of it as they may. It does not consist in making trouble for ourselves, or doing things merely “to be opposed;” it is doing just what is required of us in the Scriptures, let it produce whatever shame, disgrace, or pain it may. This every follower of Jesus is required to do.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 38. He that taketh not his cross — i.e. He who is not ready, after my example, to suffer death in the cause of my religion, is not worthy of me, does not deserve to be called my disciple.

This alludes to the custom of causing the criminal to bear his own cross to the place of execution; so Plutarch, ΕκαϚος των κακουργων εκφερει τον αυτου Ϛαυρον. Each of the malefactors carries on his own cross. John 19:17.