John 10:24

Contemporary English Version

and the people gathered all around him. They said, "How long are you going to keep us guessing? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly!"

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
The Jewish leaders gathered around him. They said, "How long will you make us wonder about you? If you are the Messiah, then tell us clearly."

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Then came the Iewes rounde aboute him and sayde vnto him: How longe dost thou make vs doute? Yf thou be Christ tell vs playnly.

Hebrew Names Version
The Yehudim therefore came around him and said to him, "How long will you hold us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly."

International Standard Version
So the Jews surrounded him and said to him, "How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ,[fn] tell us so plainly."

New American Standard Bible
The Jews then surrounded Him and began saying to Him, "How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly."

New Century Version
Some people gathered around him and said, "How long will you make us wonder about you? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."

Update Bible Version
The Jews therefore came round about him, and said to him, How long do you hold us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then came the Jews around him, and said to him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou art the Christ, tell us plainly.

English Standard Version
So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."

World English Bible
The Jews therefore came around him and said to him, "How long will you hold us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Then came the Jews round about him, and said to him, How long dost thou keep us in suspense?

Weymouth's New Testament
when the Jews gathered round Him and kept asking Him, "How long do you mean to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us so plainly."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor the Jewis camen aboute hym, and seiden to hym, Hou long takist thou awei oure soule? if thou art Crist, seie thou to vs opynli.

English Revised Version
The Jews therefore came round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou hold us in suspense? If thou art the Christ, tell us plainly.

Berean Standard Bible
So the Jews gathered around Him and demanded, "How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly."

Amplified Bible
So the Jews surrounded Him and began saying to Him, "How long are You going to keep us in suspense? If You are [really] the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), tell us so plainly and openly."

American Standard Version
The Jews therefore came round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou hold us in suspense? If thou art the Christ, tell us plainly.

Bible in Basic English
Then the Jews came round him, saying, how long are you going to keep us in doubt? If you are the Christ, say so clearly.

Complete Jewish Bible
So the Judeans surrounded him and said to him, "How much longer are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us publicly!"

Darby Translation
The Jews therefore surrounded him, and said to him, Until when dost thou hold our soul in suspense? If thou art the Christ, say [so] to us openly.

Etheridge Translation
And the Jihudoyee surrounded him, saying to him, How long takest thou our souls ? If thou art the Meshicha, tell us openly.

Murdock Translation
And the Jews gathered around him; and said to him: how long holdest thou our mind in suspense? If thou art the Messiah, tell us plainly.

King James Version (1611)
Then came the Iewes round about him, and said vnto him, How long doest thou make vs to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell vs plainely.

New Living Translation
The people surrounded him and asked, "How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly."

New Life Bible
The Jews gathered around Him. They said, "How long are You going to keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us."

New Revised Standard
So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then came the Iewes round about him, and sayd vnto him, Howe long doest thou make vs dout? If thou be that Christ, tell vs plainely.

George Lamsa Translation
Then the Jews surrounded him and said to him, How long do you vex our soul with uncertainty? If you are the Christ, tell us openly.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The Jews, therefore, surrounded him, and were saying unto him - How long, holdest thou, our lives, in suspense? If, thou, art the Christ, tell us, plainly.

Douay-Rheims Bible
The Jews therefore came round about him and said to him: How long dost thou hold our souls in suspense? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.

Revised Standard Version
So the Jews gathered round him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then came the Iewes rounde about hym, and sayde vnto hym: Howe long doest thou make vs doubt? Yf thou be Christe, tell vs playnely.

Good News Translation
when the people gathered around him and asked, "How long are you going to keep us in suspense? Tell us the plain truth: are you the Messiah?"

Christian Standard Bible®
The Jews surrounded him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”

King James Version
Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.

Lexham English Bible
So the Jews surrounded him and began to say to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly!"

Literal Translation
Then the Jews encircled Him, and said to Him, Until when do You lift up our soul? If You are the Christ, tell us publicly.

Young's Literal Translation
the Jews, therefore, came round about him, and said to him, `Till when our soul dost thou hold in suspense? if thou art the Christ, tell us freely.'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The came ye Iewes rounde aboute hi, & saide vnto hi: How loge dost thou make vs doute? Yf thou be Christ, tell vs planely.

Mace New Testament (1729)
the Jews came about him, and said, how long will you keep us in suspense? if you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.

New English Translation
The Jewish leaders surrounded him and asked, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."

New King James Version
Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, "How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly."

Simplified Cowboy Version
Some Jews surrounded him and asked, "How long are you going to keep up this ruse? If you are the Top Hand, tell us straight right now."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, "How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly."

Legacy Standard Bible
The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, "How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us openly."

Contextual Overview

²² That winter, Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Temple Festival. ²³ One day he was walking in that part of the temple known as Solomon's Porch, ²⁴ and the people gathered all around him. They said, "How long are you going to keep us guessing? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly!" ²⁵ Jesus answered: I have told you, and you refused to believe me. The things I do by my Father's authority show who I am. ²⁶ But since you are not my sheep, you don't believe me. ²⁷ My sheep know my voice, and I know them. They follow me, ²⁸ and I give them eternal life, so that they will never be lost. No one can snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹ My Father gave them to me, and he is greater than all others. No one can snatch them from his hands, ³⁰ and I am one with the Father. ³¹ Once again the Jewish leaders picked up stones in order to kill Jesus.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

How: 1 Kings 18:21, Matthew 11:3, Luke 3:15

make us to doubt: or, hold us in suspense

If: John 1:19, John 8:25, John 8:53, John 9:22, Luke 22:67-70, 2 Corinthians 3:12

Reciprocal: Matthew 26:63 - that Mark 14:61 - Art John 11:14 - plainly Acts 18:5 - was Christ

Cross-References

Luke 3:35
Serug, Reu, Peleg, Eber, Shelah;

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then came the Jews round about him,.... Who might be walking there on the same account, and seeing Jesus, took this opportunity, and got about him in great numbers, and hemmed him in; having a design upon him to ensnare him, if possible:

and said unto him, how long dost thou make us doubt? or as the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions literally render it, "how long dost thou take away our soul?" that is, deprive us of the knowledge of thee; Nonnus renders it, "wherefore dost thou steal away our minds with words?" so Jacob when he went away privately, without the knowledge of Laban, is said to steal away the heart of Laban, as it is in the Hebrew text, in Genesis 31:20 o. In like manner the Jews charge Christ with taking away their soul, or stealing away their heart, or hiding himself from them; not telling them plainly, who he was: therefore say they,

if thou be the Christ, tell us plainly; freely, boldly, openly, in express words; this they said, not as desirous of knowing who he was, or for the sake of information, but in order to ensnare him; that should he say he was not the Christ, as they might hope he would, for fear of them, now they had got him by himself, hemmed him in, it would then lessen his credit among the people; and should he say he was the Messiah, they would have whereof to accuse him to the Roman governor, as an enemy to Caesar, as one that set up for king of the Jews.

o See De Dieu in loc.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Tell us plainly - The Messiah was predicted as a shepherd. Jesus had applied that prediction to himself. They supposed that that was an evidence that he claimed to be the Messiah. He also performed miracles, which they considered as evidence that he was the Christ, John 7:31. Yet the rulers made a difficulty. They alleged that he was from Galilee, and that the Messiah could not come from thence, John 7:52. He was poor and despised. He came contrary to the common expectation. A splendid prince and conqueror had been expected. In this perplexity they came to him for a plain and positive declaration that he was the Messiah.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 24. How long dost than make us to doubt? — Or, How long dost thou kill us with suspense? Ἑως ποτε την ψυχην ἡμων αιρεις, literally, How long wilt thou take away our life? Mr. Markland would read αιωρεις for αιρεις, which amounts nearly to the same sense with the above. The Jews asked this question through extreme perfidiousness: they wished to get him to declare himself king of the Jews, that they might accuse him to the Roman governor; and by it they insolently insinuated that all the proofs he had hitherto given them of his Divine mission were good for nothing.