Matthew 25:13

Contemporary English Version

So, my disciples, always be ready! You don't know the day or the time when all this will happen.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“Therefore be alert, because you don’t know either the day or the hour.

King James Version (1611)
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day, nor the houre, wherein the Sonne of man commeth.

King James Version
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

English Standard Version
Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

New American Standard Bible
"Be on the alert then, because you do not know the day nor the hour.

New Century Version
"So always be ready, because you don't know the day or the hour the Son of Man will come.

Amplified Bible
"Therefore, be on the alert [be prepared and ready], for you do not know the day nor the hour [when the Son of Man will come].

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

Legacy Standard Bible
Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

Berean Standard Bible
Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Complete Jewish Bible
So stay alert, because you know neither the day nor the hour.

Darby Translation
Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour.

Easy-to-Read Version
"So always be ready. You don't know the day or the time when the Son of Man will come.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Watch therfore: for ye know neither the day, nor the houre, when the sonne of man will come.

George Lamsa Translation
Be alert, therefore, for you do not know, that day nor the hour.

Good News Translation
And Jesus concluded, "Watch out, then, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Lexham English Bible
Therefore be on the alert, because you do not know the day or the hour!

Literal Translation
Therefore, watch, for you do not know the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man comes.

American Standard Version
Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour.

Bible in Basic English
Keep watch, then, because you are not certain of the day or of the hour.

Hebrew Names Version
Watch therefore, for you don't know the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

International Standard Version
So keep on watching, because you don't know the day or the hour."the hour when the Son of Man will come">[fn]Matthew 24:42,44; Mark 13:33,35, 44; Luke 21:36; 1 Corinthians 16:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:6; 1 Peter 5:8; Revelation 16:15;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
Be wakeful therefore, for you know not that day nor the hour.

Murdock Translation
Watch, therefore, seeing ye know not the day nor the hour.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Watch therfore, for ye knowe neither the day, nor yet the houre, wherin the sonne of man shall come.

English Revised Version
Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour.

World English Bible
Watch therefore, for you don't know the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Watch therefore; for ye know not the day nor the hour.

Weymouth's New Testament
"Keep awake therefore; for you know neither the day nor the hour.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor wake ye, for ye witen not the dai ne the our.

Update Bible Version
Watch therefore, for you don't know the day nor the hour.

Webster's Bible Translation
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of man cometh.

New English Translation
Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour.

New King James Version
Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour [fn] in which the Son of Man is coming.

New Living Translation
"So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.

New Life Bible
So watch! You do not know what day or what hour the Son of Man is coming.

New Revised Standard
Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Be watching, therefore, because ye know, neither the day nor the hour.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Watch ye therefore, because you know not the day nor the hour.

Revised Standard Version
Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Watche therefore: for ye knowe nether the daye nor yet the houre when the sonne of man shall come.

Young's Literal Translation
`Watch therefore, for ye have not known the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man doth come.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Watch ye therfore, for ye knowe nether the daye ner yet the houre, whan ye sonne of man shal come.

Mace New Testament (1729)
watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour.

THE MESSAGE
"So stay alert. You have no idea when he might arrive.

Simplified Cowboy Version
"I want y'all who ride with me to pay attention to this story and always be ready. You need to be prepared because you won't know when all this will happen.

Contextual Overview

¹ The kingdom of heaven is like what happened one night when ten girls took their oil lamps and went to a wedding to meet the groom. ² Five of the girls were foolish and five were wise. ³ The foolish ones took their lamps, but no extra oil. ⁴ The ones who were wise took along extra oil for their lamps. ⁵ The groom was late arriving, and the girls became drowsy and fell asleep. ⁶ Then in the middle of the night someone shouted, "Here's the groom! Come to meet him!" ⁷ When the girls got up and started getting their lamps ready, ⁸ the foolish ones said to the others, "Let us have some of your oil! Our lamps are going out." ⁹ The girls who were wise answered, "There's not enough oil for all of us! Go and buy some for yourselves." ¹⁰ While the foolish girls were on their way to get some oil, the groom arrived. The girls who were ready went into the wedding, and the doors were closed.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Matthew 24:42-44, Mark 13:33-37, Luke 21:36, Acts 20:31, 1 Corinthians 16:13, 1 Thessalonians 5:6, 2 Timothy 4:5, 1 Peter 4:7, 1 Peter 5:8, Revelation 16:15

Reciprocal: Ezekiel 1:26 - the likeness of a Matthew 10:23 - till Matthew 24:36 - General Matthew 24:44 - General Matthew 26:38 - tarry Matthew 26:41 - Watch Mark 13:32 - of Mark 14:38 - Watch Luke 12:40 - General 1 Thessalonians 5:2 - the day Revelation 3:2 - watchful Revelation 3:3 - know Revelation 14:7 - hour

Cross-References

Genesis 25:16
Each of Ishmael's sons was a tribal chief, and a village was named after each of them.

Genesis 25:17
Ishmael had settled in the land east of his brothers, and his sons settled everywhere from Havilah to Shur, east of Egypt on the way to Asshur. Ishmael was one hundred thirty-seven when he died.

Genesis 25:29
One day, Jacob was cooking some stew, when Esau came home hungry

Genesis 25:31
Jacob replied, "Sell me your rights as the first-born son."

Genesis 36:3
the third was Basemath, who was Ishmael's daughter and Nebaioth's sister.

Psalms 120:5
But I must live as a foreigner among the people of Meshech and in the tents of Kedar.

Song of Solomon 1:5
Take me to your home. The Young Women Speak: We are happy for you! And we praise your love even more than wine. She Speaks: Young women of Jerusalem, it is only right that you should adore him. My skin is dark and beautiful, like a tent in the desert or like Solomon's curtains.

Isaiah 42:11
Tell the tribes of the desert and everyone in the mountains to celebrate and sing.

Isaiah 60:7
Every sheep of Kedar will come to you; rams from Nebaioth will be yours as well. I will accept them as offerings and bring honor to my temple.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Watch therefore,.... In ordinances, in prayer, public and private, in hearing the word, at the Lord's supper, and in every religious exercise; over the heart, the thoughts and affections of it; over words, actions, life, and conversation; and against all sin and unbelief, Satan's temptations, the world, and its charms and snares, false teachers, and their doctrines, and for the bridegroom's coming. This is the use and application of the whole parable, and shows the general design of it; the reason to enforce watchfulness follows:

for ye know neither the day nor the hour; of death, or of judgment, or of the coming of the son of man, of one or the other; for it is added,

wherein the son of man cometh: that he will come is certain, and that quickly; the time is fixed, but when it will be is unknown; and therefore it becomes us to be our watch and guard. This last clause is not in the Vulgate Latin, nor in the Syriac, Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic versions, and was wanting in three of Beza's copies, but is in most Greek copies, and in Munster's Hebrew Gospel, and seems to be necessary.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Watch, therefore ... - This is the scope or design of the whole parable. This is the great truth that Christ wished to inculcate, and all parts of the parable are to be interpreted in reference to this admonition. Like the virgins, many are professedly going to meet the Bridegroom - the Lord Jesus Christ. Like the coming of the bridegroom, his advent will be sudden. It will be to many at an unexpected time. Many, even professing Christians, will be engaged in the business of the world; thoughtless about eternity; not expecting his approach, and not prepared. They will only profess to know him, but in works they will deny him. So death will come. All approaches of the Son of God to judge men are sudden, and to many unexpected. So many, when they shall see him coming, at death or the judgment, will begin, like the foolish virgins, to be active, and to prepare to die; but it will be too late. They that are ready will enter in, and heaven will be closed forever against all others. The “coming” of the Saviour is certain. The precise time “when” he will come is not certain. As the virgins should all have watched and been ready, so should we. They who are Christians should be ever watchful; and they who are not should lose no time to be ready, for in such an hour as they think not the Son of man shall come.

The Son of man cometh - This refers, doubtless, to his coming in the day of judgment. The circumstances of the parable do not seem at all to apply to his coming to destroy Jerusalem, but are aptly expressive of his advent to judge the world.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 25:13. Watch therefore — If to watch be to employ ourselves chiefly about the business of our salvation, alas! how few of those who are called Christians are there who do watch! How many who slumber! How many who are asleep! How many seized with a lethargy! How many quite dead!

Wherein the Son of man cometh. — These words are omitted by many excellent MSS., most of the versions, and several of the fathers. Griesbach has left them out of the text: Grotius, Hammond, Mill, and Bengel, approve of the omission.