Matthew 25:34

Contemporary English Version

Then the king will say to those on his right, "My father has blessed you! Come and receive the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world was created.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; inherit the kingdom

King James Version (1611)
Then shall the King say vnto them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

King James Version
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

English Standard Version
Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

New American Standard Bible
"Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

New Century Version
"Then the King will say to the people on his right, ‘Come, my Father has given you his blessing. Receive the kingdom God has prepared for you since the world was made.

Amplified Bible
"Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you blessed of My Father [you favored of God, appointed to eternal salvation], inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

Legacy Standard Bible
"Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom, which has been prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

Berean Standard Bible
Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

Complete Jewish Bible
"Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take your inheritance, the Kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world.

Darby Translation
Then shall the King say to those on his right hand, Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from [the] world's foundation:

Easy-to-Read Version
"Then the king will say to the godly people on his right, ‘Come, my Father has great blessings for you. The kingdom he promised is now yours. It has been prepared for you since the world was made.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then shall ye king say to them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my father: take the inheritance of the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

George Lamsa Translation
Then the King will say to those at his right, Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom which has been prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

Good News Translation
Then the King will say to the people on his right, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father! Come and possess the kingdom which has been prepared for you ever since the creation of the world.

Lexham English Bible
Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world!

Literal Translation
Then the King will say to those on His right, Come, the blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

American Standard Version
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

Bible in Basic English
Then will the King say to those on his right, Come, you who have the blessing of my Father, into the kingdom made ready for you before the world was:

Hebrew Names Version
Then the King will tell those on his right hand, 'Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;

International Standard Version
"Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who have been blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.Matthew 20:23; Mark 10:40; Romans 8:17; 1 Corinthians 2:9; Hebrews 11:16; 1 Peter 1:4,9; 3:9; Revelation 21:7;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
Then shall the King say to them on his right hand, Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom which was to be for you from the foundation of the world.

Murdock Translation
Then will the king say to those on his right hand: Come, ye blessed of my Father; inherit the kingdom that was prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then shall the king say vnto them on his right hande: Come ye blessed of my father, inherite the kyngdome, prepared for you from the foundation of the worlde.

English Revised Version
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

World English Bible
Then the King will tell them on his right hand, 'Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Then shall the king say to them on his right-hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you, from the foundation of the world.

Weymouth's New Testament
"Then the King will say to those at His right, "`Come, my Father's blessed ones, receive your inheritance of the Kingdom which has been divinely intended for you ever since the creation of the world.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thanne the kyng schal seie to hem, that schulen be on his riythalf, Come ye, the blessid of my fadir, take ye in possessioun the kyngdoom maad redi to you fro the makyng of the world.

Update Bible Version
Then the King shall say to them on his right hand, Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

Webster's Bible Translation
Then will the King say to them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

New English Translation
Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

New King James Version
Then the King will say to those on His right hand, "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

New Living Translation
"Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.

New Life Bible
"Then the King will say to those on His right side, ‘Come, you who have been called by My Father. Come into the holy nation that has been made ready for you before the world was made.

New Revised Standard
Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then, will the king say to those on his right hand: Come ye, the blessed of my Father! Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;

Douay-Rheims Bible
Then shall the king say to them that shall be on his right hand: Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess you the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

Revised Standard Version
Then the King will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Then shall the kynge saye to them on his right honde: Come ye blessed chyldren of my father inheret ye the kyngdo prepared for you from the beginninge of the worlde.

Young's Literal Translation
`Then shall the king say to those on his right hand, Come ye, the blessed of my Father, inherit the reign that hath been prepared for you from the foundation of the world;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then shal the kynge saye vnto them that shalbe on his right honde: Come hither ye blessed of my father, inheret ye ye kingdome, which is prepared for you from the begynnynge of the worlde.

Mace New Testament (1729)
the king shall say to those on his right hand, come, ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

THE MESSAGE
"Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why: I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room, I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me.'

Simplified Cowboy Version
"Then the Lord of the ranch will say to those sheep on his right, 'Come, all you who are blessed by the Boss, inherit the ranch that was made for you at the beginning of all creation.

Contextual Overview

³¹ When the Son of Man comes in his glory with all of his angels, he will sit on his royal throne. ³² The people of all nations will be brought before him, and he will separate them, as shepherds separate their sheep from their goats. ³³ He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. ³⁴ Then the king will say to those on his right, "My father has blessed you! Come and receive the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world was created. ³⁵ When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, and when I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I was a stranger, you welcomed me, ³⁶ and when I was naked, you gave me clothes to wear. When I was sick, you took care of me, and when I was in jail, you visited me." ³⁷ Then the ones who pleased the Lord will ask, "When did we give you something to eat or drink? ³⁸ When did we welcome you as a stranger or give you clothes to wear ³⁹ or visit you while you were sick or in jail?" ⁴⁰ The king will answer, "Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the King: Matthew 21:5, Matthew 22:11-13, Matthew 27:37, Psalms 2:6, Psalms 24:7-10, Isaiah 9:7, Isaiah 32:1, Isaiah 32:2, Isaiah 33:22, Jeremiah 23:5, Jeremiah 23:6, Ezekiel 37:24, Ezekiel 37:25, Daniel 9:25, Zephaniah 3:15, Zechariah 9:9, Zechariah 9:10, Luke 1:31-33, Luke 19:38, John 1:49, John 12:13, John 19:15, John 19:19-22, Revelation 19:16

Come: Matthew 25:21, Matthew 25:23, Matthew 25:41, Matthew 5:3-12, Genesis 12:2, Genesis 12:3, Deuteronomy 11:23-28, Psalms 115:13-15, Luke 11:28, Acts 3:26, Galatians 3:13, Galatians 3:14, Ephesians 1:3, 1 Thessalonians 2:12, 1 Peter 1:3

inherit: Luke 12:32, Romans 8:17, 1 Corinthians 6:9, Galatians 5:21, Ephesians 5:5, 2 Timothy 2:12, 2 Timothy 4:8, James 2:5, 1 Peter 1:4, 1 Peter 1:5, 1 Peter 1:9, 1 Peter 3:9, Revelation 5:10, Revelation 21:7

prepared: Matthew 20:23, Mark 10:40, John 14:2, John 14:3, 1 Corinthians 2:9, Hebrews 11:16

from: Acts 15:18, Ephesians 1:4-6, 1 Peter 1:19, 1 Peter 1:20, Revelation 13:8

Reciprocal: Genesis 41:32 - established by Exodus 23:20 - prepared Joshua 14:2 - lot Joshua 19:51 - These are 1 Samuel 2:10 - he shall 2 Samuel 19:33 - Come thou Nehemiah 5:19 - according to Psalms 24:10 - he is Psalms 41:1 - the poor Psalms 45:1 - touching Psalms 47:4 - choose Psalms 47:6 - our King Psalms 98:6 - the king Psalms 112:6 - the righteous Psalms 145:1 - my God Psalms 149:2 - let the Proverbs 11:17 - merciful Proverbs 11:25 - liberal soul Proverbs 14:21 - he that hath Proverbs 22:9 - He that hath a bountiful eye Ecclesiastes 8:12 - surely Song of Solomon 1:12 - the king Isaiah 43:15 - the creator Isaiah 44:6 - the King Isaiah 52:7 - Thy God Isaiah 64:4 - seen Ezekiel 18:7 - hath given Ezekiel 46:16 - If the prince Malachi 3:17 - and I Matthew 6:4 - reward Matthew 10:32 - him Matthew 10:41 - a righteous man's Matthew 13:35 - from Matthew 13:43 - shall Matthew 19:29 - inherit Matthew 24:46 - General Matthew 25:40 - the King Matthew 26:11 - ye have Matthew 26:29 - with Luke 11:41 - rather Luke 14:14 - for thou Luke 22:29 - General John 14:15 - General John 17:5 - before John 21:15 - lovest Acts 20:35 - It is Romans 2:6 - General Romans 5:17 - shall reign Ephesians 3:9 - beginning Philippians 4:17 - to Colossians 1:12 - inheritance Colossians 1:13 - the kingdom 1 Timothy 1:17 - the King 1 Timothy 6:19 - Laying 2 Timothy 1:18 - that he 2 Timothy 4:18 - and will Titus 1:2 - before Hebrews 1:14 - heirs Hebrews 9:15 - eternal Hebrews 9:26 - the foundation Hebrews 12:28 - a kingdom James 1:12 - the crown James 1:27 - To visit 1 Peter 4:13 - ye may 2 Peter 1:11 - an entrance Revelation 17:8 - from Revelation 22:5 - and they

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 25:19
Isaac was the son of Abraham,

Genesis 25:20
and he was forty years old when he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel. She was also the sister of Laban, the Aramean from northern Syria. Almost twenty years later,

Psalms 106:24
They would not trust you, Lord , and they did not like the promised land.

Ecclesiastes 8:15
So I think we should get as much out of life as we possibly can. There is nothing better than to enjoy our food and drink and to have a good time. Then we can make it through this troublesome life that God has given us here on earth.

Isaiah 22:13
But instead, you celebrated by feasting on beef and lamb and by drinking wine, because you said, "Let's eat and drink! Tomorrow we may die."

Matthew 22:5
But the guests did not pay any attention. Some of them left for their farms, and some went to their places of business.

Matthew 26:15
and asked, "How much will you give me if I help you arrest Jesus?" They paid Judas thirty silver coins,

Acts 13:41
"Look, you people who make fun of God! Be amazed and disappear. I will do something today that you won't believe, even if someone tells you about it!"

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then shall the king say unto them on his right hand,.... Before Christ is called "the son of man", now "the king"; who is not only king of saints, but king of the whole world; the king of kings, and lord of lords, the judge of all the earth; he appearing in glory and majesty, sitting on a throne of glory, being attended with his glorious angels, and all nations gathered before him, waiting for the final sentence to be pronounced upon them by him; and who accordingly begins with those on his right hand, his sheep, the chosen, redeemed, and called of God, saying to them,

come. The Arabic version adds, "to me": by such a phrase he sometimes had invited, and encouraged poor sensible sinners: to come and partake of his grace: and here by it he calls the righteous, and bespeaks them in the most tender and endearing manner, and yet with the majesty of a king, and the authority of a judge, to come near unto him, with intrepidity and confidence, and take possession of a glorious kingdom; bestowing on them this high and illustrious character,

ye blessed of my Father: so called, partly because they were his Father's, not only by creation, but by his choice of them to grace and glory, and therefore most happy and blessed; and partly, because, as such a choice shows, they were dear unto him, highly in his favour, and loved by him with an everlasting love; as also, because they were blessed by him as the Father of Christ, and theirs, with all the spiritual blessings of the everlasting covenant in him; with the pardon of their sins, the justification of their persons, the sanctification of their nature, with adoption, and a right unto, and meetness for the eternal inheritance: hence it follows,

inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. The happiness of the saints, in the other world, is here expressed by a "kingdom", because of the glory, riches, grandeur, and magnificence of it; as it is sometimes by a crown, for the same reason, suitable to their character and dignity, who are made kings and priests by Christ: and is likewise represented as an "inheritance", as it is elsewhere, being not acquired by industry, or obtained by merit; but is the gift of their heavenly Father, and in right of adoption, as the children of God, being made such by his free grace and favour, and denotes the stability and perpetuity of it: and this is said to be prepared, not only appointed and designed in the council purposes, and decrees of God, but got ready; it is a kingdom erected, an inheritance reserved, and a crown of righteousness laid up in heaven; a glory really provided and secured in an everlasting covenant, and that for you: for some, and not others; for the sheep on the right hand, and not the goats on the left; for the peculiar favourites of God, the objects of his love and choice, the redeemed of the Lamb, and that are born of the Spirit; and that for them,

from the foundation of the world. The place itself, where this happiness is to be enjoyed, was actually made on the first day of the creation, when the heavens were formed, and the foundations of the earth were laid, and the glory itself long before. The Ethiopic version here reads, "before the world"; and the Persic, "before the foundation of the world was laid"; and Grotius himself owns, that the phrase is the same as "before the foundation of the world"; and Dr. Hammond's paraphrase is, "before all eternity": for as early were these persons, the beloved, the chosen, and blessed of the Father: so that this glory must be of free grace, and not merit, or owing to any works of righteousness done by men; since it was not only designed and appointed, but prepared and laid up for persons before they had a being, and had done neither good nor evil. The Jews e speak of the law being an inheritance for all Israel, from the six days of the creation; but a much more glorious one is here spoken of: nearer to this is what they say f that Bathsheba was appointed to be David's wife from the day that the world was created; and add, but the mystery of the thing is, מלכותא דלעילא, "the kingdom that is above", which is called by her name. So in 2 Esdras, "the kingdom is already prepared for you":

"Go, and ye shall receive: pray for few days unto you, that they may be shortened: the kingdom is already prepared for you: watch.'' (2 Esdras 2:13)

e T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 91. 2. f Zohar in Exod. fol. 44. 3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The King - That is, the Lord Jesus, the King of Zion and of the universe, now acting as Judge, Luke 19:38; John 18:37; Revelation 17:14; Revelation 19:16.

Blessed of my Father - Made happy or raised to felicity by my Father. See the notes at Matthew 5:3.

Inherit the kingdom - Receive “as heirs” the kingdom, or be received there as the sons of God. Christians are often called heirs of God, Romans 8:17; Galatians 4:6-7; Heb 1:14; 1 John 3:2.

Prepared for you ... - That is, “designed” for you, or appointed for you. The phrase “from the foundation of the world” is used to denote that this was appointed for them in the beginning; that God has no new plan; that the rewards which he will now confer on them he always intended to confer. Christ says to the righteous that the kingdom was prepared for “them.” Of course, God meant to confer it on “them.” They were individuals, and it follows that He intended to bestow His salvation on them as individuals. Accordingly, the salvation of His people is universally represented as the result of the free gift of God, according to His own pleasure, bestowed on individuals, and by a plan which is eternal, Romans 8:29-30; Ephesians 1:4-5, Eph 1:11-12; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2; John 6:37. This is right and consistent with justice; because:

1. All people are by nature equally undeserving.
2. Bestowing favors on one does not do injustice to another, where neither deserves favor. Pardoning one criminal is not injuring another. Bestowing great talents on Locke, Newton, or Paul did not injure me.
3. If it is right for God to give eternal life to his people, or to admit them to heaven, it was right to “determine” to do it, which is but another way of saying that God resolved from all eternity to “do right.”
4. Those who perish choose the paths which lead to death, and will not be saved by the merits of Jesus. No blame can be charged on God if he does not save them against their will, John 5:40; Mark 16:15-16.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 34. Ye blessed of my Father — This is the king's address to his followers; and contains the reason why they were found in the practice of all righteousness, and were now brought to this state of glory - they were blessed - came as children, and received the benediction of the Father, and became, and continued to be, members of the heavenly family.

Inherit — The inheritance is only for the children of the family - if sons, then heirs, Galatians 4:7, but not otherwise. The sons only shall enjoy the father's estate.

Prepared for you — That is, the kingdom of glory is designed for such as you-you who have received the blessing of the Father, and were holy, harmless, undefiled, and separated from sinners.

From the foundation of the world — It was God's purpose and determination to admit none into his heaven but those who were made partakers of his holiness, Hebrews 12:14. The rabbins say, Seven things were created before the foundation of the world.

1. The law.

2. Repentance.

3. Paradise.

4. Hell.

5. The throne of God.

6. The temple; and

7. The name of the Messiah.