John 18:21

Easy-to-Read Version

So why do you question me? Ask the people who heard my teaching. They know what I said."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Why do you question me? Question those who heard what I told them. Look, they know what I said.”

King James Version (1611)
Why askest thou me? Aske them which heard me, what I haue said vnto them: behold, they know what I said.

King James Version
Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said.

English Standard Version
Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said."

New American Standard Bible
"Why are you asking Me? Ask those who have heard what I spoke to them. Look: these people know what I said."

New Century Version
So why do you question me? Ask the people who heard my teaching. They know what I said."

Amplified Bible
"Why question Me? Question those who have heard what I said to them. They know what I said."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Why do you question Me? Question those who have heard what I spoke to them; they know what I said."

Legacy Standard Bible
Why do you question Me? Question those who have heard what I spoke to them; behold, they know what I said."

Berean Standard Bible
Why are you asking Me? Ask those who heard My message. Surely they know what I said."

Contemporary English Version
Why are you questioning me? Why don't you ask the people who heard me? They know what I have said."

Complete Jewish Bible
so why are you questioning me? Question the ones who heard what I said to them; look, they know what I said."

Darby Translation
Why demandest thou of me? Demand of those who have heard, what I have spoken to them; behold, they know what I have said.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Why askest thou mee? aske them which heard mee what I sayde vnto them: beholde, they knowe what I sayd.

George Lamsa Translation
Why do you ask me? ask those who heard what I have spoken to them; behold, they know everything which I said.

Good News Translation
Why, then, do you question me? Question the people who heard me. Ask them what I told them—they know what I said."

Lexham English Bible
Why are you asking me? Ask those who heard what I have said to them! Behold, these people know what I said."

Literal Translation
Why do you question Me? Question those hearing what I spoke to them: behold, these know what I said!

American Standard Version
Why askest thou me? ask them that have heard me, what I spake unto them: behold, these know the things which I said.

Bible in Basic English
Why are you questioning me? put questions to my hearers about what I have said to them: they have knowledge of what I said.

Hebrew Names Version
Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them. Behold, these know the things which I said."

International Standard Version
Why do you question me? Question those who heard what I said. These are the people who know what I said."

Etheridge Translation
Why askest thou me ? Ask them who have heard what I have said with them. Behold, they know every thing that I have said.

Murdock Translation
Why dost thou interrogate me? Ask them who have heard, what I said to them: lo, they know what I have said.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Why askest thou me? Aske the which hearde me, what I haue sayd vnto the: Beholde, they can tell what I sayde.

English Revised Version
Why askest thou me? ask them that have heard me, what I spake unto them: behold, these know the things which I said.

World English Bible
Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them. Behold, these know the things which I said."

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Why askest thou me? Ask them that heard me, what I said to them: behold, they know what I said.

Weymouth's New Testament
Why do you question me? Question those who heard what it was I said to them: these witnesses here know what I said."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
What axist thou me? axe hem that herden, what Y haue spokun to hem; lo! thei witen, what thingis Y haue seid.

Update Bible Version
Why do you ask me? Ask those that have heard [me], what I spoke to them: look, these know the things which I said.

Webster's Bible Translation
Why dost thou ask me? ask them who heard me, what I have said to them: behold, they know what I have said.

New English Translation
Why do you ask me? Ask those who heard what I said. They know what I said."

New King James Version
Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed they know what I said."

New Living Translation
Why are you asking me this question? Ask those who heard me. They know what I said."

New Life Bible
Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard what I said to them. They know what I said."

New Revised Standard
Why do you ask me? Ask those who heard what I said to them; they know what I said."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Why questionest thou me? question them who have heard, what I spake unto them. See! these, know what, I, said.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Why askest thou me? Ask them who have heard what I have spoken unto them. Behold they know what things I have said.

Revised Standard Version
Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me, what I said to them; they know what I said."

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Why axest thou me? Axe them whiche hearde me what I sayde vnto the. Beholde they can tell what I sayde.

Young's Literal Translation
why me dost thou question? question those having heard what I spake to them; lo, these have known what I said.'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Why axest thou me? Axe the yt haue herde, what I haue spoken vnto the: beholde, they can tell what I haue sayde.

Mace New Testament (1729)
why do you question me? ask those who heard me, what discourse I had with them: they know very well what I said.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Why ask me what I said? Ask those that heard me."

Contextual Overview

¹³ and brought him to Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas. Caiaphas was the high priest that year. ¹⁴ He was also the one who had told the other Jewish leaders that it would be better if one man died for all the people. ¹⁵ Simon Peter and another one of Jesus' followers went with Jesus. This follower knew the high priest. So he went with Jesus into the yard of the high priest's house. ¹⁶ But Peter waited outside near the door. The follower who knew the high priest came back outside and spoke to the gatekeeper. Then he brought Peter inside. ¹⁷ The girl at the gate said to Peter, "Are you also one of the followers of that man?" Peter answered, "No, I am not!" ¹⁸ It was cold, so the servants and guards had built a fire. They were standing around it, warming themselves, and Peter was standing with them. ¹⁹ The high priest asked Jesus questions about his followers and what he taught them. ²⁰ Jesus answered, "I have always spoken openly to all people. I always taught in the synagogues and in the Temple area. All the Jews come together there. I never said anything in secret. ²¹ So why do you question me? Ask the people who heard my teaching. They know what I said." ²² When Jesus said this, one of the guards standing there hit him. The guard said, "You should not talk to the high priest like that!"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

ask: Matthew 26:59, Matthew 26:60, Mark 14:55-59, Luke 22:67, Acts 24:12, Acts 24:13, Acts 24:18-20

Reciprocal: Matthew 26:55 - I sat

Cross-References

Genesis 11:5
Then the Lord came down to see the city and the tower.

Genesis 11:7
Let's go down and confuse their language. Then they will not understand each other."

Genesis 18:1
Later, the Lord again appeared to Abraham near the oak trees of Mamre. It was the hottest part of the day, and Abraham was sitting at the door of his tent.

Genesis 18:24
What if there are fifty good people in that city? Will you still destroy it? Surely you will save the city for the fifty good people living there.

Exodus 3:8
Now I will go down and save my people from the Egyptians. I will take them from that land and lead them to a good land where they can be free from these troubles. It is a land filled with many good things. Many different people live in that land: the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

Exodus 33:5
This was because the Lord said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stubborn people. I might destroy you even if I travel with you only a short time. So take off all your jewelry while I decide what to do with you.'"

Deuteronomy 8:2
And you must remember the entire trip that the Lord your God has led you through these 40 years in the desert. He was testing you. He wanted to make you humble. He wanted to know what is in your heart. He wanted to know if you would obey his commands.

Deuteronomy 13:3
Don't listen to them, because the Lord your God is testing you. He wants to know if you love him with all your heart and all your soul.

Joshua 22:22
"The Lord is our God! Again we say that the Lord is our God! And God knows why we did this thing. We want you to know also. You can judge what we did. If you think we did it because we are against the Lord or refuse to obey him, you can kill us today.

Job 34:22
There is no place dark enough for evil people to hide from God.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Why askest thou me?.... He seems surprised at the high priest's conduct, that he should put such questions to him, who stood bound before him; was brought there as a criminal, and was the defendant, and not obliged to accuse himself; nor could it be thought, that whatever evidence or testimony he should give, would have much weight with the persons before whom he stood.

Ask them which heard me, what I said unto them; he appeals to his hearers, many of whom were then present; and these his enemies, even his worst enemies, so clear was his case, so free was his doctrine from sedition and blasphemy, so innocent was he in the whole of his deportment and conduct, that he even submits to have his case issued and determined by what his hearers should say of him; and these not his friends, but his enemies; see Isaiah 50:8;

behold, they, or these,

know what I have said; pointing at some persons present, perhaps the very officers who had been sent to take him before, but returned without him, declaring that never man spake like him.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Why askest thou me? Ask them ... - Jesus here insisted on his rights, and reproves the high priest for his unjust and illegal manner of extorting a confession from him. If he had done wrong, or taught erroneous and seditious doctrines, it was easy to prove it, and the course which he had a right to demand was that they should establish the charge by fair and incontrovertible evidence. We may here learn:

1. That, though Jesus was willing to be reviled and persecuted, yet he also insisted that justice should be done him.
2. He was conscious of innocence, and he had been so open in his conduct that he could appeal to the vast multitudes which had heard him as witnesses in his favor.
3. It is proper for us, when persecuted and reviled, meekly but firmly to insist on our rights, and to demand that justice shall be done us. Laws are made to protect the innocent as well as to condemn the guilty.
4. Christians, like their Saviour, should so live that they may confidently appeal to all who have known them as witnesses of the sincerity, purity, and rectitude of their lives, 1 Peter 4:13-16.