Luke 11:47

Easy-to-Read Version

It will be bad for you, because you build tombs for the prophets. But these are the same prophets your ancestors killed!

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“Woe to you! You build tombs

King James Version (1611)
Woe vnto you: for ye build the sepulchres of the Prophets, and your fathers killed them.

King James Version
Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

English Standard Version
Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed.

New American Standard Bible
"Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and it was your fathers who killed them.

New Century Version
How terrible for you, because you build tombs for the prophets whom your ancestors killed!

Amplified Bible
"Woe to you! For you repair or build tombs for the prophets, and it was your fathers who killed them.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and it was your fathers who killed them.

Legacy Standard Bible
Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, but your fathers killed them.

Berean Standard Bible
Woe to you! You build tombs for the prophets, but it was your fathers who killed them.

Contemporary English Version
Yes, you are really in for trouble. You build monuments to honor the prophets your own people murdered long ago.

Complete Jewish Bible
"Woe to you! You build tombs in memory of the prophets, but your fathers murdered them!

Darby Translation
Woe unto you, for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, but your fathers killed them.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Wo be to you: for ye builde the sepulchres of the Prophetes, and your fathers killed them.

George Lamsa Translation
Woe to you! for you build the tombs of prophets, whom your fathers killed.

Good News Translation
How terrible for you! You make fine tombs for the prophets—the very prophets your ancestors murdered.

Lexham English Bible
Woe to you, because you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them!

Literal Translation
Woe to you! Because you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

American Standard Version
Woe unto you! for ye build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

Bible in Basic English
A curse is on you! for you make resting-places for the bodies of the prophets, but your fathers put them to death.

Hebrew Names Version
Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

International Standard Version
How terrible it will be for you! For you build monuments for the prophets, and it was your ancestors who killed them!Matthew 23:29;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
Woe to you ! for you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed:

Murdock Translation
Woe to you! who build the sepulchres of the prophets, whom your fathers slew.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Wo vnto you, ye buylde the sepulchres of the prophetes, and your fathers kylled them.

English Revised Version
Woe unto you! for ye build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

World English Bible
Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Wo to you; for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets; whom your fathers killed.

Weymouth's New Testament
Alas for you! for you repair the tombs of the Prophets, whom your forefathers killed.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Wo to you, that bilden toumbis of profetis; and youre fadris slowen hem.

Update Bible Version
Woe to you! for you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

Webster's Bible Translation
Woe to you! for ye build the sepulchers of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

New English Translation
Woe to you! You build the tombs of the prophets whom your ancestors killed.

New King James Version
Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

New Living Translation
What sorrow awaits you! For you build monuments for the prophets your own ancestors killed long ago.

New Life Bible
It is bad for you! For you make beautiful buildings for the graves of the early preachers your fathers killed.

New Revised Standard
Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your ancestors killed.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Alas for you! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers slew them!

Douay-Rheims Bible
Woe to you who build the monuments of the prophets: and your fathers killed them.

Revised Standard Version
Woe to you! for you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Wo be to you: ye bylde the sepulchres of the Prophetes and youre fathers killed the:

Young's Literal Translation
`Wo to you, because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Wo vnto you, for ye buylde the sepulcres of the prophetes, but youre fathers put them to death.

Mace New Testament (1729)
wo unto you, for you rebuild the sepulchres of those prophets, whom your fathers put to death:

THE MESSAGE
"You're hopeless! You build tombs for the prophets your ancestors killed. The tombs you build are monuments to your murdering ancestors more than to the murdered prophets. That accounts for God's Wisdom saying, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, but they'll kill them and run them off.' What it means is that every drop of righteous blood ever spilled from the time earth began until now, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was struck down between altar and sanctuary, is on your heads. Yes, it's on the bill of this generation and this generation will pay.

Simplified Cowboy Version
You're gonna get what's coming to ya! You build statues honoring the cowboys of God from the past, but you act like your ancestors who killed them in the first place.

Contextual Overview

³⁷ After Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee asked Jesus to eat with him. So he went and took a place at the table. ³⁸ But the Pharisee was surprised when he saw that Jesus did not wash his hands first before the meal. ³⁹ The Lord said to him, "The washing you Pharisees do is like cleaning only the outside of a cup or a dish. But what is inside you? You want only to cheat and hurt people. ⁴⁰ You are foolish! The same one who made what is outside also made what is inside. ⁴¹ So pay attention to what is inside. Give to the people who need help. Then you will be fully clean. ⁴² "But it will be bad for you Pharisees! You give God a tenth of the food you get, even your mint, your rue, and every other little plant in your garden. But you forget to be fair to others and to love God. These are the things you should do. And you should also continue to do those other things. ⁴³ "It will be bad for you Pharisees because you love to have the most important seats in the synagogues. And you love for people to show respect to you in the marketplaces. ⁴⁴ It will be bad for you, because you are like hidden graves. People walk on them without knowing it." ⁴⁵ One of the experts in the law said to Jesus, "Teacher, when you say these things about the Pharisees, you are criticizing our group too." ⁴⁶ Jesus answered, "It will be bad for you, you experts in the law! You make strict rules that are very hard for people to obey. You try to force others to obey your rules. But you yourselves don't even try to follow any of those rules.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

for: Matthew 23:29-33, Acts 7:51, 1 Thessalonians 2:15

Reciprocal: 2 Chronicles 24:19 - Yet he sent Psalms 49:13 - approve their sayings Isaiah 10:1 - Woe Jeremiah 2:30 - your own sword Lamentations 4:13 - that Ezekiel 20:4 - cause Ezekiel 20:18 - the statutes Daniel 9:16 - for the Matthew 5:12 - for so Mark 12:3 - they Luke 20:10 - beat Acts 7:52 - Which of Revelation 18:24 - in her

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Woe unto you,.... Meaning particularly the lawyers or Scribes, together with the Pharisees, and even the whole body of the people, who in general were of the cast and complexion here described:

for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets;

:-

and your fathers killed them; the prophets; "or whom your fathers killed", as read the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions; the one put them to death, and the other erected stately monuments over them, or adorned them; and yet both had the same malignant spirit against the faithful servants and messengers of God; and which showed their great hypocrisy.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the notes at Matthew 23:29-36.

Luke 11:49

The wisdom of God - By the “wisdom of God,” here, is undoubtedly meant the Saviour himself. What he immediately says is not written in the Old Testament. Jesus is called “the word of God” John 1:1, because he is the medium by which God “speaks” or makes his will known. He is called “the wisdom of God,” because by him God makes his wisdom known in creation (Colossians 1:13-18 and in redemption 1 Corinthians 1:30. Many have also thought that the Messiah was referred to in the Proverbs 8:1 of Proverbs, under the name of Wisdom.

I will send ... - See Luke 10:3; Matthew 10:16.

Shall slay ... - Compare John 16:2; Acts 7:52, Acts 7:59; James 5:10; Acts 12:2; Acts 22:19; 2 Corinthians 11:24-25; 2 Chronicles 36:15-16.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 47. Ye build the sepulchres — That is, ye rebuild and beautify them. Matthew 23:29; Matthew 23:29.