Luke 12:35

Easy-to-Read Version

"Be ready! Be fully dressed and have your lights shining.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“Be ready for service

King James Version (1611)
Let your loines be girded about, and your lights burning,

King James Version
Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;

English Standard Version
"Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning,

New American Standard Bible
"Be prepared, and keep your lamps lit.

New Century Version
"Be dressed, ready for service, and have your lamps shining.

Amplified Bible
"Be dressed and ready for active service, and keep your lamps continuously burning.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit.

Legacy Standard Bible
"Gird up your loins, and keep your lamps lit.

Berean Standard Bible
Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning.

Contemporary English Version
Be ready and keep your lamps burning

Complete Jewish Bible
"Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit,

Darby Translation
Let your loins be girded about, and lamps burning;

Geneva Bible (1587)
Let your loynes be gird about and your lights burning,

George Lamsa Translation
Let your girdle be fastened on your loins, and your lamps lighted.

Good News Translation
"Be ready for whatever comes, dressed for action and with your lamps lit,

Lexham English Bible
"You must be prepared for action and your lamps burning.

Literal Translation
Let your loins be girded about, and the lamps burning,

American Standard Version
Let your loins be girded about, and your lamps burning;

Bible in Basic English
Be ready, dressed as for a journey, with your lights burning.

Hebrew Names Version
"Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning.

International Standard Version
"You must keep your belts fastened and your lamps burning.Matthew 25:1; Ephesians 6:14; 1 Peter 1:13;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
Let your loins be bound, and your lamps be burning,

Murdock Translation
Let your loins be girded, and your lamps burning.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Let your loynes be girde about, and your lyghtes brennyng,

English Revised Version
Let your loins be girded about, and your lamps burning;

World English Bible
Let your loins be girded about, and your lamps burning.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Let your loins be girt,

Weymouth's New Testament
"Have your girdles on, and let your lamps be alight;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Be youre leendis gird aboue, and lanternes brennynge in youre hoondis;

Update Bible Version
Let your loins be girded about, and your lamps burning;

Webster's Bible Translation
Let your loins be girt, and [your] lights burning;

New English Translation
"Get dressed for service and keep your lamps burning;

New King James Version
Matthew 24:42-51">[xr] "Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning;

New Living Translation
"Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning,

New Life Bible
"Be ready and dressed. Have your lights burning.

New Revised Standard
"Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Let your loins be girded, and your lamps burning,

Douay-Rheims Bible
Let your loins be girt and lamps burning in your hands.

Revised Standard Version
"Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning,

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Let youre loynes be gerdde about and youre lightes brennynge

Young's Literal Translation
`Let your loins be girded, and the lamps burning,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Let youre loynes be gerded aboute, and youre lightes burnynge,

Mace New Testament (1729)
Let your loins be girt, and your lamps burning:

THE MESSAGE
"Keep your shirts on; keep the lights on! Be like house servants waiting for their master to come back from his honeymoon, awake and ready to open the door when he arrives and knocks. Lucky the servants whom the master finds on watch! He'll put on an apron, sit them at the table, and serve them a meal, sharing his wedding feast with them. It doesn't matter what time of the night he arrives; they're awake—and so blessed!

Simplified Cowboy Version
"Keep your britches on and your boots by your bed. Keep a light burning in the barn so you can catch your horse at a moment's notice.

Contextual Overview

²² Jesus said to his followers, "So I tell you, don't worry about the things you need to live—what you will eat or what you will wear. ²³ Life is more important than food, and the body is more important than what you put on it. ²⁴ Look at the birds. They don't plant, harvest, or save food in houses or barns, but God feeds them. And you are worth much more than crows. ²⁵ None of you can add any time to your life by worrying about it. ²⁶ And if you can't do the little things, why worry about the big things? ²⁷ "Think about how the wildflowers grow. They don't work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that even Solomon, the great and rich king, was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. ²⁸ If God makes what grows in the field so beautiful, what do you think he will do for you? That's just grass—one day it's alive, and the next day someone throws it into a fire. But God cares enough to make it beautiful. Surely he will do much more for you. Your faith is so small! ²⁹ "So don't always think about what you will eat or what you will drink. Don't worry about it. ³⁰ That's what all those people who don't know God are always thinking about. But your Father knows that you need these things. ³¹ What you should be thinking about is God's kingdom. Then he will give you all these other things you need.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

your loins: 1 Kings 18:46, Proverbs 31:17, Isaiah 5:27, Isaiah 11:5, Ephesians 6:14, 1 Peter 1:13

your lights: Matthew 5:16, Matthew 25:1, Matthew 25:4-10, Philippians 2:15

Reciprocal: Exodus 12:11 - loins Exodus 27:21 - Aaron Leviticus 24:2 - the lamps 2 Kings 9:1 - Gird up thy loins Psalms 90:12 - So Jeremiah 1:17 - gird up Matthew 24:42 - Watch Matthew 25:7 - General Matthew 25:8 - for 1 Corinthians 16:13 - Watch

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Let your loins be girded about,.... With the girdle of truth, Ephesians 6:14 keeping close to the doctrines of the Gospel, abiding faithfully by them, even unto death: the allusion is either to the eating of the first passover, Exodus 12:11 or rather to servants, who, in these eastern countries, wore long garments; and therefore, when in business, used to gather them up, and gird them about them, that they might perform their service with greater strength, more ease, quicker dispatch, and less hinderance: the phrase denotes readiness for business:

and your lights burning. The Vulgate Latin version adds, "in your hands"; meaning torches that were held in the hand: and may design either the Scriptures of truth, which were to be a light or lamp unto them, guiding and directing them in the ministration of the Gospel; or the lamps of profession, which should be kept clear and bright, and good works, becoming them, that should so shine before men, that all may see them, and glorify God. The allusion is to persons waiting at a wedding in the night, with torches and flambeaus in their hands.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Let your loins ... - This alludes to the ancient manner of dress. They wore a long flowing robe as their outer garment. See the notes at Matthew 5:38-41. When they labored, or walked, or ran, it was necessary to “gird” or tie this up by a “sash” or girdle about the body, that it might not impede their progress. Hence, to gird up the loins means to be “ready,” to be active, to be diligent. Compare 2 Kings 4:29; 2 Kings 9:1; Jeremiah 1:17; Acts 12:8.

Your lights burning - This expresses the same meaning. Be ready at all times to leave the world and enter into rest, when your Lord shall call you. Let every obstacle be out of the way; let every earthly care be removed, and be prepared to follow him into his rest. Servants were expected to be ready for the coming of their lord. If in the night, they were expected to keep their lights trimmed and burning. When their master was away in attendance on a wedding, as they knew not the hour when he would return, they were to be continually ready. So we, as we know not the hour when God shall call us, should be “always” ready to die. Compare the notes at Matthew 25:1-13.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 35. Let your loins — Be active, diligent, determined ready; let all hinderances be removed out of the way; and let the candle of the Lord be always found burning brightly in your hand. Luke 12:37; Luke 12:37.