Matthew 25:45

New American Standard Bible

"Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for Me, either.'

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

King James Version (1611)
Then shall he answere them, saying, Uerely, I say vnto you, in as much as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

King James Version
Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

English Standard Version
Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.'

New Century Version
"Then the King will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, anything you refused to do for even the least of my people here, you refused to do for me.'

Amplified Bible
"Then He will reply to them, 'I assure you and most solemnly say to you, to the extent that you did not do it for one of the least of these [my followers], you did not do it for Me.'

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'

Legacy Standard Bible
Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'

Berean Standard Bible
Then the King will answer, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.'

Contemporary English Version
The king will say to them, "Whenever you failed to help any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you failed to do it for me."

Complete Jewish Bible
And he will answer them, ‘Yes! I tell you that whenever you refused to do it for the least important of these people, you refused to do it for me!'

Darby Translation
Then shall he answer them saying, Verily I say to you, Inasmuch as ye have not done it to one of these least, neither have ye done it to me.

Easy-to-Read Version
"The king will answer, ‘The truth is, anything you refused to do for any of my people here, you refused to do for me.'

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then shall he answere them, and say, Verely I say vnto you, in as much as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

George Lamsa Translation
Then he will answer and say to them, Truly I say to you, Inasmuch as you did not do it to one of these least ones, you also did not do it to me.

Good News Translation
The King will reply, ‘I tell you, whenever you refused to help one of these least important ones, you refused to help me.'

Lexham English Bible
Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly I say to you, in as much as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.'

Literal Translation
Then He will answer them, saying, Truly I say to you, In so far as you did not do it to one of these, the least, neither did you do it to Me.

American Standard Version
Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not unto one of these least, ye did it not unto me.

Bible in Basic English
Then will he make answer to them, saying, Truly I say to you, Because you did it not to the least of these, you did it not to me.

Hebrew Names Version
"Then will he answer them, saying, 'Most assuredly I tell you, inasmuch as you didn't do it to one of these least, you didn't do it to me.'

International Standard Version
Then he will say to them, 'Truly I tell you, in that you did not do it for one of the least important of these, you did not do it for me.'Proverbs 14:31; 17:5; Zechariah 2:8; Acts 9:5;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
Then shall he answer and say to them, Amen I say unto you, that inasmuch as you did it not unto one of these little ones, you did it not to me.

Murdock Translation
Then will he answer, and say to them: Verily I say to you, That in as much as ye did not so to one of these little ones, ye did not so to me.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then shall he aunswere them, saying: Ueryly I say vnto you, in as much as ye dyd it not to one of the least of these, ye dyd it not to me.

English Revised Version
Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not unto one of these least, ye did it not unto me.

World English Bible
Then will he answer them, saying, 'Most assuredly I tell you, inasmuch as you didn't do it to one of these least, you didn't do it to me.'

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say to you, inasmuch as ye did it oot to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

Weymouth's New Testament
"But he will reply, "`In solemn truth I tell you that in so far as you withheld such services from one of the humblest of these, you withheld them from me.'

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thanne he schal answere to hem, and seie, Treuli Y seie to you, `hou longe ye diden not to oon of these leeste, nether ye diden to me.

Update Bible Version
Then he shall answer them, saying, Truly I say to you, Inasmuch as you didn't do it to one of these least, you didn't do it to me.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then will he answer them, saying, Verily I say to you, Inasmuch as ye did [it] not to one of the least of these, ye did [it] not to me.

New English Translation
Then he will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.'

New King James Version
Then He will answer them, saying, "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'

New Living Translation
"And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.'

New Life Bible
Then He will say to them, ‘For sure, I tell you, because you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'

New Revised Standard
Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.'

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then, will he answer them, saying: Verily, I say unto you - Inasmuch as ye did it not, unto one of these least, neither unto me, did ye it.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Then he shall answer them, saying: Amen: I say to you, as long as you did it not to one of these least, neither did you do it to me.

Revised Standard Version
Then he will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.'

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Then shall he answere the and saye: Verely I saye vnto you in as moche as ye did it not to one of ye leest of these ye did it not to me.

Young's Literal Translation
`Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say to you, Inasmuch as ye did [it] not to one of these, the least, ye did [it] not to me.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The shal he answere them, and saye: Verely I saye vnto you: Loke what ye haue not done vnto one of the leest of these, the same haue ye not done vnto me.

Mace New Testament (1729)
to this he will reply, I declare unto you, your not doing this for one of the least of these, is the same thing as not doing it for me.

THE MESSAGE
"He will answer them, ‘I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.'

Simplified Cowboy Version
"And he will answer, 'Listen to me close. When you refused these things to the cowboys and cowgirls who rode for my Father's brand, you refused them to me!'

Contextual Overview

³¹ "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. ³² "And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; ³³ and He will put the sheep on His right, but the goats on the left. ³⁴ "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. ³⁵ 'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; ³⁶ naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' ³⁷ "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? ³⁸ 'And when did we see You as a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? ³⁹ 'And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' ⁴⁰ "And the King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it for Me.'

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Inasmuch: Matthew 25:40, Genesis 12:3, Numbers 24:9, Psalms 105:15, Proverbs 14:31, Proverbs 17:5, Proverbs 21:13, Zechariah 2:8, John 15:18, John 15:19, Acts 9:5, 1 John 3:12-20, 1 John 5:1-3

Reciprocal: Genesis 3:17 - Because Genesis 27:29 - cursed Job 31:32 - The stranger Isaiah 63:9 - all their Matthew 5:18 - verily Matthew 10:40 - He that Matthew 12:50 - the same Matthew 18:5 - receive Matthew 28:10 - my Mark 9:42 - it Luke 8:21 - My mother Luke 9:48 - Whosoever shall receive this John 2:2 - his Acts 9:4 - why Acts 22:7 - why Acts 22:8 - whom Acts 26:15 - I am 1 Corinthians 8:12 - ye sin against 1 Corinthians 13:1 - have not 1 Corinthians 16:22 - love 2 Corinthians 8:4 - the ministering

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then shall he answer them,.... With a stern countenance, in great resentment, as one highly offended, and with the authority of a judge:

saying, verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not unto me: since they had given no food not to the least of his brethren and friends that stood at his right hand, no not to anyone of them; not so much as the least bit of bread to them when hungry, nor a drop of water to them when thirsty; had not taken them into their houses, nor provided the meanest lodging for them, when they were exposed in the streets to the inclemency of the weather, and insults of men; nor gave them the least rag to cover them, when they were almost naked, and ready to perish; nor did they minister to their wants, either physical, or food, or give attendance, when on sick beds, and in prison houses; therefore he reckoned this neglect of them, and want of compassion to them, all one as if he himself in person had been so treated: and if then judgment will righteously proceed against men for sins of omission, much more for sins of commission; and if such will be dealt with in this manner, who have taken no notice, and shown no respect to the members of Christ; what will the end be of those, who are injurious to them, their persons, and properties, and persecute and kill them?

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Inasmuch as ye did it not ... - By not doing good to the “followers” of Christ, they showed that they had no real love to Him. By not doing good to the poor and needy, to the stranger and the prisoner, they showed that they had not his spirit, and were not like him, and were unfit for his kingdom. Let it be observed here that the public ground of their condemnation is the neglect of duty, or because “they did it not.” We are not to suppose that they will not also be condemned for their open and positive sins. See Romans 2:9; Ephesians 5:5; Colossians 3:5-6; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Revelation 21:8; Psalms 9:17. But their neglect of doing good to him and his people may be the “public” reason of condemning them:

1. Because he wished to give pre-eminence to those virtues, to excite his followers to do them.
2. People should be punished for neglect as well as for positive sin. Sin is a violation of the law, or refusing to do what God commands.
3. Nothing better shows the true state of the heart than the proper performance of those duties, and the true character can be as well tested by neglecting them as by open crimes.

If it is asked how the pagan who never heard of the name of Christ can be justly condemned in this manner, it may be answered:

1.That Christ acknowledges all the poor, and needy, and strangers of every land, as his brethren. See Matthew 25:40.

2.That by neglecting the duties of charity they show that they have not his spirit are not like him.

3.That these duties are clearly made known by conscience and by the light of nature, as well as by revelation, and people may therefore be condemned for the neglect of them.

4.That they are not condemned for not believing in Christ, of whom they have not heard, but for a wrong spirit, neglect of duty, open crime; for being unlike Christ, and therefore unfit for heaven.

One of the least of these - These on my right hand. My brethren. Those who are saved.