Luke 11:6

New Living Translation

‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.'

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I don’t have anything to offer him.’

King James Version (1611)
For a friend of mine in his iourney is come to me, and I haue nothing to set before him,

King James Version
For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?

English Standard Version
for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him';

New American Standard Bible
because a friend of mine has come to me from a journey and I have nothing to serve him';

New Century Version
A friend of mine has come into town to visit me, but I have nothing for him to eat.'

Amplified Bible
for a friend of mine who is on a journey has just come to visit me, and I have nothing to serve him';

New American Standard Bible (1995)
for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him';

Legacy Standard Bible
for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him';

Berean Standard Bible
because a friend of mine has come to me on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him.'

Contemporary English Version
A friend of mine has dropped in, and I don't have a thing for him to eat."

Complete Jewish Bible
because a friend of mine who has been travelling has just arrived at my house, and I have nothing for him to eat.'

Darby Translation
since a friend of mine on a journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him;

Geneva Bible (1587)
For a friende of mine is come out of the way to me, & I haue nothing to set before him:

George Lamsa Translation
For a friend has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him.

Good News Translation
A friend of mine who is on a trip has just come to my house, and I don't have any food for him!'

Lexham English Bible
because a friend of mine has come to me on a journey, and I do not have anything to set before him.'

Literal Translation
For a friend of mine arrived to me from a journey, and I do not have what I may set before him.

American Standard Version
for a friend of mine is come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him;

Bible in Basic English
Because a friend of mine has come to me on a journey, and I have nothing to put before him;

Hebrew Names Version
for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him,'

International Standard Version
A friend of mine on a trip has dropped in on me, and I don't have anything to serve him.'

Etheridge Translation
because a friend has come to me from the way, and I have nothing to set to him ?

Murdock Translation
for a friend hath come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For a friende of mine is come out of the way to me, and I haue nothyng to set before hym:

English Revised Version
for a friend of mine is come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him;

World English Bible
for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him,'

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For a friend of mine on his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him:

Weymouth's New Testament
for a friend of mine has just come to my house from a distance, and I have nothing for him to eat'?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
for my freend cometh to me fro the weie, and Y haue not what Y schal sette bifor hym.

Update Bible Version
for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him;

Webster's Bible Translation
For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?

New English Translation
because a friend of mine has stopped here while on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him.'

New King James Version
for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him';

New Life Bible
for a friend of mine is on a trip and has stopped at my house. I have no food to give him.'

New Revised Standard
for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.'

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
forasmuch as, a friend of mine, hath come off a journey unto me, and I have not what I can set before him;

Douay-Rheims Bible
Because a friend of mine is come off his journey to me and I have not what to set before him.

Revised Standard Version
for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him';

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
for a frende of myne is come out of the waye to me and I have nothinge to set before him:

Young's Literal Translation
seeing a friend of mine came out of the way unto me, and I have not what I shall set before him,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
for a frende of myne is come to me out of the waye, and I haue nothinge to set before him:

Mace New Testament (1729)
for a friend of mine, a traveller, is come to my house, and I have nothing to entertain him with.

Simplified Cowboy Version

Contextual Overview

¹ Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples." ² Jesus said, "This is how you should pray: "Father, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. ³ Give us each day the food we need, ⁴ and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And don't let us yield to temptation." ⁵ Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: "Suppose you went to a friend's house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, ⁶ ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.' ⁷ And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don't bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can't help you.' ⁸ But I tell you this—though he won't do it for friendship's sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence. ⁹ "And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

in his journey: or, out of his way, Luke 11:6

Cross-References

Genesis 3:22
Then the Lord God said, "Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!"

Genesis 6:5
The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil.

Genesis 8:21
And the Lord was pleased with the aroma of the sacrifice and said to himself, "I will never again curse the ground because of the human race, even though everything they think or imagine is bent toward evil from childhood. I will never again destroy all living things.

Genesis 9:19
From these three sons of Noah came all the people who now populate the earth.

Genesis 11:1
At one time all the people of the world spoke the same language and used the same words.

Genesis 11:4
Then they said, "Come, let's build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world."

Judges 10:14
Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen! Let them rescue you in your hour of distress!"

1 Kings 18:27
About noontime Elijah began mocking them. "You'll have to shout louder," he scoffed, "for surely he is a god! Perhaps he is daydreaming, or is relieving himself. Or maybe he is away on a trip, or is asleep and needs to be wakened!"

Ecclesiastes 11:9
Young people, it's wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it all in. But remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do.

Luke 1:51
His mighty arm has done tremendous things! He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For a friend of mine in his journey,.... Or "out of the way"; having lost his way, being benighted; and has rambled about for some time, and at length,

is come to me; for lodging and entertainment:

and I have nothing to set before him; to refresh him with, after such a fatigue, before he goes to bed, which was very requisite and proper.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And he said unto them ... - Jesus proceeds to show that, in order to obtain the blessing, it was necessary to “persevere” in asking for it. For this purpose he introduces the case of a friend’s asking bread of another for one who had come to him unexpectedly. His design is solely to show the necessity of being “importunate” or persevering in prayer to God.

At midnight - A time when it would be most inconvenient for his friend to help him; an hour when he would naturally be in bed and his house shut.

Three loaves - There is nothing particularly denoted by the number “three” in this place. Jesus often threw in such particulars merely to fill up the story, or to preserve the consistency of it.

My children are with me in bed - This does not necessarily mean that they were in the “same bed” with him, but that they were “all” in bed, the house was still, the door was shut, and it was troublesome for him to rise at that time of night to accommodate him. It should be observed, however, that the customs of Orientals differ in this respect from our own. Among them it is not uncommon indeed it is the common practice for a whole family - parents, children, and servants - to sleep in the same room. See “The Land and the Book,” vol. i. p. 180. This is “not” to be applied to God, as if it were troublesome to him to be sought unto, or as if “he” would ever reply to a sinner in that manner. All that is to be applied to God in this parable is simply that it is proper to “persevere” in prayer. As a “man” often gives because the request is “repeated,” and as one is not discouraged because the favor that he asks of his neighbor is “delayed,” so God often answers us after long and importunate requests.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Luke 11:6. In his journey is come — Or, perhaps more literally, A friend of mine is come to me out of his way, εξ οδου, which renders the case more urgent-a friend of mine, benighted, belated, and who has lost his way, is come unto me. This was a strong reason why he should have prompt relief.