Luke 8:18

New Living Translation

"So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Therefore take care how you listen. For whoever has, more will be given to him;

King James Version (1611)
Take heede therefore how yee heare: for whosoeuer hath, to him shall bee giuen; and whosoeuer hath not, from him shall be taken, euen that which he seemeth to haue.

King James Version
Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.

English Standard Version
Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away."

New American Standard Bible
"So take care how you listen; for whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him."

New Century Version
So be careful how you listen. Those who have understanding will be given more. But those who do not have understanding, even what they think they have will be taken away from them."

Amplified Bible
"So be careful how you listen; for whoever has [a teachable heart], to him more [understanding] will be given; and whoever does not have [a longing for truth], even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"So take care how you listen; for whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him."

Legacy Standard Bible
So beware how you listen, for whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him."

Berean Standard Bible
Pay attention, therefore, to how you listen. Whoever has will be given more, but whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him."

Contemporary English Version
Pay attention to how you listen! Everyone who has something will be given more, but people who have nothing will lose what little they think they have.

Complete Jewish Bible
Pay attention, then, to how you hear! For anyone who has something will be given more; but from anyone who has nothing, even what he seems to have will be taken away."

Darby Translation
Take heed therefore how ye hear; for whosoever has, to him shall be given, and whosoever has not, even what he seems to have shall be taken from him.

Easy-to-Read Version
So think carefully about what you are hearing. The people who have some understanding will receive more. But those who do not have understanding will lose even what they think they have."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Take heede therefore how ye heare: for whosoeuer hath, to him shall be giuen: and whosoeuer hath not, from him shalbe taken euen that which it seemeth that he hath.

George Lamsa Translation
Take heed how you hear; for he who has, to him shall be given; and he who has not, even that which he thinks he has shall be taken away from him.

Good News Translation
"Be careful, then, how you listen; because those who have something will be given more, but whoever has nothing will have taken away from them even the little they think they have."

Lexham English Bible
Therefore consider how you listen, for whoever has, to him more will be given, and whoever does not have, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away from him."

Literal Translation
Then observe how you hear; for whoever may have, it will be given to him; and whoever may not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.

American Standard Version
Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he thinketh he hath.

Bible in Basic English
So take care how you give hearing, for to him who has will be given, and from him who has not will be taken even what he seems to have.

Hebrew Names Version
Be careful therefore how you hear. For whoever has, to him will be given; and whoever doesn't have, from him will be taken away even that which he thinks he has."

International Standard Version
So pay attention to how you listen. For to the one who has something, more will be given. However, from the one who doesn't have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him."Matthew 13:12; 25:29; Luke 19:26;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
Take heed how you hear: for unto him who hath, it shall be given; and from him who hath not, that also which he thinketh that he hath shall be taken from him.

Murdock Translation
Take heed how ye hear: for to him that hath, shall be given; and from him that hath not, shall be taken even what he thinketh he hath.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Take heede therfore, howe ye heare. For whosoeuer hath, to hym shalbe geuen: And whosoeuer hath not, from hym shalbe take, euen that same which he supposeth that he hath.

English Revised Version
Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he thinketh he hath.

World English Bible
Be careful therefore how you hear. For whoever has, to him will be given; and whoever doesn't have, from him will be taken away even that which he thinks he has."

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Take heed therefore how ye hear; for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even what he hath.

Weymouth's New Testament
Be careful, therefore, how you hear; for whoever has anything, to him more shall be given, and whoever has nothing, even that which he thinks he has shall be taken away from him."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor se ye, hou ye heren; for it schal be youun to hym that hath, and who euer hath not, also that that he weneth that he haue, schal be takun awei fro hym.

Update Bible Version
Take heed therefore how you hear: for whoever has, to him shall be given; and whoever does not have, from him shall be taken away even that which he thinks he has.

Webster's Bible Translation
Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whoever hath, to him shall be given; and whoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.

New English Translation
So listen carefully, for whoever has will be given more, but whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him."

New King James Version
Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him."

New Life Bible
Be careful how you listen! Whoever has, to him will be given. Whoever does not have, even the little he has will be taken from him."

New Revised Standard
Then pay attention to how you listen; for to those who have, more will be given; and from those who do not have, even what they seem to have will be taken away."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Be taking heed therefore how ye hear; for, whosoever shall have, it shall be given unto him; and, whosoever shall not have, even what he seemeth to have, shall be taken from him.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Take heed therefore how you hear. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given: and whosoever hath not, that also which he thinketh he hath shall be taken away from him.

Revised Standard Version
Take heed then how you hear; for to him who has will more be given, and from him who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away."

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Take hede therfore how ye heare. For whosoever hath to him shalbe geve: And whosoever hath not fro him shalbe take even that same which he supposeth that he hath.

Young's Literal Translation
`See, therefore, how ye hear, for whoever may have, there shall be given to him, and whoever may not have, also what he seemeth to have, shall be taken from him.'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Take hede therfore how ye heare. For who so hath, vnto him shalbe geue: but who so hath not, from him shalbe taken awaye, eue the same that he thynketh to haue.

Mace New Testament (1729)
improve therefore what you hear: for he that improves what he has, shall have more; but he that does not, shall lose even that, which he thinks he possesses.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Then he added, "Don't let what I'm saying go in one ear and out the other. The closer you listen the more you'll start getting—and when you start getting it, you'll be given even more. But if you ignore the things I say, you'll end up losing more than you started with."

Contextual Overview

⁴ One day Jesus told a story in the form of a parable to a large crowd that had gathered from many towns to hear him: ⁵ "A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it. ⁶ Other seed fell among rocks. It began to grow, but the plant soon wilted and died for lack of moisture. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked out the tender plants. ⁸ Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!" When he had said this, he called out, "Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand." ⁹ His disciples asked him what this parable meant. ¹⁰ He replied, "You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled: ‘When they look, they won't really see. When they hear, they won't understand.' ¹¹ "This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God's word. ¹² The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. ¹³ The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don't have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

heed: Luke 9:44, Deuteronomy 32:46, Deuteronomy 32:47, Proverbs 2:2-5, Mark 4:23, Mark 4:24, Mark 13:14, Acts 10:33, Acts 17:11, Hebrews 2:1, James 1:19-25, 1 Peter 2:1, 1 Peter 2:2

for: Luke 19:26, Matthew 13:12, Matthew 25:29, Mark 4:25, John 15:2

from: Luke 12:20, Luke 12:21, Luke 16:2-4, Luke 16:19-25, Matthew 7:22, Matthew 7:23, 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

seemeth to have: or, thinketh that he hath, Proverbs 14:12, Romans 12:3, 1 Corinthians 3:18, 1 Corinthians 8:2, 1 Corinthians 14:37, Philippians 3:4, James 1:26

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 4:9 - keep thy soul Nehemiah 8:3 - ears Jeremiah 17:21 - Take Matthew 11:7 - What Matthew 25:8 - for Mark 4:9 - General Luke 6:27 - unto Luke 7:50 - Thy Luke 10:42 - which John 10:5 - General

Cross-References

Psalms 121:8
The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Take heed therefore how ye hear,.... That ye hear not in a careless and negligent manner, since what truths and doctrines ye now hear with the ear, are to be preached by you unto others:

for whosoever hath; that is, hath knowledge of the doctrines of the Gospel, and hath gifts and abilities to preach them to others:

to him shall be given; more knowledge, and by using his gifts they shall be increased:

but he that hath not; true, solid, spiritual knowledge of divine things, though he has had considerable advantages and opportunities of learning it, as the apostles especially had:

from him shall be taken, even that which he seemeth to have; or "that which he thinks he has", as the Syriac version renders it; that which he seemed to others to have, or thought himself he had: the knowledge he had of truth, and which was rather a show of knowledge than real, shall be taken from him; his seeming gifts and parts shall die, and vanish away, and he shall be left to fall into ignorance, error, and heresy. Observe that this is to be understood not of internal grace, and experimental knowledge, but of speculative notions of the Gospel, and of external gifts; and so furnishes out no argument against the final perseverance of real saints; :-.

:-.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the notes at Mark 4:21-25.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Luke 8:18. Even that which he seemeth to have. — Or rather, even what he hath. ο δοκει εχειν, rendered by our common version, what he seemeth to have, seems to me to contradict itself. Let us examine this subject a little.

1. To seem to have a thing, is only to have it in appearance, and not in reality; but what is possessed in appearance only can only be taken away in appearance; therefore on the one side there is no gain, and on the other side no loss. On this ground, the text speaks just nothing.

2. It is evident that ο δοκει εχειν, what he seemeth to have, here, is equivalent to οεχει, what he hath, in the parallel places, Mark 4:25; Matthew 13:12; Matthew 25:29; and in Luke 19:26.

3. It is evident, also, that these persons had something which might be taken away from them. For 1. The word of God, the Divine seed, was planted in their hearts. 2. It had already produced some good effects; but they permitted the devil, the cares of the world, the desire of riches, and the love of pleasure, to destroy its produce.

4. The word δοκειν is often an expletive: so Xenophon in Hellen, vi. ὁτι εδοκει πατικος φιλος αυτοις, Because he seemed to be (i.e. WAS) their father's friend. So in his OEeon. Among the cities that seemed to be (δοκουσαις, actually were) at war. So Athenaeus, lib. vi. chap. 4. They who seemed to be (δοκουντες, who really were) the most opulent, drank out of brazen cups.

5. It often strengthens the sense, and is thus used by the very best Greek writers. ULPIAN, in one of his notes on Demosthenes' Orat. Olinth. 1, quoted by Bishop PEARCE, says expressly, το δοκειν ου παντως επι αμφιβολου ταττουσιν οἱ παλαιοι, αλλα πολλακις και επι του αληθευειν. The word δοκειν is used by the ancients to express, not always what is doubtful, but oftentimes what is true and certain. And this is manifestly its meaning in Matthew 3:9; Luke 22:24; John 5:39; 1 Corinthians 7:40; 1 Corinthians 10:12; 1 Corinthians 11:16; Galatians 2:9; Philippians 3:4; and in the text. See these meanings of the word established beyond the possibility of successful contradiction, in Bishop PEARCE'S notes on Mark 10:42, and in KYPKE in loc. See also the notes on Matthew 13:12.