Luke 3:11

Revised Standard Version

And he answered them, "He who has two coats, let him share with him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
He replied to them, “The one who has two shirts must share with someone who has none, and the one who has food must do the same.”

King James Version (1611)
He answereth, and saith vnto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none, and he that hath meat, let him doe likewise.

King James Version
He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.

English Standard Version
And he answered them, "Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise."

New American Standard Bible
And he would answer and say to them, "The one who has two tunics is to share with the one who has none; and the one who has food is to do likewise."

New Century Version
John answered, "If you have two shirts, share with the person who does not have one. If you have food, share that also."

Amplified Bible
And John replied, "The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do the same."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
And he would answer and say to them, "The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise."

Legacy Standard Bible
And he would answer and say to them, "The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise."

Berean Standard Bible
John replied, "Whoever has two tunics should share with him who has none, and whoever has food should do the same."

Contemporary English Version
John told them, "If you have two coats, give one to someone who doesn't have any. If you have food, share it with someone else."

Complete Jewish Bible
He answered, "Whoever has two coats should share with somebody who has none, and whoever has food should do the same."

Darby Translation
And he answering says to them, He that has two body-coats, let him give to him that has none; and he that has food, let him do likewise.

Easy-to-Read Version
He answered, "If you have two shirts, share with someone who does not have one. If you have food, share that too."

Geneva Bible (1587)
And he answered, and said vnto them, He that hath two coates, let him part with him that hath none: and hee that hath meate, let him doe likewise.

George Lamsa Translation
He answered and said to them, He who has two shirts, let him give to him who has not; and he who has food, let him do likewise.

Good News Translation
He answered, "Whoever has two shirts must give one to the man who has none, and whoever has food must share it."

Lexham English Bible
And he answered and said to them, "The one who has two tunics must share with the one who does not have one, and the one who has food must do likewise."

Literal Translation
And answering, he said to them, The one that has two tunics, let him give to him that has not. And the one that has food, let him do the same.

American Standard Version
And he answered and said unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath food, let him do likewise.

Bible in Basic English
And he made answer and said to them, He who has two coats, let him give to him who has not even one; and he who has food, let him do the same.

Hebrew Names Version
He answered them, "He who has two coats, let him give to him who has none. He who has food, let him do likewise."

International Standard Version
He answered them, "The person who has two coats must share with the one who doesn't have any, and the person who has food must do the same."Luke 11:41; 2 Corinthians 8:14; James 2:15-16; 1 John 3:17; 4:20;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
He answered and said to them, Whoever hath two tunics, let him give to him who hath none; and whoever hath food, so let him do (likewise).

Murdock Translation
He answered and said to them: Whoever hath two tunics, let him give [fn] to him that hath none; and whoever hath food, let him do the same.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
He aunswereth, and sayth vnto them: He that hath two coates, let him part with hym that hath none: and he that hath meate, let hym do lykewyse.

English Revised Version
And he answered and said unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath food, let him do likewise.

World English Bible
He answered them, "He who has two coats, let him give to him who has none. He who has food, let him do likewise."

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.

Weymouth's New Testament
"Let the man who has two coats," he answered, "give one to the man who has none; and let the man who has food share it with others."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
He answeride, and seide to hem, He that hath twei cootis, yyue to hym that hath noon; and he that hath metis, do in lijk maner.

Update Bible Version
And he answered and said to them, He that has two coats, let him impart to him that has none; and he that has food, let him do likewise.

Webster's Bible Translation
He answereth and saith to them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath provisions, let him do likewise.

New English Translation
John answered them, "The person who has two tunics must share with the person who has none, and the person who has food must do likewise."

New King James Version
He answered and said to them, "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise."

New Living Translation
John replied, "If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry."

New Life Bible
He answered them, "If you have two coats, give one to him who has none. If you have food, you must share some."

New Revised Standard
In reply he said to them, "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, answering, he said unto them - He that hath two tunics, let him share with him that hath none, and, he that hath food, in like manner, let him be doing.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he answering, said to them: He that hath two coats, let him give to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do in like manner.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
He answered and sayde vnto them: He that hath two coottes let him parte with him that hath none: and he that hath meate let him do lyke wyse.

Young's Literal Translation
and he answering saith to them, `He having two coats -- let him impart to him having none, and he having victuals -- in like manner let him do.'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
He answered, & sayde vnto the: He that hath two coates, let him parte wt him yt hath none: and he that hath meate, let him do likewyse.

Mace New Testament (1729)
he answer'd them, let him that hath two coats give one to him that hath none; and let him that has plenty of provisions act in like manner.

THE MESSAGE
"If you have two coats, give one away," he said. "Do the same with your food."

Simplified Cowboy Version
John said, "It's as simple as this, if you have two slickers, give one to someone who don't have nothin'. If you've got two pieces of jerked beef, give one to someone who has none."

Contextual Overview

¹ In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiber'i-us Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Iturae'a and Trachoni'tis, and Lysa'ni-as tetrarch of Abile'ne, ² in the high-priesthood of Annas and Ca'iaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechari'ah in the wilderness; ³ and he went into all the region about the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁴ As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. ⁵ Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; ⁶ and all flesh shall see the salvation of God." ⁷ He said therefore to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Bear fruits that befit repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. ⁹ Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." ¹⁰ And the multitudes asked him, "What then shall we do?"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

He that hath two: Luke 11:41, Luke 18:22, Luke 19:8, Isaiah 58:7-11, Daniel 4:27, Matthew 25:40, Mark 14:5-8, John 13:29, Acts 10:2, Acts 10:4, Acts 10:31, 2 Corinthians 8:3-14, 1 Timothy 6:18, Hebrews 6:10, James 1:27, James 2:15-26, 1 John 3:17, 1 John 4:20

Reciprocal: Job 31:19 - General Ezekiel 18:7 - hath given Matthew 6:28 - why Matthew 10:10 - two Matthew 14:16 - they Matthew 25:36 - Naked Luke 9:3 - two Luke 12:17 - shall Ephesians 4:28 - that he

Cross-References

Genesis 4:10
And the LORD said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground.

Psalms 50:21
These things you have done and I have been silent; you thought that I was one like yourself. But now I rebuke you, and lay the charge before you.

Romans 3:20
For no human being will be justified in his sight by works of the law, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

He answereth and saith unto them,.... By telling them what they should do; and he does not put them upon ceremonial observances, nor severe exercises of religion, nor even the duties of the first table of the law, and others of the second, though necessary to be done; but upon acts of beneficence and kindness, to fellow creatures in distress; and are what may be called love of our neighbour, and which involves the love of God, and so the whole law; for the one cannot be rightly exercised without the other:

he that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; not both of them, but one of them: a man is not obliged to go naked himself, in order to clothe another; and so the Persic and Ethiopic versions read, "let him give one to him that has not"; that has not a garment to wear. This is not to be understood strictly and literally, that a man is obliged to give one of his coats, if he has more than one, to a person in want of clothing; it will be sufficient to answer the intent of this exhortation, if he supplies his want another way, by furnishing him with money to buy one: the meaning is, that persons according to their abilities, and of what they can spare, should communicate to those that are in distress: much less is it to be concluded from hence, that it is not lawful for a man to have more coats than one:

and he that hath meat, or meats, let him do likewise; that is, he that has a sufficiency of food, and more than enough for himself and family, let him give it freely and cheerfully to the poor and needy, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased: and when such acts of kindness are done in faith, from a principle of love, and with a view to the glory of God, they are the fruits of grace, and such as are meet for repentance, and show it to be genuine. John instances in these two articles, food and raiment, as containing the necessaries of human life, and including every thing, by which one may be serviceable to another.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

He that hath two coats ... - Or, in other words, aid the poor according to your ability; be benevolent, and you will thus show that your repentance is genuine. It is remarkable that one of the “first” demands of religion is to do good, and it is in this way that it may be shown that the repentance is not feigned. For.

1. The “nature” of religion is to do good.
2. This requires self-denial, and none will deny themselves who are not attached to God. And,
3. This is to imitate Jesus Christ, who, though he was rich, yet for our sakes became poor.

Coats - See the notes at Matthew 5:40.

Meat - Provision of any kind.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Luke 3:11. He that hath two coats, &c.] He first teaches the great mass of the people their duty to each other. They were uncharitable and oppressive, and he taught them not to expect any mercy from the hand of God, while they acted towards others in opposition to its dictates. If men be unkind and uncharitable towards each other, how can they expect the mercy of the Lord to be extended towards themselves?