John 18:21

Bible in Basic English

Why are you questioning me? put questions to my hearers about what I have said to them: they have knowledge of what I said.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Why do you question me? Question those who heard what I told them. Look, they know what I said.”

King James Version (1611)
Why askest thou me? Aske them which heard me, what I haue said vnto them: behold, they know what I said.

King James Version
Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said.

English Standard Version
Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said."

New American Standard Bible
"Why are you asking Me? Ask those who have heard what I spoke to them. Look: these people know what I said."

New Century Version
So why do you question me? Ask the people who heard my teaching. They know what I said."

Amplified Bible
"Why question Me? Question those who have heard what I said to them. They know what I said."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Why do you question Me? Question those who have heard what I spoke to them; they know what I said."

Legacy Standard Bible
Why do you question Me? Question those who have heard what I spoke to them; behold, they know what I said."

Berean Standard Bible
Why are you asking Me? Ask those who heard My message. Surely they know what I said."

Contemporary English Version
Why are you questioning me? Why don't you ask the people who heard me? They know what I have said."

Complete Jewish Bible
so why are you questioning me? Question the ones who heard what I said to them; look, they know what I said."

Darby Translation
Why demandest thou of me? Demand of those who have heard, what I have spoken to them; behold, they know what I have said.

Easy-to-Read Version
So why do you question me? Ask the people who heard my teaching. They know what I said."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Why askest thou mee? aske them which heard mee what I sayde vnto them: beholde, they knowe what I sayd.

George Lamsa Translation
Why do you ask me? ask those who heard what I have spoken to them; behold, they know everything which I said.

Good News Translation
Why, then, do you question me? Question the people who heard me. Ask them what I told them—they know what I said."

Lexham English Bible
Why are you asking me? Ask those who heard what I have said to them! Behold, these people know what I said."

Literal Translation
Why do you question Me? Question those hearing what I spoke to them: behold, these know what I said!

American Standard Version
Why askest thou me? ask them that have heard me, what I spake unto them: behold, these know the things which I said.

Hebrew Names Version
Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them. Behold, these know the things which I said."

International Standard Version
Why do you question me? Question those who heard what I said. These are the people who know what I said."

Etheridge Translation
Why askest thou me ? Ask them who have heard what I have said with them. Behold, they know every thing that I have said.

Murdock Translation
Why dost thou interrogate me? Ask them who have heard, what I said to them: lo, they know what I have said.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Why askest thou me? Aske the which hearde me, what I haue sayd vnto the: Beholde, they can tell what I sayde.

English Revised Version
Why askest thou me? ask them that have heard me, what I spake unto them: behold, these know the things which I said.

World English Bible
Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them. Behold, these know the things which I said."

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Why askest thou me? Ask them that heard me, what I said to them: behold, they know what I said.

Weymouth's New Testament
Why do you question me? Question those who heard what it was I said to them: these witnesses here know what I said."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
What axist thou me? axe hem that herden, what Y haue spokun to hem; lo! thei witen, what thingis Y haue seid.

Update Bible Version
Why do you ask me? Ask those that have heard [me], what I spoke to them: look, these know the things which I said.

Webster's Bible Translation
Why dost thou ask me? ask them who heard me, what I have said to them: behold, they know what I have said.

New English Translation
Why do you ask me? Ask those who heard what I said. They know what I said."

New King James Version
Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed they know what I said."

New Living Translation
Why are you asking me this question? Ask those who heard me. They know what I said."

New Life Bible
Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard what I said to them. They know what I said."

New Revised Standard
Why do you ask me? Ask those who heard what I said to them; they know what I said."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Why questionest thou me? question them who have heard, what I spake unto them. See! these, know what, I, said.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Why askest thou me? Ask them who have heard what I have spoken unto them. Behold they know what things I have said.

Revised Standard Version
Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me, what I said to them; they know what I said."

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Why axest thou me? Axe them whiche hearde me what I sayde vnto the. Beholde they can tell what I sayde.

Young's Literal Translation
why me dost thou question? question those having heard what I spake to them; lo, these have known what I said.'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Why axest thou me? Axe the yt haue herde, what I haue spoken vnto the: beholde, they can tell what I haue sayde.

Mace New Testament (1729)
why do you question me? ask those who heard me, what discourse I had with them: they know very well what I said.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Why ask me what I said? Ask those that heard me."

Contextual Overview

¹³ They took him first to Annas, because Annas was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was the high priest that year. ¹⁴ It was Caiaphas who had said to the Jews that it was in their interest for one man to be put to death for the people. ¹⁵ And Simon Peter went after Jesus with another disciple. Now that disciple was a friend of the high priest and he went in with Jesus into the house of the high priest; ¹⁶ But Peter was kept outside at the door. Then this other disciple, who was a friend of the high priest, came out and had a word with the girl who kept the door, and took Peter in. ¹⁷ Then the girl who was the door-keeper said to Peter, Are you not one of this man's disciples? In answer he said, I am not. ¹⁸ Now the servants and the police had made a fire of coals because it was cold; they were warming themselves in front of it and Peter was there with them, warming himself. ¹⁹ Then the high priest put questions to Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. ²⁰ Jesus made answer, I said things openly to the world at all times; I have given my teaching in the Synagogues and in the Temple to which all the Jews come; and I have said nothing secretly. ²¹ Why are you questioning me? put questions to my hearers about what I have said to them: they have knowledge of what I said. ²² When he said this, one of the police by his side gave him a blow with his open hand, saying, Do you give such an answer to the high priest?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

ask: Matthew 26:59, Matthew 26:60, Mark 14:55-59, Luke 22:67, Acts 24:12, Acts 24:13, Acts 24:18-20

Reciprocal: Matthew 26:55 - I sat

Cross-References

Genesis 11:5
And the Lord came down to see the town and the tower which the children of men were building.

Genesis 11:7
Come, let us go down and take away the sense of their language, so that they will not be able to make themselves clear to one another.

Genesis 18:1
Now the Lord came to him by the holy tree of Mamre, when he was seated in the doorway of his tent in the middle of the day;

Genesis 18:24
If by chance there are fifty upright men in the town, will you give the place to destruction and not have mercy on it because of the fifty upright men?

Exodus 3:8
And I have come down to take them out of the hands of the Egyptians, guiding them out of that land into a good land and wide, into a land flowing with milk and honey; into the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite.

Exodus 33:5
And the Lord said to Moses, Say to the children of Israel, You are a stiff-necked people: if I come among you, even for a minute, I will send destruction on you; so take off all your ornaments, so that I may see what to do with you.

Deuteronomy 8:2
And keep in mind the way by which the Lord your God has taken you through the waste land these forty years, so that he might make low your pride and put you to the test, to see what was in your heart and if you would keep his orders or not.

Deuteronomy 13:3
Then give no attention to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God is testing you, to see if all the love of your heart and soul is given to him.

Joshua 22:22
God, even God the Lord, God, even God the Lord, he sees, and Israel will see--if it is in pride or in sin against the Lord,

Job 34:22
There is no dark place, and no thick cloud, in which the workers of evil may take cover.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Why askest thou me?.... He seems surprised at the high priest's conduct, that he should put such questions to him, who stood bound before him; was brought there as a criminal, and was the defendant, and not obliged to accuse himself; nor could it be thought, that whatever evidence or testimony he should give, would have much weight with the persons before whom he stood.

Ask them which heard me, what I said unto them; he appeals to his hearers, many of whom were then present; and these his enemies, even his worst enemies, so clear was his case, so free was his doctrine from sedition and blasphemy, so innocent was he in the whole of his deportment and conduct, that he even submits to have his case issued and determined by what his hearers should say of him; and these not his friends, but his enemies; see Isaiah 50:8;

behold, they, or these,

know what I have said; pointing at some persons present, perhaps the very officers who had been sent to take him before, but returned without him, declaring that never man spake like him.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Why askest thou me? Ask them ... - Jesus here insisted on his rights, and reproves the high priest for his unjust and illegal manner of extorting a confession from him. If he had done wrong, or taught erroneous and seditious doctrines, it was easy to prove it, and the course which he had a right to demand was that they should establish the charge by fair and incontrovertible evidence. We may here learn:

1. That, though Jesus was willing to be reviled and persecuted, yet he also insisted that justice should be done him.
2. He was conscious of innocence, and he had been so open in his conduct that he could appeal to the vast multitudes which had heard him as witnesses in his favor.
3. It is proper for us, when persecuted and reviled, meekly but firmly to insist on our rights, and to demand that justice shall be done us. Laws are made to protect the innocent as well as to condemn the guilty.
4. Christians, like their Saviour, should so live that they may confidently appeal to all who have known them as witnesses of the sincerity, purity, and rectitude of their lives, 1 Peter 4:13-16.