Matthew 10:18

Contemporary English Version

Because of me, you will be dragged before rulers and kings to tell them and the Gentiles about your faith.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
You will even be brought before governors and kings because of me, to bear witness to them and to the Gentiles.

King James Version (1611)
And yee shall be brought before Gouernours and Kings for my sake, for a testimonie against them, and the Gentiles.

King James Version
And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.

English Standard Version
and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles.

New American Standard Bible
and you will even be brought before governors and kings on My account, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.

New Century Version
Because of me you will be taken to stand before governors and kings, and you will tell them and the non-Jewish people about me.

Amplified Bible
and you will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And ye shal be brought to the gouernours and Kings for my sake, in witnes to them, and to the Gentiles.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.

Legacy Standard Bible
and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.

Berean Standard Bible
On My account, you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.

Complete Jewish Bible
On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as a testimony to them and to the Goyim.

Darby Translation
and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the nations.

Easy-to-Read Version
You will be taken to stand before governors and kings. People will do this to you because you follow me. You will tell about me to those kings and governors and to the non-Jewish people.

George Lamsa Translation
And they will bring you before the presence of governors and kings for my sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.

Good News Translation
For my sake you will be brought to trial before rulers and kings, to tell the Good News to them and to the Gentiles.

Lexham English Bible
And you will be brought before both governors and kings because of me, for a witness to them and to the Gentiles.

Literal Translation
And also you will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them and to the nations.

American Standard Version
yea and before governors and kings shall ye be brought for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.

Bible in Basic English
And you will come before rulers and kings because of me, for a witness to them and to the Gentiles.

Hebrew Names Version
Yes, and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the Goyim.

International Standard Version
Because of me you will be brought before governors and kings to testify to them and the Gentiles.Acts 12:1; 24:10; 2 Timothy 4:16;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
and before governors and kings bring you, on my account, for the testimony concerning them and the gentiles.

Murdock Translation
And they will bring you before governors and kings, on my account, for a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And ye shalbe brought to the head rulers, and kynges, for my sake, in witnesse to them, and to the Gentiles.

English Revised Version
yea and before governors and kings shall ye be brought for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.

World English Bible
Yes, and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the heathens.

Weymouth's New Testament
and you will even be put on trial before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness to them and to the Gentiles.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and to meyris, or presidentis, and to kyngis, ye schulen be lad for me, in witnessyng to hem, and to the hethen men.

Update Bible Version
yes and before governors and kings you shall be brought for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.

Webster's Bible Translation
And ye will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.

New English Translation
And you will be brought before governors and kings because of me, as a witness to them and the Gentiles.

New King James Version
You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.

New Living Translation
You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me.

New Life Bible
They will take you in front of the leaders of the people and of the kings because of Me. You will tell them and the people who do not know God about Me.

New Revised Standard
and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, before both governor and kings, shall ye be brought, for my sake - for a witness to them and the nations.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And you shall be brought before governors, and before kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the Gentiles:

Revised Standard Version
and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear testimony before them and the Gentiles.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And ye shall be brought to the heed rulers and kynges for my sake in witnes to them and to the gentyls.

Young's Literal Translation
and before governors and kings ye shall be brought for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the nations.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And ye shall be brought before prynces and kynges for my sake, in witnes to them and to the gentyls.

Mace New Testament (1729)
and ye shall be brought before governors and kings upon my account, to bear testimony of me to them and the rest of the Gentiles.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Because of me, you will be taken before governors, presidents, and later, even to those who aren't Jews, so that you can tell them about who I am.

Contextual Overview

¹⁶ I am sending you like lambs into a pack of wolves. So be as wise as snakes and as innocent as doves. ¹⁷ Watch out for people who will take you to court and have you beaten in their meeting places. ¹⁸ Because of me, you will be dragged before rulers and kings to tell them and the Gentiles about your faith. ¹⁹ But when someone arrests you, don't worry about what you will say or how you will say it. At that time you will be given the words to say. ²⁰ But you will not really be the one speaking. The Spirit from your Father will tell you what to say. ²¹ Brothers and sisters will betray one another and have each other put to death. Parents will betray their own children, and children will turn against their parents and have them killed. ²² Everyone will hate you because of me. But if you remain faithful until the end, you will be saved. ²³ When people mistreat you in one town, hurry to another one. I promise you that before you have gone to all the towns of Israel, the Son of Man will come. ²⁴ Disciples are not better than their teacher, and slaves are not better than their master. ²⁵ It is enough for disciples to be like their teacher and for slaves to be like their master. If people call the head of the family Satan, what will they say about the rest of the family?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

be: Psalms 2:1-6, Acts 5:25-27, Acts 12:1-4, Acts 23:33, Acts 23:34, Acts 24:1 - Acts 26:32, 2 Timothy 4:16, 2 Timothy 4:17

for a: Matthew 8:4, Mark 13:9, 2 Timothy 1:8, Revelation 1:9, Revelation 6:9, Revelation 11:7

Reciprocal: Exodus 5:1 - and told Deuteronomy 31:19 - a witness 2 Chronicles 26:18 - withstood Uzziah Psalms 119:46 - speak Jeremiah 19:3 - Hear Daniel 3:13 - Then Jonah 1:2 - cry Matthew 5:11 - for Matthew 27:11 - Jesus stood Mark 10:29 - for Luke 5:14 - for Luke 6:22 - for Luke 9:5 - a testimony John 15:21 - all Acts 9:15 - and kings Acts 17:19 - May Acts 21:37 - General Acts 25:22 - General Acts 26:28 - Almost Acts 27:24 - thou 1 Peter 3:14 - if 1 Peter 3:15 - and be

Cross-References

Numbers 34:8
After that, it will run to Lebo-Hamath and across to Zedad, which is the northern edge of your land.

2 Samuel 8:9
King Toi of Hamath and King Hadadezer had been enemies. So when Toi heard that David had attacked and defeated Hadadezer's whole army, he sent his son Joram to praise and congratulate David. Joram also brought him gifts made of silver, gold, and bronze.

2 Kings 17:24
The king of Assyria took people who were living in the cities of Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and forced them to move to Israel. They took over the towns where the Israelites had lived, including the capital city of Samaria.

2 Kings 17:30
The people from Babylonia made the god Succoth-Benoth; those from Cuthah made the god Nergal; those from Hamath made Ashima;

2 Chronicles 13:4
Abijah went to the top of Mount Zemaraim in the hills of Ephraim and shouted: Listen, Jeroboam and all you Israelites!

Isaiah 10:9
They have already captured the cities of Calno, Carchemish, Hamath, Arpad, Samaria, and Damascus.

Ezekiel 27:8
Men from Sidon and Arvad did the rowing, and your own skilled workers were the captains.

Zechariah 9:2
Judgment will also fall on the nearby city of Hamath, as well as on Tyre and Sidon, whose people are clever.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And ye shall be brought before governors,.... Meaning Roman governors; so Paul was had before Gallio, Felix, and Festas; for judgments relating to life and death were to be taken away, and were taken away from the Jewish sanhedrim; and as they themselves say f, forty years before the destruction of the second temple, which was much about the time of Christ's death: so that what power they had, was only with regard to lesser matters, and to inflict lesser punishments, as beating and scourging: if they sought to take away life, they were obliged to bring the cause before the governors of the Roman provinces, who are here intended:

and kings for my sake; as Herod, Agrippa, Nero, Domitian, and others, before whom one or other of the apostles were brought; not as thieves, or murderers, or traitors, and seditious persons, or for having done any wrong or injury to any man's person or property; but purely for the sake of Christ, for the profession of their faith in him, and for preaching his Gospel; of all which they had no reason to be ashamed, nor were they:

for a testimony against, or "to"

them, and the Gentiles; that is, that thereby they might have an opportunity of bearing a testimony to the truths of the Gospel, which would be either to the conviction and conversion of many Gentiles, as well as Jews; or would be a testimony which would stand against them another day, both against the Jews, who charged, and accused them, and brought them before the Heathen kings and governors, to punish them with death; and against those Gentile magistrates, and others, who should join with them in rejecting the Gospel, and putting them to death for preaching it: so that they should have no pretext or excuse; since the Gospel had been faithfully and clearly preached to them, and they had despised it, and evil treated the ministers of it. This confirms what is before observed, that this passage refers to an after mission.

f Hieros. Sanhedrim, fol. 18. 1. & 24. 2. Juchasin, fol. 26. 2. & 51. 1. Maimon. Hilch. Sanhedrim. c. 14. sect. 13.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And ye shall be brought ... - This prediction was completely and abundantly fulfilled, Acts 5:26; Acts 12:1-4; Acts 23:33; Acts 26:1, Acts 26:28, Acts 26:30. Peter is said to have been brought before Nero, and John before Domitian, Roman emperors; and others before Parthian, Scythian, and Indian kings. They were to stand there to bear a testimony against them; or, as it might be rendered, to them. That is, they were to be “witnesses to them” of the great facts and doctrines of the Christian religion; and if they rejected Christianity, they would be witnesses “against” them in the day of judgment. The fulfillment of this prophecy is a signal evidence that Christ possessed a knowledge of the future. Few things were more improbable when this was uttered than that the fishermen of Galilee would stand before the illustrious and mighty monarchs of the East and the West.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 10:18. Ye shall be brought before governors, &c. — "This affords a striking proof of the prescience of Christ. Who could have thought, at that time, that these despised and illiterate men could excite so much attention, and be called upon to apologize for the profession of their faith before the tribunals of the most illustrious personages of the earth ?" Wakefield.

By governors and kings we may understand, the Roman proconsuls, governors of provinces, and the kings who were tributary to the Roman government, and the emperors themselves, before whom many of the primitive Christians were brought.

For a testimony against them and the Gentiles. — That is, to render testimony, both to Jews and Gentiles, of the truth and power of my Gospel.