Romans 14:11

Good News Translation

For the scripture says, "As surely as I am the living God, says the Lord, everyone will kneel before me, and everyone will confess that I am God."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
For it is written,

King James Version (1611)
For it is written, As I liue, saith the Lord, euery knee shall bow to mee, and euery tongue shall confesse to God.

King James Version
For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

English Standard Version
for it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God."

New American Standard Bible
For it is written: "AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, TO ME EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, AND EVERY TONGUE WILL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD."

New Century Version
because it is written in the Scriptures: "‘As surely as I live,' says the Lord, ‘Everyone will bow before me; everyone will say that I am God.'" Isaiah 45:23

Amplified Bible
For it is written [in Scripture], "AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
For it is written, "AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD."

Legacy Standard Bible
For it is written,"As I live, says the Lord, to Me every knee shall bow,And every tongue shall confess to God."

Berean Standard Bible
It is written: "As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before Me; every tongue will confess to God."

Contemporary English Version
In the Scriptures God says, "I swear by my very life that everyone will kneel down and praise my name!"

Complete Jewish Bible
since it is written in the Tanakh, "As I live, says Adonai , every knee will bend before me, and every tongue will publicly acknowledge God."

Darby Translation
For it is written, *I* live, saith [the] Lord, that to me shall bow every knee, and every tongue shall confess to God.

Easy-to-Read Version
Yes, the Scriptures say, "‘As surely as I live,' says the Lord, ‘Everyone will bow before me; everyone will say that I am God.'"

Geneva Bible (1587)
For it is written, I liue, sayth the Lord, and euery knee shall bowe to me, and all tongues shall confesse vnto God.

George Lamsa Translation
For it is written, As I live, said the LORD, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess me.

Lexham English Bible
For it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will praise God."

Literal Translation
For it has been written, "As I live, says the Lord, that every knee will bow to Me, and every tongue confess to God." Isa. 45:23

American Standard Version
For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, to me every knee shall bow, And every tongue shall confess to God.

Bible in Basic English
For it is said in the holy Writings, By my life, says the Lord, to me every knee will be bent, and every tongue will give worship to God.

Hebrew Names Version
For it is written, "'As I live,' says the Lord, 'to me every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess to God.'"

International Standard Version
For it is written,Isaiah 45:23; Philippians 2:10;">[xr] "As certainly as I live, declares the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will praiseconfess">[fn] God."Isaiah 49:18; 45:23">[fn]

Etheridge Translation
as it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, unto me every knee shall bow, and to me shall every tongue confess.

Murdock Translation
as it is written: As I live, saith the Lord, to me every knee shall bow; and to me every tongue shall give praise.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For it is written, I lyue, sayth the Lorde: and all knees shall bowe to me, & all tongues shall geue prayse to God.

English Revised Version
For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, to me every knee shall bow, And every tongue shall confess to God.

World English Bible
For it is written, "'As I live,' says the Lord, 'to me every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess to God.'"

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

Weymouth's New Testament
for it is written, "`As I live,' says the Lord, `to Me every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall make confession to God.'"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For it is writun, Y lyue, seith the Lord, for to me ech kne schal be bowid, and ech tunge schal knouleche to God.

Update Bible Version
For it is written, As I live, says the Lord, to me every knee shall bow, And every tongue shall confess to God.

Webster's Bible Translation
For it is written, [As] I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

New English Translation
For it is written, " As I live , says the Lord , every knee will bow to me , and every tongue will give praise to God ."

New King James Version
For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord,Every knee shall bow to Me,And every tongue shall confess to God." Isaiah 45:23 ">[fn]

New Living Translation
For the Scriptures say, "‘As surely as I live,' says the Lord , ‘every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.'"

New Life Bible
The Holy Writings say, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before Me. And every tongue will say that I am God."

New Revised Standard
For it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For it is written - Living am, I, saith the Lord, unto me, shall bow every knee, and, every tongue, shall openly confess unto God.

Douay-Rheims Bible
For it is written: As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God.

Revised Standard Version
for it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God."

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
For it is written: as truely as I lyve sayth ye lorde all knees shall bowe to me and all tonges shall geve a knowledge to God.

Young's Literal Translation
for it hath been written, `I live! saith the Lord -- to Me bow shall every knee, and every tongue shall confess to God;'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For it is wrytte: As truly as I lyue, (sayeth the LORDE) all knees shal bowe vnto me, & all tuges shal knowlege vnto God.

Mace New Testament (1729)
for it is written , "as I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God."

Simplified Cowboy Version
The Good Book says, "'As much as I am alive, every soul will bend the knee and every mouth shall pledge themselves to me,' says the Lord."

Contextual Overview

¹ Welcome those who are weak in faith, but do not argue with them about their personal opinions. ² Some people's faith allows them to eat anything, but the person who is weak in the faith eats only vegetables. ³ The person who will eat anything is not to despise the one who doesn't; while the one who eats only vegetables is not to pass judgment on the one who will eat anything; for God has accepted that person. ⁴ Who are you to judge the servants of someone else? It is their own Master who will decide whether they succeed or fail. And they will succeed, because the Lord is able to make them succeed. ⁵ Some people think that a certain day is more important than other days, while others think that all days are the same. We each should firmly make up our own minds. ⁶ Those who think highly of a certain day do so in honor of the Lord; those who will eat anything do so in honor of the Lord, because they give thanks to God for the food. Those who refuse to eat certain things do so in honor of the Lord, and they give thanks to God. ⁷ We do not live for ourselves only, and we do not die for ourselves only. ⁸ If we live, it is for the Lord that we live, and if we die, it is for the Lord that we die. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. ⁹ For Christ died and rose to life in order to be the Lord of the living and of the dead. ¹⁰ You then, who eat only vegetables—why do you pass judgment on others? And you who eat anything—why do you despise other believers? All of us will stand before God to be judged by him.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

As: Numbers 14:21, Numbers 14:28, Isaiah 49:18, Jeremiah 22:24, Ezekiel 5:11, Zephaniah 2:9

every knee: Psalms 72:11, Isaiah 45:22-25, Philippians 2:10, Revelation 5:14

confess: Romans 10:9, Romans 15:9, Matthew 10:32, 1 John 4:15, 2 John 1:7

Reciprocal: Genesis 43:26 - bowed 2 Chronicles 29:29 - bowed themselves Isaiah 65:16 - he that Jeremiah 12:16 - my name Ezekiel 33:11 - As I live Zephaniah 1:5 - by the Lord Zechariah 14:17 - that Mark 15:19 - and bowing Philippians 2:11 - is Lord James 4:7 - Submit

Cross-References

Genesis 12:5
Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the wealth and all the slaves they had acquired in Haran, and they started out for the land of Canaan. When they arrived in Canaan,

Genesis 14:16
and got back all the loot that had been taken. He also brought back his nephew Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other prisoners.

Genesis 14:21
The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Keep the loot, but give me back all my people."

Deuteronomy 28:31
Your cattle will be butchered before your very eyes, but you will not eat any of the meat. Your donkeys will be dragged away while you look on, and they will not be given back to you. Your sheep will be given to your enemies, and there will be no one to help you.

Deuteronomy 28:35
The Lord will cover your legs with incurable, painful sores; boils will cover you from head to foot.

Deuteronomy 28:51
They will eat your livestock and your crops, and you will starve to death. They will not leave you any grain, wine, olive oil, cattle, or sheep; and you will die.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For it is written,.... In Isaiah 45:23; though Justin Martyr o cites a like passage with what follows, as out of Ezekiel 37, but no such words appear there, either in the Hebrew text, or Septuagint version:

as I live, saith the Lord; the form of an oath used often by the Lord; who because he could swear by no greater, he swore by himself, by his own life; signifying, that what he was about to say, would as surely come to pass, as that he lived; and in the original text in Isaiah it is, "I have sworn by myself"; which being generally expressed, the apostle, perfectly agreeable to the meaning of it, gives the particular form of oath he swore, as in Isaiah 49:18;

every knee shall bow to me; which is not to be understood literally of bowing of the knee at the name of Jesus, which has no foundation in this, nor in any other passage of Scripture, but figuratively, of the subjection of all creatures to Christ, both voluntary and involuntary. The Complutensian edition adds, "of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth", as in Philippians 2:10, from whence these words seem to be taken:

and every tongue shall confess to God; that is, everyone that has a tongue, every man, be he who he will, a good or a bad man, shall own at the last day, that Christ is God and Lord of all; see Philippians 2:10. It may be asked, how this passage appears to be a proof of what the apostle had asserted, for which purpose it seems to be cited, since here is nothing said of Christ, nor of his judgment seat, nor of all standing before it? to which may be returned, that it is clear from the context in the prophet, that the Messiah is the person speaking, who is said to be a just God and Saviour; and is represented as calling upon, and encouraging all sorts of persons to look to him for salvation; and as he in whom the church expected righteousness and strength, and in whom all the seed of Israel shall be justified, and shall glory; and which the Chaldee paraphrase all along interprets of מימרא דיי, "the Word of the Lord"; the essential Word of God, the true Messiah: moreover, the bowing of the knee, and swearing, or confessing, to him, relate to his lordship and dominion over all; and suppose him as sitting on his throne of glory, as Lord of all, or as a judge on his judgment seat, in a court of judicature, where such like actions as here mentioned are performed; and whereas every knee is to bow, and every tongue to confess to him, which include all mankind, it follows then, that all the saints shall stand before him, bow unto him, own him as their Lord, and be judged by him. Kimchi says p, that this shall be באחרת הימים, "in the last days": and which the apostle rightly refers to the day of the general judgment. This place affords a considerable proof of Christ's true and proper deity, being in the prophet styled "Jehovah", and by the apostle "God"; and such things being ascribed to him, as swearing by himself, which no creature may do, and the subjection and confession of all creatures to him, whether they will or not.

o Apolog. 2. pro Christianis, p. 87. p In Isaiah 45:23.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For it is written - This passage is recorded in Isaiah 45:23. It is not quoted literally, but the sense is preserved. In Isaiah there can be no doubt that it refers to Yahweh. The speaker expressly calls himself Yahweh, the name which is appropriate to God alone, and which is never applied to a creature; Romans 14:18. In the place before us, the words are applied by Paul expressly to Christ; compare Romans 14:10. This mode of quotation is a strong incidental proof that the apostle regarded the Lord Jesus as divine. On no other principle could he have made these quotations.

As I live - The Hebrew is, “I have sworn by myself.” One expression is equivalent to the other. An “oath” of God is often expressed by the phrase “as I live;” Numbers 14:21; Isaiah 49:18; Ezekiel 5:11; Ezekiel 14:16, etc.

Saith the Lord - These words are not in the Hebrew text, but are added by the apostle to show that the passage quoted was spoken by the Lord, the Messiah; compare Isaiah 45:18, Isaiah 45:22.

Every knee shall bow to me - To bow the knee” is an act expressing homage, submission, or adoration. It means that every person shall acknowledge him as God, and admit his right to universal dominion. The passage in Isaiah refers particularly to the homage which “his own people” should render to him; or rather, it means that all who are saved shall acknowledge “him” as their God and Saviour. The original reference was not to “all men,” but only to those who should be saved; Isaiah 45:17, Isaiah 45:21-22, Isaiah 45:24. In this sense the apostle uses it; not as denoting that “all men” should confess to God, but that all “Christians,” whether Jewish or Gentile converts, should alike give account to Him. “They” should all bow before their common God, and acknowledge “his” dominion over them. The passage originally did not refer particularly to the day of judgment, but expressed the truth that all believers should acknowledge his dominion. It is as applicable, however, to the judgment, as to any other act of homage which his people will render.

Every tongue shall confess to God - In the Hebrew, “Every tongue shall swear.” Not swear “by God,” but “to him;” that is, pay to him our vows, or “answer to him on oath” for our conduct; and this is the same as confessing to him, or acknowledging him as our Judge.