John 18:23

THE MESSAGE

Jesus replied, "If I've said something wrong, prove it. But if I've spoken the plain truth, why this slapping around?"

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“If I have spoken wrongly,”

King James Version (1611)
Iesus answered him, If I haue spoken euill, beare witnesse of the euill: but if well, why smitest thou me?

King James Version
Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?

English Standard Version
Jesus answered him, "If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?"

New American Standard Bible
Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken wrongly, testify of the wrong; but if rightly, why do you strike Me?"

New Century Version
Jesus answered him, "If I said something wrong, then show what it was. But if what I said is true, why do you hit me?"

Amplified Bible
Jesus replied, "If I have said anything wrong, make a formal statement about the wrong; but if [I spoke] properly, why did you strike Me?"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken wrongly, testify of the wrong; but if rightly, why do you strike Me?"

Legacy Standard Bible
Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken wrongly, bear witness of the wrong; but if rightly, why do you strike Me?"

Berean Standard Bible
Jesus replied, "If I said something wrong, testify to what was wrong. But if I spoke correctly, why did you strike Me?"

Contemporary English Version
Jesus answered, "If I have done something wrong, say so. But if not, why did you hit me?"

Complete Jewish Bible
Yeshua answered him, "If I said something wrong, state publicly what was wrong; but if I was right, why are you hitting me?"

Darby Translation
Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why smitest thou me?

Easy-to-Read Version
Jesus answered, "If I said something wrong, tell everyone here what was wrong. But if what I said is right, then why do you hit me?"

Geneva Bible (1587)
Iesus answered him, If I haue euill spoken, beare witnes of the euil: but if I haue well spoken, why smitest thou me?

George Lamsa Translation
Jesus answered and said to him, If I have spoken any evil, testify to the evil; but if it is good, why did you strike me?

Good News Translation
Jesus answered him, "If I have said anything wrong, tell everyone here what it was. But if I am right in what I have said, why do you hit me?"

Lexham English Bible
Jesus replied to him, "If I have spoken wrongly, testify about what is wrong! But if I have spoken correctly, why do you strike me?"

Literal Translation
Jesus answered him, If I spoke evilly, bear witness concerning the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?

American Standard Version
Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?

Bible in Basic English
Jesus said in answer, If I have said anything evil, give witness to the evil: but if I said what is true, why do you give me blows?

Hebrew Names Version
Yeshua answered him, "If I have spoken evil, testify of the evil; but if well, why do you beat me?"

International Standard Version
Jesus answered him, "If I have said anything wrong, tell me what it was.about the wrong">[fn] But if I have told the truth, why do you hit me?"

Etheridge Translation
Jeshu replied and said to him, If wickedly I have spoken, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why hast thou struck me ?

Murdock Translation
Jesus replied, and said to him: If I have spoken evil bear witness of that evil; but if well, why smitest thou me?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Iesus aunswered hym, Yf I haue euyl spoken, beare witnesse of the euyl: But yf I haue well spoken, why smytest thou me?

English Revised Version
Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?

World English Bible
Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken evil, testify of the evil; but if well, why do you beat me?"

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Jesus answered, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?

Weymouth's New Testament
"If I have spoken wrongly," replied Jesus, "bear witness to it as wrong; but if rightly, why that blow?"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Jhesus answeride to hym, If Y haue spokun yuel, bere thou witnessyng of yuel; but if Y seide wel, whi smytist thou me?

Update Bible Version
Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why do you smite me?

Webster's Bible Translation
Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear testimony of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?

New English Translation
Jesus replied, "If I have said something wrong, confirm what is wrong. But if I spoke correctly, why strike me?"

New King James Version
Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?"

New Living Translation
Jesus replied, "If I said anything wrong, you must prove it. But if I'm speaking the truth, why are you beating me?"

New Life Bible
Jesus said, "If I said anything wrong, tell Me what was wrong. If I said what was right, why did you hit Me?"

New Revised Standard
Jesus answered, "If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong. But if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Jesus answered him - If, with abuse, I spake, bear witness of the abuse: but, if with respect, why, smitest thou me?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Jesus answered him: If I have spoken evil, give testimony of the evil; but if well, why strikest thou me?

Revised Standard Version
Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken wrongly, bear witness to the wrong; but if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?"

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Iesus answered him. If I have evyll spoke beare witnes of ye evyll: yf I have well spoke why smytest thou me?

Young's Literal Translation
Jesus answered him, `If I spake ill, testify concerning the ill; and if well, why me dost thou smite?'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Iesus answered him: Yf I haue euell spoke, the beare wytnesse of euell: but yf I haue well spoken, why smytest thou me?

Mace New Testament (1729)
Jesus replied, if I have said any thing injurious, show then wherein; but if I said right, why do you smite me?

Simplified Cowboy Version
Jesus looked at him and said, "Tell me what I said wrong. But if I've only told the truth, then why do you hit me?"

Contextual Overview

¹⁵Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. That other disciple was known to the Chief Priest, and so he went in with Jesus to the Chief Priest's courtyard. Peter had to stay outside. Then the other disciple went out, spoke to the doorkeeper, and got Peter in. ¹⁷ The young woman who was the doorkeeper said to Peter, "Aren't you one of this man's disciples?" He said, "No, I'm not." ¹⁸ The servants and police had made a fire because of the cold and were huddled there warming themselves. Peter stood with them, trying to get warm. ¹⁹Annas interrogated Jesus regarding his disciples and his teaching. Jesus answered, "I've spoken openly in public. I've taught regularly in meeting places and the Temple, where the Jews all come together. Everything has been out in the open. I've said nothing in secret. So why are you treating me like a conspirator? Question those who have been listening to me. They know well what I have said. My teachings have all been aboveboard." ²² When he said this, one of the policemen standing there slapped Jesus across the face, saying, "How dare you speak to the Chief Priest like that!" ²³ Jesus replied, "If I've said something wrong, prove it. But if I've spoken the plain truth, why this slapping around?" ²⁴ Then Annas sent him, still tied up, to the Chief Priest Caiaphas. ²⁵ Meanwhile, Simon Peter was back at the fire, still trying to get warm. The others there said to him, "Aren't you one of his disciples?" He denied it, "Not me." ²⁶ One of the Chief Priest's servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, "Didn't I see you in the garden with him?" ²⁷ Again, Peter denied it. Just then a rooster crowed.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

If: 2 Corinthians 10:1, 1 Peter 2:20-23

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 26:18 - what have I 2 Chronicles 18:23 - Zedekiah

Cross-References

Genesis 18:6
Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. He said, "Hurry. Get three cups of our best flour; knead it and make bread."

Genesis 18:7
Then Abraham ran to the cattle pen and picked out a nice plump calf and gave it to the servant who lost no time getting it ready. Then he got curds and milk, brought them with the calf that had been roasted, set the meal before the men, and stood there under the tree while they ate.

Genesis 20:4
Now Abimelech had not yet slept with her, hadn't so much as touched her. He said, "Master, would you kill an innocent man? Didn't he tell me, ‘She's my sister'? And didn't she herself say, ‘He's my brother'? I had no idea I was doing anything wrong when I did this."

2 Samuel 24:17
When David saw the angel about to destroy the people, he prayed, "Please! I'm the one who sinned; I, the shepherd, did the wrong. But these sheep, what did they do wrong? Punish me and my family, not them."

Hebrews 10:22
So let's do it—full of belief, confident that we're presentable inside and out. Let's keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Jesus answered him,.... For the high priest took no notice of him, nor any of the sanhedrim, though the action was so insolent and indecent, both as to the manner in which it was done, and the person, an officer, by whom it was done; and considering the circumstances of it, in the palace of the high priest, in his presence, and before so grand a council, and whilst a cause was trying; and it was a barbarous, as well as an impious action, considering the person to whom it was done. Wherefore Jesus replies to him, without making use of his divine power as the Son of God, or discovering any warmth of spirit, and heat of passion, as a man, mildly and rationally argues with him;

if I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: meaning, either if he had, to his knowledge, delivered any wicked doctrine in the course of his ministry, or had at that time said any evil thing of the high priest, or any other person, he desires that he would make it to appear, and give proper proof and evidence of it:

but if well, why smitest thou me? If he had said nothing contrary to truth, reason, and good manners, then he ought not to be used and treated in such an injurious way. And moreover, the officer ought to have been corrected by the Council, and have been made to pay the two hundred "zuzim", or pence, the line for such an affront, according to the Jewish canon, or more, according to the dignity of the person abused r.

r Misn. Bava Kama, c. 8. sect. 6.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Spoken evil - In my answer to the high priest. If there was any disrespect to the office, and lack of regard for the law which appointed him, then testify to the fact, and let punishment be inflicted according to the law; compare Exodus 22:28.

But if well ... - While an accused person is on trial he is under the protection of the court, and has a right to demand that all legal measures shall be taken to secure his rights. On this right Jesus insisted, and thus showed that, though he had no disposition to take revenge, yet he claimed that, when arraigned, strict justice should be done. This shows that his precept that when we are smitten on one cheek we should turn the other Matthew 5:39, is consistent with a firm demand that justice should be done us. That precept refers, besides, rather to private masters than to judicial proceedings. It does not demand that, when we are unjustly arraigned or assaulted, and when the law is in our favor, we should sacrifice our rights to the malignant accuser. Such a surrender would be injustice to the law and to the community, and be giving legal triumph to the wicked, and destroying the very end of all law. In private matters this effect would not follow, and we should there bear injuries without reviling or seeking for vengeance.