Luke 11:24

THE MESSAGE

"When a corrupting spirit is expelled from someone, it drifts along through the desert looking for an oasis, some unsuspecting soul it can bedevil. When it doesn't find anyone, it says, ‘I'll go back to my old haunt.' On return, it finds the person swept and dusted, but vacant. It then runs out and rounds up seven other spirits dirtier than itself and they all move in, whooping it up. That person ends up far worse than if he'd never gotten cleaned up in the first place."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“When

King James Version (1611)
When the vncleane spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through drie places, seeking rest: and finding none, he sayth, I will returne vnto my house whence I came out.

King James Version
When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out.

English Standard Version
"When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.'

New American Standard Bible
"When the unclean spirit comes out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it then says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'

New Century Version
"When an evil spirit comes out of a person, it travels through dry places, looking for a place to rest. But when it finds no place, it says, ‘I will go back to the house I left.'

Amplified Bible
"When the unclean spirit comes out of a person, it roams through waterless places in search [of a place] of rest; and not finding any, it says, 'I will go back to my house (person) from which I came.'

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"When the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'

Legacy Standard Bible
"When the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.'

Berean Standard Bible
When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it passes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.'

Contemporary English Version
When an evil spirit leaves a person, it travels through the desert, looking for a place to rest. But when it doesn't find a place, it says, "I will go back to the home I left."

Complete Jewish Bible
"When an unclean spirit comes out of a person, it travels through dry country seeking rest. On finding none, it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.'

Darby Translation
When the unclean spirit has gone out of the man, he goes through dry places seeking rest; and not finding [any] he says, I will return to my house whence I came out.

Easy-to-Read Version
"When an evil spirit comes out of someone, it travels through dry places, looking for a place to rest. But it finds no place to rest. So it says, ‘I will go back to the home I left.'

Geneva Bible (1587)
When the vncleane spirite is gone out of a man, he walketh through drie places, seeking rest: and when he findeth none he saieth, I wil returne vnto mine house whence I came out.

George Lamsa Translation
When an unclean spirit is gone out of a man, it goes away and travels in places where there is no water, to seek rest; and when it finds it not, it says, I will return to my own house from whence I came out.

Good News Translation
"When an evil spirit goes out of a person, it travels over dry country looking for a place to rest. If it can't find one, it says to itself, ‘I will go back to my house.'

Lexham English Bible
"Whenever an unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it travels through waterless places searching for rest, and does not find it. It says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came out.'

Literal Translation
When the unclean spirit goes out from the man, he goes through dry places seeking rest. And not finding, he says, I will return to my house from where I came out.

American Standard Version
The unclean spirit when he is gone out of the man, passeth through waterless places, seeking rest, and finding none, he saith, I will turn back unto my house whence I came out.

Bible in Basic English
The unclean spirit, when he has gone out of a man, goes through dry places, looking for rest; and when he does not get it, he says, I will go back to my house from which I came.

Hebrew Names Version
The unclean spirit, when he has gone out of the man, passes through dry places, seeking rest, and finding none, he says, 'I will turn back to my house whence I came out.'

International Standard Version
"Whenever an unclean spirit goes out of a person, it wanders through dry places looking for a place to rest but doesn't find any. So it says, 'I will go back to my home that I left.'Matthew 12:43;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
The unclean spirit, when he hath gone out from a son of man, goeth about through regions which have no waters in them, because he seeketh to him rest. And when he cannot find it he saith, I will return to my house from whence I went out.

Murdock Translation
An unclean spirit, when he goeth out of a man, goeth wandering in places where no water is, in order to find rest; and, as he cannot find [fn] he saith: I will return to my habitation, from which I came.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
When the vncleane spirite is gone out of a man, he walketh through drye places, sekyng rest: and when he fyndeth none, he sayth, I wyll returne vnto my house, whence I came out.

English Revised Version
The unclean spirit when he is gone out of the man, passeth through waterless places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will turn back unto my house whence I came out.

World English Bible
The unclean spirit, when he has gone out of the man, passes through dry places, seeking rest, and finding none, he says, 'I will turn back to my house whence I came out.'

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh thro' dry places, seeking rest: and finding none, he saith, I will return to my house whence I came out.

Weymouth's New Testament
"When a foul spirit has left a man, it roams about in the Desert, seeking a resting-place; but, unable to find any, it says, `I will return to the house I have left;"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Whanne an vnclene spirit goith out of a man, he wandrith bi drie placis, and sekith reste; and he fyndynge not, seith, Y schal turne ayen in to myn hous, fro whannes Y cam out.

Update Bible Version
When the unclean spirit goes out of the man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest and not finding [any]. Then it says, I will turn back to my house from where I came out.

Webster's Bible Translation
When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest: and finding none, he saith, I will return to my house whence I came out.

New English Translation
"When an unclean spirit goes out of a person, it passes through waterless places looking for rest but not finding any. Then it says, ‘I will return to the home I left.'

New King James Version
Matthew 12:43-45">[xr] "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, "I will return to my house from which I came.'

New Living Translation
"When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, searching for rest. But when it finds none, it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.'

New Life Bible
"When a demon is gone out of a man, it goes through dry places to find rest. If it finds none, it says, ‘I will go back to my house I came from.'

New Revised Standard
"When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it wanders through waterless regions looking for a resting place, but not finding any, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.'

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Whensoever, the impure spirit, goeth out from the man, it passeth through waterless places, seeking rest; and, not finding it, then,it saith, I will return unto my house, whence I came out; -

Douay-Rheims Bible
When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through places without water, seeking rest: and not finding, he saith: I will return into my house whence I came out.

Revised Standard Version
"When the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he passes through waterless places seeking rest; and finding none he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
When the vnclene sprete is gone out of a man he walketh through waterlesse places sekinge reest. And when he fyndeth none he sayeth: I will returne agayne vnto my housse whence I came out.

Young's Literal Translation
`When the unclean spirit may go forth from the man it walketh through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding, it saith, I will turn back to my house whence I came forth;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Whan the vncleane sprete is gone out of a man, he walketh thorow drye places, sekynge rest, and fyndeth none. Then sayeth he: I wil turne agayne in to my house, from whence I wente out.

Mace New Testament (1729)
When the impure spirit is gone out of a man, he wanders about the wilds in quest of some repose: but finding none, I will return, says he, to the abode I have quitted.

Simplified Cowboy Version
"When an evil spirit leaves someone, it goes out searching for someone else in the desert.

Contextual Overview

¹⁴Jesus delivered a man from a demon that had kept him speechless. The demon gone, the man started talking a blue streak, taking the crowd by complete surprise. But some from the crowd were cynical. "Black magic," they said. "Some devil trick he's pulled from his sleeve." Others were skeptical, waiting around for him to prove himself with a spectacular miracle. ¹⁷Jesus knew what they were thinking and said, "Any country in civil war for very long is wasted. A constantly squabbling family falls to pieces. If Satan cancels Satan, is there any Satan left? You accuse me of ganging up with the Devil, the prince of demons, to cast out demons, but if you're slinging devil mud at me, calling me a devil who kicks out devils, doesn't the same mud stick to your own exorcists? But if it's God's finger I'm pointing that sends the demons on their way, then God's kingdom is here for sure. ²¹"When a strong man, armed to the teeth, stands guard in his front yard, his property is safe and sound. But what if a stronger man comes along with superior weapons? Then he's beaten at his own game, the arsenal that gave him such confidence hauled off, and his precious possessions plundered. ²³ "This is war, and there is no neutral ground. If you're not on my side, you're the enemy; if you're not helping, you're making things worse. ²⁴"When a corrupting spirit is expelled from someone, it drifts along through the desert looking for an oasis, some unsuspecting soul it can bedevil. When it doesn't find anyone, it says, ‘I'll go back to my old haunt.' On return, it finds the person swept and dusted, but vacant. It then runs out and rounds up seven other spirits dirtier than itself and they all move in, whooping it up. That person ends up far worse than if he'd never gotten cleaned up in the first place."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the unclean: Matthew 12:43-45

he walketh: Job 1:7, Job 2:2, 1 Peter 5:8

dry: Judges 6:37-40, Psalms 63:1, Isaiah 35:1, Isaiah 35:2, Isaiah 35:7, Isaiah 41:17-19, Isaiah 44:3, Ezekiel 47:8-11, Ephesians 2:2

seeking: Proverbs 4:16, Isaiah 48:22, Isaiah 57:20, Isaiah 57:21

I will: Mark 5:10, Mark 9:25

Reciprocal: Exodus 14:5 - Why have we 1 Samuel 16:23 - Saul 1 Samuel 19:10 - sought Hosea 7:16 - return Luke 6:49 - the ruin Hebrews 6:4 - it is 2 Peter 2:20 - after

Gill's Notes on the Bible

When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man,.... That is, the devil, who is in, and works in the children of disobedience, whether under a profession of religion or not; whose hearts are unclean like himself, wherefore there he delights to dwell; and so the Ethiopic version renders it, "the evil demon": who may be said to go out of a man in appearance, when he outwardly reforms and takes up a profession of religion.

He walketh through dry places; or "a desert", as the Ethiopic version; to which the Gentile world is sometimes compared in the Old Testament Isaiah 35:1 whither Satan might go, being disturbed in Judea, through the many dispossessions by Christ; or rather leaving for a while the Scribes and Pharisees, who outwardly appeared righteous before men, he went to the Gentiles;

seeking rest, and finding none; being also made uneasy among them, through the preaching of the Gospel, which was sent unto them after Christ's resurrection; and not being able to keep his place in the hearts of men, nor do the mischief he was desirous of.

He saith, I will return unto my house, whence I came out; to the Jews again, who were blinded and filled with rage and enmity to the Gospel by him, and whom he instigated to persecute the apostles of Christ, and preachers of the word, wherever they came;

Isaiah 35:1- : and

Isaiah 35:1- :.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the notes at Matthew 12:43-45.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Luke 11:24. When the unclean spirit — Matthew 12:43; Matthew 12:43.