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Monday, July 21st, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

New Century Version

Luke 19:21

I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You even take money that you didn't earn and gather food that you didn't plant.'

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Civil Service;   Faithfulness;   Idleness;   Jesus, the Christ;   Jesus Continued;   Judgment;   Kingdom of Heaven;   Opportunity;   Pound;   Probation;   Responsibility;   Self-Condemnation;   Servant;   Steward;   Trustee;   Unfaithfulness;   Works;   The Topic Concordance - Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ;   Kingdom of God;   Servants;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Parables;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Parable;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Day of the lord;   Millennium;   Parables;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Kingdom of God;   Responsibility;   Wealth;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Zacchaeus;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Bethany;   Issachar;   Jerusalem;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Banking;   Commerce;   Interest;   Jonah;   Luke, Gospel of;   Weights and Measures;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Parable;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Asceticism (2);   Character;   Common Life;   Debt, Debtor (2);   Discourse;   Equality;   Fear ;   Money (2);   Pound ;   Property (2);   Readiness;   Sanctify, Sanctification;   Selfishness;   Social Life;   Sowing;   Steward, Stewardship;   Supremacy;   Talents ;   Trade and Commerce;   Wealth (2);   Winter ;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Kingdom, Kingdom of God, Kingdom of Heaven;   Weights and Measures;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;   Zacch us;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Pound;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Jesus of Nazareth;   Kingdom or Church of Christ, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Austere;   Herod;   Millennium: Premillennial View;   Pound;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
because I was afraid of you since you’re a harsh man: you collect what you didn’t deposit and reap what you didn’t sow.’
King James Version (1611)
For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest vp that thou layedst not downe, and reapest that thou didst not sow.
King James Version
For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.
English Standard Version
for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.'
New American Standard Bible
for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding man; you take up what you did not lay down, and reap what you did not sow.'
Amplified Bible
'I was [always] afraid of you, because you are a stern man; you pick up what you did not lay down and you reap what you did not sow.'
New American Standard Bible (1995)
for I was afraid of you, because you are an exacting man; you take up what you did not lay down and reap what you did not sow.'
Legacy Standard Bible
for I was afraid of you, because you are a strict man; you take up what you did not lay down and reap what you did not sow.'
Berean Standard Bible
For I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man. You withdraw what you did not deposit and reap what you did not sow.'
Contemporary English Version
You are a hard man, and I was afraid of you. You take what isn't yours, and you harvest crops you didn't plant."
Complete Jewish Bible
because I was afraid of you — you take out what you didn't put in, and you harvest what you didn't plant.'
Darby Translation
For I feared thee because thou art a harsh man: thou takest up what thou hast not laid down, and thou reapest what thou hast not sowed.
Easy-to-Read Version
I was afraid of you because you are a hard man. You even take money that you didn't earn and gather food that you didn't grow.'
Geneva Bible (1587)
For I feared thee, because thou art a straight man: thou takest vp, that thou layedst not downe, and reapest that thou diddest not sowe.
George Lamsa Translation
For I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man; you pick up what you have not laid down, and you reap what you have not sown.
Good News Translation
I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take what is not yours and reap what you did not plant.'
Lexham English Bible
For I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man—you withdraw what you did not deposit, and you reap what you did not sow!'
Literal Translation
For I feared you, because you are an exacting man, taking what you did not lay down, and reaping what you did not sow.
American Standard Version
for I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that which thou layedst not down, and reapest that which thou didst not sow.
Bible in Basic English
Because I was in fear of you, for you are a hard man: you take up what you have not put down, and get in grain where you have not put seed.
Hebrew Names Version
for I feared you, because you are an exacting man. You take up that which you didn't lay down, and reap that which you didn't sow.'
International Standard Version
because I was afraid of you. You are a hard man. You withdraw what you didn't deposit and harvest what you didn't plant.'Matthew 25:24;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
For I feared thee, because thou art a hard man, taking up what thou hadst not laid down, and reaping what thou sowedst not.
Murdock Translation
For I was afraid of thee, because thou art a hard man, and takest up that which thou layedst not down, and reapest that which thou sowedst not.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
For I feared thee, because thou art a strayte man: Thou takest vp that thou laydest not downe, & reapest that thou dyddest not sowe.
English Revised Version
for I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.
World English Bible
for I feared you, because you are an exacting man. You take up that which you didn't lay down, and reap that which you didn't sow.'
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up what thou layest not down, and reapest what thou didst not sow.
Weymouth's New Testament
For I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man: you take up what you did not lay down, and you reap what you did not sow.'
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For Y dredde thee, for thou art `a sterne man; thou takist awey that that thou settidist not, and thou repist that that thou hast not sowun.
Update Bible Version
for I feared you, because you are an austere man: you take up that which you did not lay down, and reap that which you did not sow.
Webster's Bible Translation
For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up what thou layedst not down, and reapest what thou didst not sow.
New English Translation
For I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You withdraw what you did not deposit and reap what you did not sow.'
New King James Version
For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.'
New Living Translation
I was afraid because you are a hard man to deal with, taking what isn't yours and harvesting crops you didn't plant.'
New Life Bible
I was afraid of you. You are a hard man. You take what you have not put down. You gather where you have not planted.'
New Revised Standard
for I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man; you take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.'
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For I was afraid of thee, because, a harsh man, thou art, - Thou takest up, what thou layedst not down, and reapest, what thou sowedst not!
Douay-Rheims Bible
For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up what thou didst not lay down: and thou reapest that which thou didst not sow.
Revised Standard Version
for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man; you take up what you did not lay down, and reap what you did not sow.'
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
for I feared the because thou arte a strayte man: thou takest vp that thou laydest not doune and repest that thou dyddest not sowe.
Young's Literal Translation
for I was afraid of thee, because thou art an austere man; thou takest up what thou didst not lay down, and reapest what thou didst not sow.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
I was afrayed of the, for thou art an harde man, thou takest vp yt thou hast not layed downe, and reapest that thou hast not sowne.
Mace New Testament (1729)
for I was in fear of you, knowing you to be a hard master, who exact what you never gave, and reap where you have never sown.
Simplified Cowboy Version
I didn't want to make you mad because you take credit for what you didn't do and ride horses that you didn't start.'

Contextual Overview

11 As the people were listening to this, Jesus told them a story because he was near Jerusalem and they thought God's kingdom would appear immediately. 12 He said: "A very important man went to a country far away to be made a king and then to return home. 13 So he called ten of his servants and gave a coin to each servant. He said, ‘Do business with this money until I get back.' 14 But the people in the kingdom hated the man. So they sent a group to follow him and say, ‘We don't want this man to be our king.' 15 "But the man became king. When he returned home, he said, ‘Call those servants who have my money so I can know how much they earned with it.' 16 "The first servant came and said, ‘Sir, I earned ten coins with the one you gave me.' 17 The king said to the servant, ‘Excellent! You are a good servant. Since I can trust you with small things, I will let you rule over ten of my cities.' 18 "The second servant said, ‘Sir, I earned five coins with your one.' 19 The king said to this servant, ‘You can rule over five cities.' 20 "Then another servant came in and said to the king, ‘Sir, here is your coin which I wrapped in a piece of cloth and hid.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I feared: Exodus 20:19, Exodus 20:20, 1 Samuel 12:20, Matthew 25:24, Matthew 25:25, Romans 8:15, 2 Timothy 1:7, James 2:10, 1 John 4:18

because: 1 Samuel 6:19-21, 2 Samuel 6:9-11, Job 21:14, Job 21:15, Ezekiel 18:25-29, Malachi 3:14, Malachi 3:15, Romans 8:7, Jude 1:15

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 1:27 - The Lord hated us Ezekiel 33:17 - General Luke 15:29 - yet Luke 16:2 - for John 4:37 - One

Cross-References

Genesis 4:7
If you do things well, I will accept you, but if you do not do them well, sin is ready to attack you. Sin wants you, but you must rule over it."
Genesis 12:2
I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you. I will make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.
Genesis 18:24
What if there are fifty good people in that city? Will you still destroy it? Surely you will save the city for the fifty good people living there.
Genesis 19:8
Look! I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. I will give them to you, and you may do anything you want with them. But please don't do anything to these men. They have come to my house, and I must protect them."
Genesis 19:9
The men around the house answered, "Move out of the way!" Then they said to each other, "This man Lot came to our city as a stranger, and now he wants to tell us what to do!" They said to Lot, "We will do worse things to you than to them." They started pushing him back and were ready to break down the door.
Genesis 19:15
At dawn the next morning, the angels begged Lot to hurry. They said, "Go! Take your wife and your two daughters with you so you will not be destroyed when the city is punished."
Genesis 19:16
But Lot delayed. So the two men took the hands of Lot, his wife, and his two daughters and led them safely out of the city. So the Lord was merciful to Lot and his family.
Psalms 34:15
The Lord sees the good people and listens to their prayers.
Psalms 102:17
He will answer the prayers of the needy; he will not reject their prayers.
Psalms 145:19
He gives those who respect him what they want. He listens when they cry, and he saves them.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For I feared thee,.... Not with a right fear, with a fear of his goodness, who had bestowed such an excellent gift on him; for this would have taught him to have departed from evil, and have put him on doing his master's will, and making use of his gift to his glory: his fear was not of the right kind, and was ill grounded, as appears by what follows:

because thou art an austere man; cruel and uncompassionate to his servants, and hard to be pleased; than which nothing is more false, since it is evident, that Christ is compassionate both to the bodies and souls of men; is a merciful high priest, and is one that has compassion on the ignorant, and them that are out of the way, and cannot but be touched with the feeling of his people's infirmities; and is mild and gentle in his whole deportment, and in all his administrations:

thou takest up that thou layest not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow; suggesting, that he was covetous of that which did not belong to him, and withheld what was due to his servants, and rigorously exacted service that could not be performed; a most iniquitous charge, since none so liberal as he, giving gifts, grace and glory, freely; imposing no grievous commands on men; his yoke being easy, and his burden light; never sending a man to a warfare at his own charge; but always giving grace and strength proportionable to the service he calls to, and rewarding his servants in a most bountiful manner, infinitely beyond their deserts.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

An austere man - Hard, severe, oppressive. The word is commonly applied to unripe fruit, and means “sour,” unpleasant; harsh. In this case it means that the man was taking every advantage, and, while “he” lived in idleness, was making his living out of the toils of others.

Thou takest up ... - Thou dost exact of others what thou didst not give. The phrase is applied to a man who “finds” what has been lost by another, and keeps it himself, and refuses to return it to the owner. All this is designed to show the sinner’s view of God. He regards him as unjust, demanding more than man has “power” to render, and more, therefore, than God has a “right” to demand. See the notes at Matthew 25:24.


 
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