Mark 13:36

New Century Version

Always be ready. Otherwise he might come back suddenly and find you sleeping.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Otherwise, when he comes suddenly he might find you sleeping.

King James Version (1611)
Lest comming suddenly, he finde you sleeping.

King James Version
Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.

English Standard Version
lest he come suddenly and find you asleep.

New American Standard Bible
so that he does not come suddenly and find you asleep.

Amplified Bible
[stay alert,] in case he should come suddenly and unexpectedly and find you asleep and unprepared.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
in case he should come suddenly and find you asleep.

Legacy Standard Bible
lest he come suddenly and find you sleeping.

Berean Standard Bible
Otherwise, he may arrive without notice and find you sleeping.

Contemporary English Version
But if he comes suddenly, don't let him find you asleep.

Complete Jewish Bible
whether it will be evening, midnight, cockcrow or morning — you don't want him to come suddenly and find you sleeping!

Darby Translation
lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.

Easy-to-Read Version
If you are always ready, he will not find you sleeping, even if he comes back earlier than expected.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Least if he come suddenly, he should finde you sleeping.

George Lamsa Translation
He might come suddenly, and find you asleep.

Good News Translation
If he comes suddenly, he must not find you asleep.

Lexham English Bible
lest he arrive suddenly and find you sleeping.

Literal Translation
so that he may not come suddenly and find you sleeping.

American Standard Version
lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.

Bible in Basic English
For fear that, coming suddenly, he sees you sleeping.

Hebrew Names Version
lest coming suddenly he might find you sleeping.

International Standard Version
Otherwise, he may come suddenly and find you asleep.

Etheridge Translation
lest he should come suddenly, and find you sleeping.

Murdock Translation
lest he come suddenly, and find you sleeping.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Lest yf he come sodenly, he fynde you slepyng.

English Revised Version
lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.

World English Bible
lest coming suddenly he might find you sleeping.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.

Weymouth's New Testament
Beware lest He should arrive unexpectedly and find you asleep.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
leste whanne he cometh sodenli, he fynde you slepynge.

Update Bible Version
lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.

Webster's Bible Translation
Lest coming suddenly, he should find you sleeping.

New English Translation
or else he might find you asleep when he returns suddenly.

New King James Version
lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping.

New Living Translation
Don't let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning.

New Life Bible
He may come when you are not looking for Him and find you sleeping.

New Revised Standard
or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Lest, coming suddenly, he find you, sleeping.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Lest coming on a sudden, he find you sleeping.

Revised Standard Version
lest he come suddenly and find you asleep.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
lest yf he come sodenly he shuld fynde you slepynge.

Young's Literal Translation
lest, having come suddenly, he may find you sleeping;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
that he come not sodenly, and fynde you slepynge.

Mace New Testament (1729)
for fear by his sudden return he should surprize you sleeping.

Simplified Cowboy Version
You don't want to be caught napping when he arrives.

Contextual Overview

²⁸ "Learn a lesson from the fig tree: When its branches become green and soft and new leaves appear, you know summer is near. ²⁹ In the same way, when you see these things happening, you will know that the time is near, ready to come. ³⁰ I tell you the truth, all these things will happen while the people of this time are still living. ³¹ Earth and sky will be destroyed, but the words I have said will never be destroyed. ³² "No one knows when that day or time will be, not the angels in heaven, not even the Son. Only the Father knows. ³³ Be careful! Always be ready, because you don't know when that time will be. ³⁴ It is like a man who goes on a trip. He leaves his house and lets his servants take care of it, giving each one a special job to do. The man tells the servant guarding the door always to be watchful. ³⁵ So always be ready, because you don't know when the owner of the house will come back. It might be in the evening, or at midnight, or in the morning while it is still dark, or when the sun rises. ³⁶ Always be ready. Otherwise he might come back suddenly and find you sleeping. ³⁷ I tell you this, and I say this to everyone: ‘Be ready!'"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

he find: Mark 14:37, Mark 14:40, Proverbs 6:9-11, Proverbs 24:33, Proverbs 24:34, Song of Solomon 3:1, Song of Solomon 5:2, Isaiah 56:10, Matthew 24:48-51, Matthew 25:5, Luke 21:34, Luke 22:45, Romans 13:11-14, Ephesians 5:14, 1 Thessalonians 5:6, 1 Thessalonians 5:7

Reciprocal: Proverbs 6:4 - General Acts 20:9 - being Revelation 3:3 - know

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Lest coming suddenly,.... Unthought of, and unexpected, at an unawares:

he find you sleeping; inactive in the exercise of grace, and negligent in the performance of duty; unprepared for his coming, and unfit for service.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Find you sleeping - Inattentive to your post, neglecting your duty, and unprepared for his coming.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Mark 13:36. He find you sleeping. — A porter asleep exposes the house to be robbed, and well deserves punishment. No wonder that the man is constantly suffering loss who is frequently off his guard.

Our Lord shows us in this parable:

1. That himself, ascended to heaven, is the man gone from home.

2. That believers collectively are his family.

3. That his servants are those who are employed in the work of faith and labour of love.

4. That the porter represents the ministers of his Gospel, who should continually watch for the safety and welfare of the whole flock.

5. That every one has his own work - that which belongs to himself and to none other, and for the accomplishment of which he receives sufficient strength from his Lord.

6. That these servants and porters shall give an account to their Lord, how they have exercised themselves in their respective departments.

7. And that as the master of the family will certainly come to require this account at a time when men are not aware, therefore they should be always watchful and faithful. And,

8, That this is a duty incumbent on every soul of man, What I say unto you, I say unto ALL, WATCH! If, after all these warnings, the followers of God be found careless, their misery and condemnation must be great.