Matthew 25:13

New Living Translation

"So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“Therefore be alert, because you don’t know either the day or the hour.

King James Version (1611)
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day, nor the houre, wherein the Sonne of man commeth.

King James Version
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

English Standard Version
Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

New American Standard Bible
"Be on the alert then, because you do not know the day nor the hour.

New Century Version
"So always be ready, because you don't know the day or the hour the Son of Man will come.

Amplified Bible
"Therefore, be on the alert [be prepared and ready], for you do not know the day nor the hour [when the Son of Man will come].

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

Legacy Standard Bible
Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

Berean Standard Bible
Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Contemporary English Version
So, my disciples, always be ready! You don't know the day or the time when all this will happen.

Complete Jewish Bible
So stay alert, because you know neither the day nor the hour.

Darby Translation
Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour.

Easy-to-Read Version
"So always be ready. You don't know the day or the time when the Son of Man will come.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Watch therfore: for ye know neither the day, nor the houre, when the sonne of man will come.

George Lamsa Translation
Be alert, therefore, for you do not know, that day nor the hour.

Good News Translation
And Jesus concluded, "Watch out, then, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Lexham English Bible
Therefore be on the alert, because you do not know the day or the hour!

Literal Translation
Therefore, watch, for you do not know the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man comes.

American Standard Version
Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour.

Bible in Basic English
Keep watch, then, because you are not certain of the day or of the hour.

Hebrew Names Version
Watch therefore, for you don't know the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

International Standard Version
So keep on watching, because you don't know the day or the hour."the hour when the Son of Man will come">[fn]Matthew 24:42,44; Mark 13:33,35, 44; Luke 21:36; 1 Corinthians 16:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:6; 1 Peter 5:8; Revelation 16:15;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
Be wakeful therefore, for you know not that day nor the hour.

Murdock Translation
Watch, therefore, seeing ye know not the day nor the hour.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Watch therfore, for ye knowe neither the day, nor yet the houre, wherin the sonne of man shall come.

English Revised Version
Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour.

World English Bible
Watch therefore, for you don't know the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Watch therefore; for ye know not the day nor the hour.

Weymouth's New Testament
"Keep awake therefore; for you know neither the day nor the hour.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor wake ye, for ye witen not the dai ne the our.

Update Bible Version
Watch therefore, for you don't know the day nor the hour.

Webster's Bible Translation
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of man cometh.

New English Translation
Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour.

New King James Version
Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour [fn] in which the Son of Man is coming.

New Life Bible
So watch! You do not know what day or what hour the Son of Man is coming.

New Revised Standard
Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Be watching, therefore, because ye know, neither the day nor the hour.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Watch ye therefore, because you know not the day nor the hour.

Revised Standard Version
Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Watche therefore: for ye knowe nether the daye nor yet the houre when the sonne of man shall come.

Young's Literal Translation
`Watch therefore, for ye have not known the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man doth come.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Watch ye therfore, for ye knowe nether the daye ner yet the houre, whan ye sonne of man shal come.

Mace New Testament (1729)
watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour.

THE MESSAGE
"So stay alert. You have no idea when he might arrive.

Simplified Cowboy Version
"I want y'all who ride with me to pay attention to this story and always be ready. You need to be prepared because you won't know when all this will happen.

Contextual Overview

¹ "Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. ² Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. ³ The five who were foolish didn't take enough olive oil for their lamps, ⁴ but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. ⁵ When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. ⁶ "At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!' ⁷ "All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. ⁸ Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.' ⁹ "But the others replied, ‘We don't have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.' ¹⁰ "But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Matthew 24:42-44, Mark 13:33-37, Luke 21:36, Acts 20:31, 1 Corinthians 16:13, 1 Thessalonians 5:6, 2 Timothy 4:5, 1 Peter 4:7, 1 Peter 5:8, Revelation 16:15

Reciprocal: Ezekiel 1:26 - the likeness of a Matthew 10:23 - till Matthew 24:36 - General Matthew 24:44 - General Matthew 26:38 - tarry Matthew 26:41 - Watch Mark 13:32 - of Mark 14:38 - Watch Luke 12:40 - General 1 Thessalonians 5:2 - the day Revelation 3:2 - watchful Revelation 3:3 - know Revelation 14:7 - hour

Cross-References

Genesis 25:16
These twelve sons of Ishmael became the founders of twelve tribes named after them, listed according to the places they settled and camped.

Genesis 25:17
Ishmael lived for 137 years. Then he breathed his last and joined his ancestors in death.

Genesis 25:29
One day when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau arrived home from the wilderness exhausted and hungry.

Genesis 25:31
"All right," Jacob replied, "but trade me your rights as the firstborn son."

Genesis 36:3
He also married his cousin Basemath, who was the daughter of Ishmael and the sister of Nebaioth.

Psalms 120:5
How I suffer in far-off Meshech. It pains me to live in distant Kedar.

Song of Solomon 1:5
I am dark but beautiful, O women of Jerusalem— dark as the tents of Kedar, dark as the curtains of Solomon's tents.

Isaiah 42:11
Join in the chorus, you desert towns; let the villages of Kedar rejoice! Let the people of Sela sing for joy; shout praises from the mountaintops!

Isaiah 60:7
The flocks of Kedar will be given to you, and the rams of Nebaioth will be brought for my altars. I will accept their offerings, and I will make my Temple glorious.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Watch therefore,.... In ordinances, in prayer, public and private, in hearing the word, at the Lord's supper, and in every religious exercise; over the heart, the thoughts and affections of it; over words, actions, life, and conversation; and against all sin and unbelief, Satan's temptations, the world, and its charms and snares, false teachers, and their doctrines, and for the bridegroom's coming. This is the use and application of the whole parable, and shows the general design of it; the reason to enforce watchfulness follows:

for ye know neither the day nor the hour; of death, or of judgment, or of the coming of the son of man, of one or the other; for it is added,

wherein the son of man cometh: that he will come is certain, and that quickly; the time is fixed, but when it will be is unknown; and therefore it becomes us to be our watch and guard. This last clause is not in the Vulgate Latin, nor in the Syriac, Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic versions, and was wanting in three of Beza's copies, but is in most Greek copies, and in Munster's Hebrew Gospel, and seems to be necessary.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Watch, therefore ... - This is the scope or design of the whole parable. This is the great truth that Christ wished to inculcate, and all parts of the parable are to be interpreted in reference to this admonition. Like the virgins, many are professedly going to meet the Bridegroom - the Lord Jesus Christ. Like the coming of the bridegroom, his advent will be sudden. It will be to many at an unexpected time. Many, even professing Christians, will be engaged in the business of the world; thoughtless about eternity; not expecting his approach, and not prepared. They will only profess to know him, but in works they will deny him. So death will come. All approaches of the Son of God to judge men are sudden, and to many unexpected. So many, when they shall see him coming, at death or the judgment, will begin, like the foolish virgins, to be active, and to prepare to die; but it will be too late. They that are ready will enter in, and heaven will be closed forever against all others. The “coming” of the Saviour is certain. The precise time “when” he will come is not certain. As the virgins should all have watched and been ready, so should we. They who are Christians should be ever watchful; and they who are not should lose no time to be ready, for in such an hour as they think not the Son of man shall come.

The Son of man cometh - This refers, doubtless, to his coming in the day of judgment. The circumstances of the parable do not seem at all to apply to his coming to destroy Jerusalem, but are aptly expressive of his advent to judge the world.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 25:13. Watch therefore — If to watch be to employ ourselves chiefly about the business of our salvation, alas! how few of those who are called Christians are there who do watch! How many who slumber! How many who are asleep! How many seized with a lethargy! How many quite dead!

Wherein the Son of man cometh. — These words are omitted by many excellent MSS., most of the versions, and several of the fathers. Griesbach has left them out of the text: Grotius, Hammond, Mill, and Bengel, approve of the omission.