Luke 19:31

Simplified Cowboy Version

And if anyone asks what you are doing, say, 'The Top Hand needs it.'"

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say this: ‘The Lord needs it.’”

King James Version (1611)
And if any man aske you, Why do ye loose him? Thus shall ye say vnto him, Because the Lord hath neede of him.

King James Version
And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him.

English Standard Version
If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?' you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.'"

New American Standard Bible
"And if anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' you shall say this: 'The Lord has need of it.'"

New Century Version
If anyone asks you why you are untying it, say that the Master needs it."

Amplified Bible
"If anybody asks you, 'Why are you untying the colt?' you will say, 'The Lord needs it.'"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' you shall say, 'The Lord has need of it.'"

Legacy Standard Bible
And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?' you shall say this: ‘Because the Lord has need of it.'"

Berean Standard Bible
If anyone asks, 'Why you are untying it?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it.'"

Contemporary English Version
If anyone asks why you are doing that, just say, ‘The Lord needs it.'"

Complete Jewish Bible
If anyone asks why you are untying it, tell him, ‘The Lord needs it.'"

Darby Translation
And if any one ask you, Why do ye loose [it]? thus shall ye say to him, Because the Lord has need of it.

Easy-to-Read Version
If anyone asks you why you are taking the donkey, you should say, ‘The Master needs it.'"

Geneva Bible (1587)
And if any man aske you, why ye loose him, thus shall ye say vnto him, Because the Lord hath neede of him.

George Lamsa Translation
And if any man should ask you, Why do you untie it? tell him this: Our lord needs it.

Good News Translation
If someone asks you why you are untying it, tell him that the Master needs it."

Lexham English Bible
And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?' you will say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.'"

Literal Translation
And if anyone asks, Why do you untie it ? you shall say to them, The Lord has need of it.

American Standard Version
And if any one ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say, The Lord hath need of him.

Bible in Basic English
And if anyone says to you, Why are you taking him? say, The Lord has need of him.

Hebrew Names Version
If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' say to him: 'The Lord needs it.'"

International Standard Version
If anyone asks you why you are untying it, say this: 'The Lord needs it.'"

Etheridge Translation
And if any man demand why you loose him, thus say: It is requested by our Lord.

Murdock Translation
And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? say to him: Our Lord needeth him.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And yf any man aske you, why do ye loose hym, thus shall ye say vnto hym: because the Lorde hath neede of hym.

English Revised Version
And if any one ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say, The Lord hath need of him.

World English Bible
If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' say to him: 'The Lord needs it.'"

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him, thus shall ye say to him, The Lord hath need of him.

Weymouth's New Testament
And if any one asks you, `Why are you untying the colt?' simply say, `The Master needs it.'"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And if ony man axe you, whi ye vntien, thus ye schulen seie to hym, For the Lord desirith his werk.

Update Bible Version
And if any one asks you, Why do you loose him? thus you shall say, The Lord has need of him.

Webster's Bible Translation
And if any man shall ask you, Why do ye loose [him]? thus shall ye say to him, Because the Lord hath need of him.

New English Translation
If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?' just say, ‘The Lord needs it.'"

New King James Version
And if anyone asks you, "Why are you loosing it?' thus you shall say to him, "Because the Lord has need of it."'

New Living Translation
If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying that colt?' just say, ‘The Lord needs it.'"

New Life Bible
If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you letting it loose?' say to him, ‘Because the Lord needs it.'"

New Revised Standard
If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?' just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.'"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, if any one question you - Wherefore are ye loosing him? thus, shall ye say - His Lord, hath, need.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And if any man shall ask you: Why do you loose him? You shall say thus unto him: Because the Lord hath need of his service.

Revised Standard Version
If any one asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' you shall say this, 'The Lord has need of it.'"

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And if eny man axe you why that ye loowse him: thus saye vnto him ye lorde hath nede of him.

Young's Literal Translation
and if any one doth question you, Wherefore do ye loose [it]? thus ye shall say to him -- The Lord hath need of it.'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And yf eny ma axe you wherfore ye lowse it, saye thus vnto him. The LORDE hath nede therof.

Mace New Testament (1729)
if any one should ask you, why you untie it, let this be your answer, because the Lord has occasion for it.

Contextual Overview

²⁸After he finished with his story, Jesus struck a long trot for Jerusalem. His twelve cowboys lined up behind him and followed. ²⁹When they neared Bethphage and Bethany at the Olive Hill, he sent two cowboys ahead. ³⁰"Go over there and you will find a young donkey that has never been ridden tied up next to a tree. Bring it to me. ³¹And if anyone asks what you are doing, say, 'The Top Hand needs it.'" ³²So they cowboys rode ahead, and everything was just as Jesus had said. ³³Even when they untied the colt, the owners asked them what they were doing. ³⁴The two cowboys said, "The Top Hand needs it for a little while." ³⁵They brought the colt to Jesus and threw a saddle blanket on it for him to sit on. ³⁶As he rode into Jerusalem, people laid their coats down on the ground in front of him. ³⁷When he turned down the road leading down from Olive Hill, all of the people following him began praising God for sending the Top Hand and all the miracles he had done.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the Lord: Psalms 24:1, Psalms 50:10-12, Matthew 21:2, Matthew 21:3, Mark 11:3-6, Acts 10:36

Reciprocal: Mark 11:2 - General Luke 22:11 - The Master John 4:1 - the Lord

Cross-References

Mark 9:6
Pete only said this because when he got scared, he usually just ran-off at the mouth. But he wasn't the only one who was scared of what he was seeing.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And if any man ask you, why do ye loose [him]?.... As our Lord, being God omniscient, knew this question would be asked by the owners, and therefore prepares his disciples with an answer to it:

thus shall ye say unto him, because the Lord hath need of him. The Syriac and Persic versions read "our Lord", yours, and ours; probably the owners of the colt might be such as knew the Lord Jesus Christ, and by this way of speaking of him, knew, at once, who was meant, and so made no scruple of sending him, as Christ told them they would not, and so they found it; :- and

:-

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the notes at Matthew 21:1-16.