Mark 11:3

Simplified Cowboy Version

If anyone questions you, just tell them the Lord needs it and will return it shortly."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here right away.’”

King James Version (1611)
And if any man say vnto you, Why doe yee this? Say yee, that the Lord hath need of him: and straightway he will send him hither.

King James Version
And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither.

English Standard Version
If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?' say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.'"

New American Standard Bible
"And if anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord has need of it'; and immediately he will send it back here."

New Century Version
If anyone asks you why you are doing this, tell him its Master needs the colt, and he will send it at once."

Amplified Bible
"If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord needs it'; and immediately he will send it here."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"If anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' you say, 'The Lord has need of it'; and immediately he will send it back here."

Legacy Standard Bible
And if anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?' you say, ‘The Lord has need of it'; and immediately he will send it back here."

Berean Standard Bible
If anyone asks, 'Why are you doing this?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it and will return it shortly.'"

Contemporary English Version
If anyone asks why you are doing that, say, ‘The Lord needs it and will soon bring it back.'"

Complete Jewish Bible
If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?' tell him, ‘The Lord needs it,' and he will send it here right away."

Darby Translation
And if any one say to you, Why do ye this? say, The Lord has need of it; and straightway he sends it hither.

Easy-to-Read Version
If anyone asks you why you are taking the donkey, tell them, ‘The Master needs it. He will send it back soon.'"

Geneva Bible (1587)
And if any man say vnto you, Why doe ye this? Say that the Lord hath neede of him, and straightway he will send him hither.

George Lamsa Translation
And if any man should say to you, Why are you doing this? say to him that our Lord needs it; and immediately he will send it here.

Good News Translation
And if someone asks you why you are doing that, say that the Master needs it and will send it back at once."

Lexham English Bible
And if anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?' say ‘The Lord has need of it, and will send it here again at once.'"

Literal Translation
And if anyone says to you, Why do you do this? say, The Lord has need of it. And he will at once send it here.

American Standard Version
And if any one say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye, The Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him back hither.

Bible in Basic English
And if anyone says to you, Why are you doing this? say, The Lord has need of him and will send him back straight away.

Hebrew Names Version
If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord needs him;' and immediately he will send him back here."

International Standard Version
If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?,' say, 'The Lord needs it,' and he will send it back here at once."

Etheridge Translation
And if any man shall say to you, Why do you this ? say to him, Because for our Lord it is requested, and at once he will send him hither.

Murdock Translation
And, if any one say to you, Why do ye this? Say ye to him: Because our Lord hath need of him. And immediately he will send him hither.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And yf any man say vnto you, why do ye so? Say ye, that the Lorde hath neede of hym: and strayghtway he wyll sende hym hyther.

English Revised Version
And if any one say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye, The Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him back hither.

World English Bible
If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord needs him;' and immediately he will send him back here."

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And if any say to you, Why do ye this? Say, The Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither.

Weymouth's New Testament
And if any one asks you, `Why are you doing that?' say, `The Master needs it, and will send it back here without delay.'"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And if ony man seye ony thing to you, What doen ye? seie ye, that he is nedeful to the Lord, and anoon he schal leeue hym hidir.

Update Bible Version
And if any one says to you, Why do you do this? say, The Lord has need of him; and right away he will send him back here.

Webster's Bible Translation
And if any man shall say to you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and immediately he will send him hither.

New English Translation
If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?' say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here soon.'"

New King James Version
And if anyone says to you, "Why are you doing this?' say, "The Lord has need of it,' and immediately he will send it here."

New Living Translation
If anyone asks, ‘What are you doing?' just say, ‘The Lord needs it and will return it soon.'"

New Life Bible
If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing that?' say, ‘The Lord needs it. He will send it back again soon.'"

New Revised Standard
If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?' just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.'"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, if anyone unto you should say - Why are ye doing this? say - The Lord, of him hath need; and, straightway, he sendeth him off again here.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And if any man shall say to you: What are you doing? Say ye that the Lord hath need of him. And immediately he will let him come hither.

Revised Standard Version
If any one says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.'"

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And if eny man saye vnto you: why do ye soo? Saye that the Lorde hath neade of him: and streight waye he will sende him hidder.

Young's Literal Translation
and if any one may say to you, Why do ye this? say ye that the lord hath need of it, and immediately he will send it hither.'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And yf eny man saye vnto you: wherfore do ye that? Then saye ye: The LORDE hath nede therof, and forth with he shal sende it hither.

Mace New Testament (1729)
if any one should ask you, why you do so? tell him, the Lord has occasion for it, and immediately he will send it hither.

Contextual Overview

¹ They slowed to a walk as they got close to Jerusalem. Jesus sent two of his cowboys ahead to a little cow camp and ²told them, "When you get there, you will find an unbroke colt tied to the fence. ³If anyone questions you, just tell them the Lord needs it and will return it shortly." ⁴They found the colt and sure enough, ⁵some people started asking them where they were taking it. ⁶The cowboys told them Jesus needed it and the people said nothing more and let them pass. ⁷They brought the colt to Jesus and they threw their coats on its back as saddle blankets and then Jesus hopped up there. ⁸Then Jesus started his ride into Jerusalem and people honored him by throwing their own coats on the ground so that even the colt's feet that carried him wouldn't touch the dirt. Some people even cut branches off of nearby trees and laid them down in the road for Jesus's mount to walk on. ⁹This was quite a sight to see and people in front of Jesus and behind him were shouting, "The Lord will save us! Here's to the One who rides in the name of the Lord! ¹⁰Here's to the coming of the outfit that our father David talked so much about. Here! Here!"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

that: Psalms 24:1, Acts 10:36, Acts 17:25, 2 Corinthians 8:9, Hebrews 2:7-9

and straightway: Mark 14:15, 1 Chronicles 29:12-18, Psalms 110:3, Acts 1:24

Reciprocal: Psalms 97:5 - the Lord of Matthew 21:2 - General Mark 14:13 - Go Mark 14:14 - The Master Luke 19:31 - the Lord John 21:7 - It is

Cross-References

Hebrews 3:13
Open your eyes and help each other. Don't let one another be deceived by sin and turn away from God.

Hebrews 10:24
We need to ponder on ways to encourage one another to love others and do great things.

James 4:13
Here's somethin' for all who go around saying stuff like, "Today I'm gonna ride into town and tomorrow I'm gonna start breakin' horses and start my own business."

James 5:1
Take a deep seat all you who are rich. You think you've got it easy, but there's a mess of trouble headed your way.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And if any man say unto you,.... As very likely they would, and it would be strange if they should not say something to them, especially the owners of it:

why do ye this? Why do ye untie the ass, and attempt to carry it away, when it is none of your own, and it belongs to another man?

Say ye that the Lord hath need of him; our Lord and yours, the Lord of heaven and earth, and all things in it; it looks as if this title, "the Lord", was what Jesus was well known by; see John 11:28; unless it can be thought, that the owners of the colt were such, that believed in Christ, as is not improbable; and so would at once understand by the language who it was for, and let it go:

and straightway he will send him, hither; as soon as ever he hears that the Lord, by whom he would presently understand Jesus, wanted him for his present purpose; he will send him with all readiness and cheerfulness, without the least hesitation, or making any dispute about it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See this passage illustrated in the notes at Matthew 21:1-16.

Mark 11:4

Two ways met - A crossroads. A public place, probably near the center of the village.

Mark 11:5

What do ye, loosing the colt? - Or, why do ye do this? What authority have you for doing it?

See this passage illustrated in the notes at Matthew 21:1-16.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Mark 11:3. And straightway he will send him hither. — From the text, I think it is exceedingly plain, that our Lord did not beg, but borrow, the colt; therefore the latter clause of this verse should be understood as the promise of returning him. Is not the proper translation the following? And if any one say to you, Why do ye this? Say, the Lord hath need of him, and will speedily send him back hither - και ευθεως αυτον αποστελλει ὡδε. Some eminent critics take the same view of the passage.