Mark 13:36

Simplified Cowboy Version

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

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.

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

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.

Contextual Overview

²⁸The cowboys sat in awe as he continued, "Learn a lesson from a simple tree. When the leaves start to bud out, you know that spring has arrived and summer is near. ²⁹In the same way, when you see all these things happening, you know that the Top Hand is riding out of the gate and coming for you. ³⁰I'm telling you the truth when I say that those who ride for me during that time, not all of them will die before all of this I've told you about happens. ³¹The current heaven and the earth you see now will end, but my words will never prove untrue." ³²Jesus held up a cautionary hand, "But no one, and I mean no one—not the angels in heaven, or myself—knows the exact time when this will take place. Only God knows. ³³So keep a sharp lookout and whatever you do, be ready! I can't express enough the need to be ready to ride because you will not know when the time will come. ³⁴It's kind of like the wagon boss leaving the ranch and telling each of the cowboys what jobs they are supposed to do while he is gone. He even puts one cowboy at the gate to watch for his return. ³⁵I'm posting y'all at the gate to watch. You don't know if the wagon boss is coming back in the evening, or at noon, or before the rooster crows. ³⁶You don't want to be caught napping when he arrives. ³⁷Stay alert and watch like I've told you to do."

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.