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Monday, July 21st, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

Simplified Cowboy Version

Mark 2:19

Jesus smiled a wry smile and said, "If a cowboy invites his buddies over for a BBQ, he doesn't expect them to go hungry, does he? Of course not. As long as the cowboy is cooking, his guests will be eating.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Bridegroom;   Jesus, the Christ;   Scofield Reference Index - Parables;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Fast, Fasting;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Mark, the Gospel of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Fasting;   Joy;   Marriage;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Asceticism (2);   Bottle;   Consciousness;   Courage;   Devotion;   Discourse;   Enthusiasm;   Family;   Fasting (2);   Foresight;   Joy;   Joy (2);   Logia;   Marriage;   Mediator;   Miracles (2);   Mission;   Paradox;   Pharisees (2);   Questions and Answers;   Son, Sonship;   Trinity (2);   Winter ;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Bridechamber, Children of the;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Bridegroom;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Fast;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Abstinence;   Bride-Chamber;   Bride-Chamber, Sons (Children) of the;   Joy;   Mediation;   Salvation;   Washing of Feet;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests cannot fast while the groom
King James Version (1611)
And Iesus said vnto them, Can the children of the bride-chamber fast, while the Bridegrome is with them? As long as they haue the Bridegrome with them, they cannot fast.
King James Version
And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.
English Standard Version
And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.
New American Standard Bible
And Jesus said to them, "While the groom is with them, the attendants of the groom cannot fast, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they cannot fast.
New Century Version
Jesus answered, "The friends of the bridegroom do not fast while the bridegroom is still with them. As long as the bridegroom is with them, they cannot fast.
Amplified Bible
Jesus answered, "The attendants of the bridegroom cannot fast while the bridegroom is [still] with them, can they? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
And Jesus said to them, "While the bridegroom is with them, the attendants of the bridegroom cannot fast, can they? So long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.
Legacy Standard Bible
And Jesus said to them, "Can the attendants of the bridegroom fast when the bridegroom is with them? So long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.
Berean Standard Bible
Jesus replied, "How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while He is with them? As long as He is with them, they cannot fast.
Contemporary English Version
Jesus answered: The friends of a bridegroom don't go without eating while he is still with them.
Complete Jewish Bible
Yeshua answered them, "Can wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is still with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, fasting is out of the question.
Darby Translation
And Jesus said to them, Can the sons of the bride-chamber fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.
Easy-to-Read Version
Jesus answered, "At a wedding the friends of the bridegroom are not sad while he is with them. They cannot fast while the bridegroom is still there.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Iesus saide vnto them, Can the children of the marriage chamber fast, whiles the bridegrome is with them? as long as they haue the bridegrome with them, they cannot fast.
George Lamsa Translation
Jesus said to them, Why, can the sons of the wedding feast fast as long as the bridegroom is with them? No!
Good News Translation
Jesus answered, "Do you expect the guests at a wedding party to go without food? Of course not! As long as the bridegroom is with them, they will not do that.
Lexham English Bible
And Jesus said to them, "The bridegroom's attendants are not able to fast while the bridegroom is with them, are they? As long a time as they have the bridegroom with them, they are not able to fast.
Literal Translation
And Jesus said to them, Can the sons of the bridechamber fast while the groom is with them? What time they have the groom with them, they cannot fast.
American Standard Version
And Jesus said unto them, Can the sons of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.
Bible in Basic English
And Jesus said to them, Will the friends of a newly-married man go without food while he is with them? as long as they have him with them they will not go without food.
Hebrew Names Version
Yeshua said to them, "Can the sons of the bride chamber fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they can't fast.
International Standard Version
Jesus said to them, "The wedding guests can't fast while the groom is with them, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they can't fast.
Etheridge Translation
Jeshu said to them, Can the sons of the marriage-chamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? No;
Murdock Translation
Jesus said to them: Can the guests of the nuptial chamber fast so long as the bridegroom is with them? No.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Iesus sayde vnto them: Can the chyldren of the brydechaumber fast, whyle the brydegrome is with them? As long as they haue the brydegrome with them, they can not fast.
English Revised Version
And Jesus said unto them, Can the sons of the bride-chamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.
World English Bible
Jesus said to them, "Can the sons of the bride chamber fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they can't fast.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And Jesus said to them, Can the children of the bride-chamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.
Weymouth's New Testament
"Can a wedding party fast while the bridegroom is among them?" replied Jesus. "So long as they have the bridegroom with them, fasting is impossible.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Jhesus seide to hem, Whether the sones of sposailis moun faste, as longe as the spouse is with hem? As long tyme as thei haue the spouse with hem, thei moun not faste.
Update Bible Version
And Jesus said to them, Can the sons of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they can't fast.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Jesus said to them, Can the children of the bride-chamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.
New English Translation
Jesus said to them, "The wedding guests cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them, can they? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they do not fast.
New King James Version
And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.
New Living Translation
Jesus replied, "Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. They can't fast while the groom is with them.
New Life Bible
Jesus said to them, "Can the friends at a wedding go without food when the man just married is with them? As long as they have him with them, they will not go without food.
New Revised Standard
Jesus said to them, "The wedding guests cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them, can they? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Jesus said unto them - Is it possible for the sons of the bridechamber, while the bridegroom is with them, to be fasting? So long as they have the bridegroom with them, it is impossible, to fast.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Jesus saith to them: Can the children of the marriage fast, as long as the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.
Revised Standard Version
And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Iesus sayde vnto them: can the chyldren of a weddinge faste while the brydgrome is wt them. As longe as they have the brydgrome with them they cannot faste.
Young's Literal Translation
And Jesus said to them, `Are the sons of the bride-chamber able, while the bridegroom is with them, to fast? so long time as they have the bridegroom with them they are not able to fast;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Iesus sayde vnto them: How can the weddinge children fast, whyle the brydegrome is with them? So longe as ye brydegrome is with them, they can not fast.
Mace New Testament (1729)
Jesus answered, can the bridemen fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.
THE MESSAGE
Jesus said, "When you're celebrating a wedding, you don't skimp on the cake and wine. You feast. Later you may need to pull in your belt, but not now. As long as the bride and groom are with you, you have a good time. No one throws cold water on a friendly bonfire. This is Kingdom Come!"

Contextual Overview

18There was this one time that the guys who rode with John the Baptist, as well as some other goody-goody preachers, were going without food for religious reasons. All these folks came to Jesus and asked, "Why do all those who follow John, and those who follow the Pharisees, go without food in order to get closer to God, but your cowboys don't?" 19Jesus smiled a wry smile and said, "If a cowboy invites his buddies over for a BBQ, he doesn't expect them to go hungry, does he? Of course not. As long as the cowboy is cooking, his guests will be eating. 20There will come a time when the cowboy will no longer be around and that is when they will fast. 21Besides, you don't put a new patch on old wranglers. If you do, you'll end up with a bigger tear than when you started. 22Also, you can't put new hooch in an old wineskin. If you do, the new hooch will expand and bust the wineskin open. New wine is poured in a new wineskin." 23A little while after that, Jesus and his cowboys were riding through some grain fields on the day of rest. They got hungry and picked some heads of wheat for a quick snack. 24Some of those bigwig preachers saw this and accused them of violating the Sacred day of rest. 25Jesus replied calmly, "Didn't you read where David and his cowboys got hungry and went in and 26ate the special bread. You all know it is against the Law for anyone to eat it except the priests?" 27Then he told them, "The day of rest was made for cowboys. Cowboys were not made for the day of rest. God's Top Hand is Boss—even of the day of rest."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Can: Genesis 29:22, Judges 14:10, Judges 14:11, Psalms 45:14, Song of Solomon 6:8, Matthew 25:1-10

Reciprocal: John 16:4 - because

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Jesus said unto them,.... Both to John's disciples and the Pharisees,

can the children of the bride chamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? Suggesting that he was the bridegroom, as John their master had called him, John 3:29, and that his disciples were the children of the bride chamber; and that it was very unsuitable for them, and very unreasonable to desire them to fast at such a time, and under such a character: wherefore the answer returned by Christ himself to the question is,

as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast: all which the Syriac version expresses by לא, "no": see Gill "Mt 9:15".

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the notes at Matthew 9:15-17.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 19. Can the children of the bride - chamber fast while the bridegroom is with them? — Among the Hindoos, large parties of friends, belonging both to the bride and bridegroom, attend on both during the wedding day; on the following day, when the bridegroom leaves the house of his father-in-law, the attendants are filled with sorrow, especially the near relations. - WARD'S Customs.


 
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