Matthew 10:39

Simplified Cowboy Version

Anyone who rides for themselves will lose their life, but whoever rides with me and shuns themselves for my sake will find life.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Anyone who finds his life will lose it,

King James Version (1611)
He that findeth his life, shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake, shall find it.

King James Version
He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

English Standard Version
Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

New American Standard Bible
"The one who has found his life will lose it, and the one who has lost his life on My account will find it.

New Century Version
Those who try to hold on to their lives will give up true life. Those who give up their lives for me will hold on to true life.

Amplified Bible
"Whoever finds his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], and whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake will find it [that is, life with Me for all eternity].

Geneva Bible (1587)
He that will finde his life, shall lose it: & he that loseth his life for my sake, shal finde it.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.

Legacy Standard Bible
He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.

Berean Standard Bible
Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

Contemporary English Version
If you try to save your life, you will lose it. But if you give it up for me, you will surely find it.

Complete Jewish Bible
Whoever finds his own life will lose it, but the person who loses his life for my sake will find it.

Darby Translation
He that finds his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for my sake shall find it.

Easy-to-Read Version
Those who try to keep the life they have will lose it. But those who give up their life for me will find true life.

George Lamsa Translation
He who is concerned about his life shall lose it; and he who loses his life for my sake shall find it.

Good News Translation
Those who try to gain their own life will lose it; but those who lose their life for my sake will gain it.

Lexham English Bible
The one who finds his life will lose it, and the one who loses his life because of me will find it.

Literal Translation
The one finding his life shall lose it. And the one losing his life on account of Me shall find it.

American Standard Version
He that findeth his life shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

Bible in Basic English
He who has the desire to keep his life will have it taken from him, and he who gives up his life because of me will have it given back to him.

Hebrew Names Version
He who finds his life will lose it; and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.

International Standard Version
The one who finds his life will lose it, and the one who loses his life because of me will find it."Matthew 16:25; Luke 17:33; John 12:25;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
Whosoever will find his life shall lose it, and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it.

Murdock Translation
He that preserveth his life, shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake, shall preserve it.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
He that findeth his life, shall lose it: and he that loseth his lyfe, for my sake, shall fynde it.

English Revised Version
He that findeth his life shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

World English Bible
He who finds his life will lose it; and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
He that findeth his life, shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for my sake, shall find it. He that entertaineth you, entertaineth me;

Weymouth's New Testament
To save your life is to lose it, and to lose your life for my sake is to save it.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
He that fyndith his lijf, shal lose it; and he that lesith his lijf for me, shal fynde it.

Update Bible Version
He that finds his life shall lose it; and he that loses his life for my sake shall find it.

Webster's Bible Translation
He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake, shall find it.

New English Translation
Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life because of me will find it.

New King James Version
He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

New Living Translation
If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.

New Life Bible
He who wants to keep his life will have it taken away from him. He who loses his life because of Me will have it given back to him.

New Revised Standard
Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
He that hath found his life, shall lose it, - and, he that hath lost his life, for my sake, shall find it.

Douay-Rheims Bible
He that findeth his life, shall lose it: and he that shall lose his life for me, shall find it.

Revised Standard Version
He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
He that fyndeth hys lyfe shall lose it: and he that losith hys lyfe for my sake shall fynde it.

Young's Literal Translation
`He who found his life shall lose it, and he who lost his life for my sake shall find it.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Who so fyndeth his life, shal lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake, shal fynde it.

Mace New Testament (1729)
he that would preserve his life, shall lose it: and he that exposeth his life for my sake, shall save it.

Contextual Overview

¹⁶I'm sendin' y'all out like steaks to hungry coyotes. Y'all will need to be savvy as horse traders, but innocent as the day you were born. ¹⁷"Watch your backs with men. They will hand you over to the local sheriffs and beat you within an inch of your life, right there in the churches. ¹⁸Because of me, you will be taken before governors, presidents, and later, even to those who aren't Jews, so that you can tell them about who I am. ¹⁹Don't fret about what you're supposed to say when they arrest you though. When the time comes, I'll give you the words you'll need. ²⁰It won't be you who'll be talkin' at 'em, it'll be the Spirit of God speakin' through you. ²¹"Brothers are gonna double-cross each other, and a father will do the same to his kid. Children will buck their parents and turn on 'em, and have 'em put to death. ²²Everyone will hate you because of me, but if you stay in the saddle and ride with me, you will be saved in the end. ²³When they pester, plague, pick on, and persecute you, just saddle up and ride away to somewhere else. I'm tellin' you honest, you won't even get through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. ²⁴"A cowhand isn't over the trail boss and a horse isn't above its rider. ²⁵It's fine for the cowhand to be like the trail boss. If the trail boss has been called Satan, then his crew will be called that more!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Matthew 16:25, Matthew 16:26, Mark 8:35, Mark 8:36, Luke 17:33, John 12:25, Philippians 1:20, Philippians 1:21, 2 Timothy 4:6-8, Revelation 2:10

Reciprocal: Jeremiah 26:21 - he was Daniel 3:18 - be it Matthew 5:11 - for Matthew 10:22 - for Luke 6:22 - for Luke 9:23 - If John 15:21 - all 1 Peter 3:14 - if

Gill's Notes on the Bible

He that findeth his life shall lose it,.... That man that seeks to preserve his life, and the temporal enjoyments of it, by a sinful compliance with his friends and the world, and by a denial of Christ, or non-confession of him; if he is not, by the providence of God, deprived of the good things of life, and dies a shameful death, both which are sometimes the case of such persons; yet he is sure to lose the happy and eternal life of his soul and body, in the world to come: so that the present finding of life, or the possession of it, on such sinful terms, will in the issue prove an infinite and irreparable loss unto him. On the other hand, Christ observes,

he that loseth his life for my sake, shall find it. That man that is willing to forego the present advantages of life, to suffer reproach and persecution, and lay down his life cheerfully for the sake of Christ and his Gospel, for the profession of his name, rather than drop, deny, conceal, or neglect any truth and ordinance of his, shall find his soul possessed of eternal life, as soon as separated from his body; and shall find his corporal life again, in the resurrection morn, to great advantage; and shall live with Christ in soul and body, in the utmost happiness, to all eternity.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

He that findeth his life ... - The word “life” in this passage is used evidently in two senses. The meaning may be expressed thus: He that is anxious to save his “temporal” life, or his comfort and security here, shall lose “eternal” life, or shall fail of heaven. He that is willing to risk or lose his comfort and “life” here for my sake, shall find “life” everlasting, or shall be saved. The manner of speaking is similar to that where he said, “Let the dead bury their dead.” See notes at Matthew 8:22.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 39. He that findeth his life, c.] i.e. He who, for the sake of his temporal interest, abandons his spiritual concerns, shall lose his soul and he who, in order to avoid martyrdom, abjures the pure religion of Christ, shall lose his soul, and perhaps his life too. He that findeth his life shall lose it, was literally fulfilled in Archbishop Cranmer. He confessed Christ against the devil, and his eldest son, the pope. He was ordered to be burnt; to save his life he recanted, and was, notwithstanding, burnt. Whatever a man sacrifices to God is never lost, for he finds it again in God.

There is a fine piece on this subject in Juvenal, Sat. viii. l. 80, which deserves to be recorded here.

----------- ambiguae si quando citabere testis

Incertaeque rei, Phalaris liect imperet ut sis

Falsus, et admoto dictet perjuria tauro,

Summum crede nefas ANIMAM praeferre PUDORI

Et propter VITAM VIVENDI perdere causas.

---------- If ever call'd

To give thy witness in a doubtful case,

Though Phalaris himself should bid thee lie,

On pain of torture in his flaming bull,

Disdain to barter innocence for life;

To which life owes its lustre and its worth.

Wakefield.