LUKE 12:24 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) Look at the ravens. They don’t plant seeds or harvest crops and they have no storerooms or barns, yet God keeps them fed, and humans are worth a lot more than birds.

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object, red:negative.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT Consider the ravens, that they do not sow nor reap, to whom is neither storeroom nor barn, but God feeds them. How much more valuable you are than the birds!

UST Think about the birds. They do not plant seeds, and they do not harvest crops. They do not have rooms or buildings in which to store crops, but God provides food for them. And you are certainly much more valuable than birds.

BSB Consider the ravens: They do not sow [or] reap, they have no storehouse [or] barn; yet God feeds them. How much more valuable you are than the birds!

BLB Consider the ravens, that they do not sow, nor reap; to them there is not a storehouse, nor barn--and God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than the birds!

AICNT “Consider the {ravens},[fn] that they neither sow nor reap, for which there is no [storehouse nor][fn] barn, and God feeds {them};[fn] {how much more do you surpass the birds!}[fn]

12:24, ravens: Some manuscripts read “birds of the sky.” D(05) Latin(e). ‖ 𝔓45 reads “The birds of the sky and the ravens.”

12:24, storehouse nor: Absent from Latin(e).

12:24, them: Some manuscripts read “these.” 𝔓45 D(05) Latin(f)

12:24, how much more do you surpass the birds!: D(05) reads “are you not worth more than the birds?”

OEB Think of the ravens – they neither sow nor reap; they have neither storehouse nor barn; and yet God feeds them! And how much more precious are you than birds!

WEBBE Consider the ravens: they don’t sow, they don’t reap, they have no warehouse or barn, and God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than birds!

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn, yet God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than the birds!

LSV Consider the ravens, that they do not sow, nor reap, to which there is no barn nor storehouse, and God nourishes them; how much better are you than the birds?

FBV Look at the ravens. They don't sow or reap, they don't have any storerooms or barns, but God feeds them. And you're far more valuable than birds!

TCNT Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap; they have no storehouse or barn, yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than birds?

T4T Think about the birds: They do not plant seeds, and they do not harvest crops. They do not have rooms or buildings in which to store crops. But God provides food for them. And you are certainly much more valuable than birds. So God will certainly provide what you need!

LEB Consider the ravens, that they neither sow nor reap; to them there is neither storeroom nor barn, and God feeds them. How much more are you worth than the birds?

BBE Give thought to the ravens; they do not put seeds into the earth, or get together grain; they have no store-houses or buildings; and God gives them their food: of how much greater value are you than the birds!

Moff Look at the crows! they neither sow nor reap,
⇔ no storehouse or granary have they,
⇔ and yet God feeds them. How much more are you worth than birds?

Wymth Observe the ravens. They neither sow nor reap, and have neither store-chamber nor barn. And yet God feeds them. How far more precious are you than the birds!

ASV Consider the ravens, that they sow not, neither reap; which have no store-chamber nor barn; and God feedeth them: of how much more value are ye than the birds!

DRA Consider the ravens, for they sow not, neither do they reap, neither have they storehouse nor barn, and God feedeth them. How much are you more valuable than they?

YLT 'Consider the ravens, that they sow not, nor reap, to which there is no barn nor storehouse, and God doth nourish them; how much better are ye than the fowls?

Drby Consider the ravens, that they sow not nor reap; which have neither storehouse nor granary; and [fn]God feeds them. How much better are ye than the birds?

12.24 Elohim

RV Consider the ravens, that they sow not, neither reap; which have no store-chamber nor barn; and God feedeth them: of how much more value are ye than the birds!
(Consider the ravens, that they sow not, neither reap; which have no store-chamber/room nor barn; and God feedeth/feeds them: of how much more value are ye/you_all than the birds! )

SLT Consider the ravens: for they sow not neither do they reap; to them there is not store-house nor store; and God nourishes them: how much more have ye preeminence of the fowls?

Wbstr Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap: which neither have store-house, nor barn; and God feedeth them: How much more are ye better than the fowls?

KJB-1769 Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?
( Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth/feeds them: how much more are ye/you_all better than the fowls/birds? )

KJB-1611 Consider the rauens, for they neither sow nor reape, which neither haue storehouse nor barne, and God feedeth them: How much more are yee better then the foules?
(Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which neither have storehouse nor barn, and God feedeth/feeds them: How much more are ye/you_all better then the fowls/birds?)

Bshps Consider the Rauens, for they neither sowe nor reape, whiche neither haue storehouse nor barne, and God feedeth them: Howe much more are ye better then fethered fowles?
(Consider the Ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which neither have storehouse nor barn, and God feedeth/feeds them: How much more are ye/you_all better then feathered fowls/birds?)

Gnva Consider the rauens: for they neither sowe nor reape: which neither haue storehouse nor barne, and yet God feedeth them: how much more are yee better then foules?
(Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap: which neither have storehouse nor barn, and yet God feedeth/feeds them: how much more are ye/you_all better then fowls/birds? )

Cvdl Consydre the rauens, they nether sowe ner reape, they haue also nether stoare house ner barne, and yet God fedeth them. But how moch better are ye then the foules?
(Consydre the ravens, they neither sow nor reap, they have also neither stoare house nor barn, and yet God feedeth/feeds them. But how much better are ye/you_all then the fowls/birds?)

TNT Considre the ravens for they nether sowe nor repe which nether have stoorehousse ner barne and yet God fedeth them. How moche are ye better then the foules.
(Consider the ravens for they neither sow nor reap which neither have stoorehousse nor barn and yet God feedeth/feeds them. How much are ye/you_all better then the fowls/birds. )

Wycl Biholde ye crowis, for thei sowen not, nethir repen, to whiche is no celer, ne berne, and God fedith hem. Hou myche more ye ben of more prijs than thei.
(Behold ye/you_all crowis, for they sown not, neither repen, to which is no celer, nor berne, and God fedith hem. How much more ye/you_all been of more price than they.)

Luth Nehmet wahr der Raben: sie säen nicht, sie ernten auch nicht, sie haben auch keinen Keller noch Scheune; und GOtt nähret sie doch. Wieviel aber seid ihr besser denn die Vögel!
(Nehmet true the/of_the ravens: they/she/them sow not, they/she/them harvest(v) also not, they/she/them have also none Keller still Scheune; and God nourishes/feeds they/she/them though/but. How_much but are you(pl)/their/her better because/than the birds!)

ClVg Considerate corvos, quia non seminant, neque metunt, quibus non est cellarium, neque horreum, et Deus pascit illos. Quanto magis vos pluris estis illis?[fn]
(Considerate corvos, because not/no they_sow, nor with_fearnt, to_whom not/no it_is cellarium, nor horreum, and God feeds those. How_much more you(pl) pluris you_are to_them? )

12.24 Considerate. Sancti merito avibus comparantur, qui nihil in mundo habentes, nec laborantes, sola contemplatione æterna petunt, jam similes angelis. Quanto magis. Si volatilibus non laborantibus, nec communes fructus aliquo sibi dominatu specialius vindicantibus providentia Dei necessaria largitur, verum est causam inopiæ nostræ avaritiam indicare, qui communia quasi propria vindicamus et aliis invidemus.

12.24 Considerate. Holy deservedly birds are_compared, who/which nothing in/into/on to_the_world having, but_not working_people, alone contemplation eternal petunt, already similar to/by/with_the_messengers/angels. How_much more. When/But_if flyingbus not/no they_work_hardibus, but_not common/communitys fruit somewhere to_himself dominatu specialius vindicantibus providence of_God necessary largitur, true it_is cause pooræ our greed to_indicidate, who/which common as_if own vindicamus and to_others invidemus.

UGNT κατανοήσατε τοὺς κόρακας, ὅτι οὐ σπείρουσιν οὐδὲ θερίζουσιν, οἷς οὐκ ἔστιν ταμεῖον οὐδὲ ἀποθήκη, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς τρέφει αὐτούς. πόσῳ μᾶλλον ὑμεῖς διαφέρετε τῶν πετεινῶν!
(katanoaʸsate tous korakas, hoti ou speirousin oude therizousin, hois ouk estin tameion oude apothaʸkaʸ, kai ho Theos trefei autous. posōi mallon humeis diaferete tōn peteinōn!)

SBL-GNT κατανοήσατε τοὺς κόρακας ὅτι οὐ σπείρουσιν οὐδὲ θερίζουσιν, οἷς οὐκ ἔστιν ταμεῖον οὐδὲ ἀποθήκη, καὶ ὁ θεὸς τρέφει αὐτούς· πόσῳ μᾶλλον ὑμεῖς διαφέρετε τῶν πετεινῶν.
(katanoaʸsate tous korakas hoti ou speirousin oude therizousin, hois ouk estin tameion oude apothaʸkaʸ, kai ho theos trefei autous; posōi mallon humeis diaferete tōn peteinōn.)

RP-GNT Κατανοήσατε τοὺς κόρακας, ὅτι οὐ σπείρουσιν, οὐδὲ θερίζουσιν, οἷς οὐκ ἔστιν ταμεῖον οὐδὲ ἀποθήκη, καὶ ὁ θεὸς τρέφει αὐτούς· πόσῳ μᾶλλον ὑμεῖς διαφέρετε τῶν πετεινῶν;
(Katanoaʸsate tous korakas, hoti ou speirousin, oude therizousin, hois ouk estin tameion oude apothaʸkaʸ, kai ho theos trefei autous; posōi mallon humeis diaferete tōn peteinōn;)

TC-GNT Κατανοήσατε τοὺς κόρακας, ὅτι οὐ σπείρουσιν, οὐδὲ θερίζουσιν, οἷς οὐκ ἔστι ταμεῖον οὐδὲ ἀποθήκη, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς τρέφει αὐτούς· πόσῳ μᾶλλον ὑμεῖς διαφέρετε τῶν πετεινῶν;
(Katanoaʸsate tous korakas, hoti ou speirousin, oude therizousin, hois ouk esti tameion oude apothaʸkaʸ, kai ho Theos trefei autous; posōi mallon humeis diaferete tōn peteinōn; )

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 12:22–34: Jesus encouraged his disciples to trust God to care for them

In the previous section Jesus told the crowd a parable to teach them not to be greedy. In this section he turned again to his disciples and taught them not to worry about the things they needed. Instead, they should think about the things that were important to God and share their possessions with the poor. God would provide what they needed.

Some other possible headings for this section are:

God’s Care For Those Who Trust In Him

Trust in God (GNT)

Do not Worry (NIV)

There is a parallel passage for this section in Matthew 6:25–34.

12:24

In this verse Jesus gave another reason why the disciples should not worry about food and clothes. He explained that God takes care of the physical needs of birds, so he will certainly care for the disciples. They are much more important to God than birds.

12:24a

Consider the ravens:

Look at the ravens/crows, for example.
Think about how God cares for the birds.

Consider the ravens: The clause Consider the ravens indicates that Jesus was introducing an example or illustration. He wanted people to think about ravens and learn something from what he said. Think about how someone would introduce such an illustration in your language. Also consider if you would naturally use the article (the ravens) or omit it. Some other ways to introduce this example are:

Think about ravens, for example.

Let me illustrate by reminding you about the ravens.

ravens: The Greek word that the BSB translates as ravens refers to any birds of the crow family, including ravens, rooks, and jackdaws. These are all large, black birds that the Jews considered to be of no value, since they could not be eaten. According to Leviticus 11:15, they were unclean birds. You may want to include this information in a footnote.

If your language has no word for ravens or “crows” or similar birds, you may use a more general term. For example:

Look at the birds. (NCV)

12:24b

They do not sow or reap,

They do not plant or harvest,
We^(incl) know that they do not plant/sow seeds or harvest/pick crops.

They do not sow or reap: Here Jesus was stating something that was obviously true. In some languages it may be natural to indicate this by saying something like:

You/We know that they do not sow or reap

sow or reap: To sow is to plant seed by scattering it on the ground by hand. To reap is to cut ripe grain and bring it in from the field. In this verse the focus is not on the type of crop or on the method of planting or harvesting. So you may use general terms that refer to any crop. For example:

They don’t plant or harvest (CEV)

They don’t plant seeds or gather a harvest (GNT)

12:24c

they have no storehouse or barn;

and they have no storage rooms or barns/granaries,
They also do not store their food,

they have no storehouse or barn: Jesus was again saying what everyone knew. Crows do not have barns or storehouses for storing extra food. In some languages it may be clearer to refer to the purpose of the storerooms or barns rather than the buildings themselves. For example:

they do not store away their extra food

storehouse or barn: A storehouse is a place in which people keep grain and other food. A barn refers to a structure built for holding grain. It is the same word that was used in 12:18b. See how you translated the word there.

12:24d

yet God feeds them.

but God still gives them food.
but nevertheless God provides them with what they need to eat.

yet: The Greek conjunction that the BSB translates as yet here introduces something that happens in spite of what was recorded in the previous verse parts. Another way to introduce 12:24d is:

but nevertheless/still

God feeds them: The Greek word that the BSB translates as feeds in this context means “provides food for.”

12:24e

How much more valuable you are than the birds!

And you^(plur) are much more valuable/important to God than birds are.
Don’t you know that God values you^(plur) a lot more than birds?
You certainly have more value/importance in God’s sight than birds!

Some English versions, such as the NIV, begin this verse part with the word “and” in order to connect the following exclamation to the preceding context. There is no conjunction in the Greek text, and some other English versions do not supply a conjunction here. You may do whatever is natural in your language.

much more valuable you are than the birds!: This is an exclamation. Jesus was emphasizing the fact that his disciples were much more important than birds were. In some languages it may be necessary to indicate who valued the disciples so highly. If this is true in your language, you should supply “God.” For example:

And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! (NLT)

God values you much more than he values birds!

In some languages it may be more natural to express this emphatic exclamation as a rhetorical question. For example:

Aren’t you far more valuable to God than birds?

You certainly have more value in God’s sight than birds, don’t you?

valuable: In this context the disciples were valuable in the sense of being of great worth and importance to God.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: translate-unknown

τοὺς κόρακας

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Κατανοήσατε τούς κόρακας ὅτι οὒ σπείρουσιν οὐδέ θερίζουσιν οἷς οὐκ ἐστίν ταμεῖον οὐδέ ἀποθήκη καί ὁ Θεός τρέφει αὐτούς Πόσῳ μᾶλλον ὑμεῖς διαφέρετε τῶν πετεινῶν)

The word ravens refers to large black birds, and it can apply either to crows or to actual ravens. If your readers would not be familiar with either of those birds, you could use a general term. Alternate translation: [the birds]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet

οὐκ & ταμεῖον οὐδὲ ἀποθήκη

not & ˓a˒_storeroom (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Κατανοήσατε τούς κόρακας ὅτι οὒ σπείρουσιν οὐδέ θερίζουσιν οἷς οὐκ ἐστίν ταμεῖον οὐδέ ἀποθήκη καί ὁ Θεός τρέφει αὐτούς Πόσῳ μᾶλλον ὑμεῖς διαφέρετε τῶν πετεινῶν)

These two words mean similar things. Jesus may be using them together to express a general meaning. Alternate translation: [no place to store food]

Note 3 topic: translate-unknown

οὐκ & ταμεῖον οὐδὲ ἀποθήκη

These are places where food is stored. If your readers would not be familiar with either term, you could use a more general one. Alternate translation: [no place to store food]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / exclamations

πόσῳ μᾶλλον ὑμεῖς διαφέρετε τῶν πετεινῶν!

This is an exclamation, not a question. Jesus uses the exclamation to emphasize the point he wants his listeners to realize. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate this as a statement. Alternate translation: [You need to realize how much more valuable people are to God than birds.]