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Mat Intro C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21 C22 C23 C24 C25 C26 C27 C28
Mat 12 V1 V3 V5 V7 V9 V11 V13 V15 V17 V19 V21 V23 V25 V27 V29 V31 V33 V35 V37 V39 V41 V43 V45 V47 V49
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) So it says to itself, ‘I’ll go back to the house that I just left.’ Then when it gets back, it finds that it’s not only unoccupied, but it’s been swept and tidied up.![]()
OET-LV Then it_is_saying:
I_will_be_turning_back to the house of_me whence I_came_out.
And having_come, it_is_finding being_unoccupied having_been_swept and having_been_adorned.
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SR-GNT Τότε λέγει, ‘Εἰς τὸν οἶκόν μου ἐπιστρέψω ὅθεν ἐξῆλθον.’ Καὶ ἐλθὸν, εὑρίσκει σχολάζοντα σεσαρωμένον καὶ κεκοσμημένον. ‡
(Tote legei, ‘Eis ton oikon mou epistrepsō hothen exaʸlthon.’ Kai elthon, heuriskei sⱪolazonta sesarōmenon kai kekosmaʸmenon.)
Key: khaki:verbs, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor.
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 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came out.’ And having come, it finds it being empty, having been swept out and put in order.
UST After that, it says to itself, ‘I am going to go back to the person I used to live in!’ So it goes back and finds that the person is like a house that someone has cleaned and organized, but no one is living in it.
BSB Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ On its return, it finds [the house] vacant, swept clean, and put in order.
MSB Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ On its return, it finds [the house] vacant, swept clean, and put in order.
BLB Then it says, 'I will return to my house from where I came out.' And having come, it finds it being unoccupied, and swept, and put in order.
AICNT Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it empty, swept, and put in order.
OEB Then it says “I will go back to the home which I left”; but, on coming there, it finds it unoccupied, and swept, and put in order.
WEBBE Then he says, ‘I will return into my house from which I came;’ and when he has come back, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.
WMBB (Same as above)
NET Then it says, ‘I will return to the home I left.’ When it returns, it finds the house empty, swept clean, and put in order.
LSV then it says, I will return to my house from where I came forth; and having come, it finds [it] unoccupied, swept, and adorned:
FBV So it says, ‘I'll go back to the place I left,’ and when it returns it finds the place empty, all clean and tidy.
TCNT Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept, and put in order.
T4T it says to itself, ‘I will return to the person [MET] in whom I used to live.’ So it goes back and finds that the Spirit of God is not in control of that person’s life. The person’s life is like a house that has been swept clean and everything put in order [MET], but it is empty.
LEB Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came out.’ And when it[fn] arrives it finds the house[fn] unoccupied and swept and put in order.
12:44 *Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“arrives”) which is understood as temporal
12:44 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
BBE Then he says, I will go back into my house from which I came out; and when he comes, he sees that there is no one in it, but that it has been made fair and clean.
Moff Then it says, 'I will go back to the house I left,' and when it comes it finds the house vacant, clean, and all in order.
Wymth Then he says, `I will return to my house that I left;' and he comes and finds it unoccupied, swept clean, and in good order.
ASV Then he saith, I will return into my house whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.
DRA Then he saith: I will return into my house from whence I came out. And coming he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.
YLT then it saith, I will turn back to my house whence I came forth; and having come, it findeth [it] unoccupied, swept, and adorned:
Drby Then he says, I will return to my house whence I came out; and having come, he finds [it] unoccupied, swept, and adorned.
RV Then he saith, I will return into my house whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.
(Then he saith/says, I will return into my house whence/where I came out; and when he is come, he findeth/finds it empty, swept, and garnished. )
SLT Then says he, I will return into my house, whence I came out; and having come, he finds vacant; having been swept, and put in order.
Wbstr Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.
KJB-1769 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.
(Then he saith/says, I will return into my house from whence/where I came out; and when he is come, he findeth/finds it empty, swept, and garnished. )
KJB-1611 Then he saith, I will returne into my house from whence I came out; And when he is come, he findeth it emptie, swept, and garnished.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation)
Bshps Then he sayeth: I wyll returne into my house, from whence I came out. And when he is come, he fyndeth it emptie, swept, and garnyshed.
(Then he saith/says: I will return into my house, from whence/where I came out. And when he is come, he findeth/finds it empty, swept, and garnyshed.)
Gnva Then he saith, I wil returne into mine house from whence I came: and when he is come, he findeth it emptie, swept and garnished.
(Then he saith/says, I will return into mine house from whence/where I came: and when he is come, he findeth/finds it empty, swept and garnished. )
Cvdl The saieth he: I wil turne agayne in to my house, fro whence I wete out. And whan he cometh, he fyndeth it emptye, swepte and garnyshed.
(The saith/says he: I will turn again in to my house, from whence/where I went out. And when he cometh/comes, he findeth/finds it emptye, swepte and garnyshed.)
TNT Then he sayeth: I will retourne ageyne into my housse from whence I came oute. And when he is come he fyndeth the housse empty and swepte and garnisshed.
(Then he saith/says: I will retourne ageyne into my house from whence/where I came out. And when he is come he findeth/finds the house empty and swepte and garnished. )
Wycl Thanne he seith, Y shal turne ayen in to myn hous, fro whannys Y wente out. And he cometh, and fyndith it voide, and clensid with besyms, and maad faire.
(Then he saith/says, I shall turn again in to mine house, from whannys I went out. And he cometh/comes, and findeth/finds it void, and cleansed with besyms, and made faire.)
Luth Da spricht er denn: Ich will wieder umkehren in mein Haus, daraus ich gegangen bin. Und wenn er kommt, so findet er‘s müßig, gekehret und geschmückt.
(So speaks/says he because/than: I will again reverse/inverse in my house, from_it I went/gone am. And when he comes, so finds he's müßig, swept and decorated.)
ClVg Tunc dicit: Revertar in domum meam, unde exivi. Et veniens invenit eam vacantem, scopis mundatam, et ornatam.[fn]
(Then he_says: Revertar in/into/on house/home of_mine, from_where/who exivi. And coming he_found her vacant, scopis cleansam, and decoratedm. )
12.44 Revertar in domum. Sub umbra dormit, in secreto calami, et locis humentibus. Umbra tenebrosa, conscientia: calamus foris nitidus, intus vacuus, simulator: locus humidus, lasciva mollisque mens.
12.44 Revertar in/into/on house/home. Under shadow he_sleeps, in/into/on secretly reeds, and places humentibus. Umbra tenebrosa, conscience: calamus outside nitidus, inside/within vacuus, at_the_same_timeator: place humidus, lasciva softque mens.
UGNT τότε λέγει, εἰς τὸν οἶκόν μου ἐπιστρέψω ὅθεν ἐξῆλθον. καὶ ἐλθὸν, εὑρίσκει σχολάζοντα σεσαρωμένον καὶ κεκοσμημένον.
(tote legei, eis ton oikon mou epistrepsō hothen exaʸlthon. kai elthon, heuriskei sⱪolazonta sesarōmenon kai kekosmaʸmenon.)
SBL-GNT τότε λέγει· ⸂Εἰς τὸν οἶκόν μου ἐπιστρέψω⸃ ὅθεν ἐξῆλθον· καὶ ἐλθὸν ⸀εὑρίσκει ⸀σχολάζοντα σεσαρωμένον καὶ κεκοσμημένον.
(tote legei; ⸂Eis ton oikon mou epistrepsō⸃ hothen exaʸlthon; kai elthon ⸀heuriskei ⸀sⱪolazonta sesarōmenon kai kekosmaʸmenon.)
RP-GNT Τότε λέγει, Ἐπιστρέψω εἰς τὸν οἶκόν μου ὅθεν ἐξῆλθον. Καὶ ἐλθὸν εὑρίσκει σχολάζοντα, σεσαρωμένον καὶ κεκοσμημένον.
(Tote legei, Epistrepsō eis ton oikon mou hothen exaʸlthon. Kai elthon heuriskei sⱪolazonta, sesarōmenon kai kekosmaʸmenon.)
TC-GNT Τότε λέγει, [fn]Ἐπιστρέψω εἰς τὸν οἶκόν μου ὅθεν ἐξῆλθον. Καὶ ἐλθὸν εὑρίσκει [fn]σχολάζοντα, σεσαρωμένον καὶ κεκοσμημένον.
(Tote legei, Epistrepsō eis ton oikon mou hothen exaʸlthon. Kai elthon heuriskei sⱪolazonta, sesarōmenon kai kekosmaʸmenon. )
12:44 επιστρεψω εις τον οικον μου ¦ εις τον οικον μου επιστρεψω ANT CT
12:44 σχολαζοντα ¦ σχολαζοντα και ANT WH
Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).
12:22-45 The Messiah was rejected by the Pharisees, the teachers of religious law, and his own generation.
In this section, the conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders increases. Jesus had already said several times that he was someone special. He said that he was greater than the temple (12:6). He said that he was Lord of the Sabbath (12:8). In this section, the religious leaders wanted to see a miraculous sign to confirm that he was really from God.
Jesus rebuked the religious leaders for asking for a sign, and he refused to give them an immediate sign. A sign would come later. It would be the sign of Jonah. By referring to the sign of Jonah, Jesus meant that he would be in the grave three days (12:40) before God resurrected him. He then told two stories and said that he was greater than Jonah and Solomon. Jesus warned them that if they did not recognize God’s work among them, they would be condemned.
Finally, Jesus told a story to warn the religious leaders of the spiritual dangers that faced them if they did not have the Holy Spirit in their lives.
Here are some other possible headings for this section:
The religious leaders ask for a sign/miracle
The sign of Jonah
There is a parallel passage for 12:38–42 in Luke 11:29–32. There is a parallel passage for 12:43–45 in Luke 11:24–26.
This paragraph warns that removing evil from a person’s life is not enough. The person must also fill himself with good. The way that someone fills himself with good is not explicitly mentioned. The implied way is by following Jesus and having the Holy Spirit fill him.
Jesus used the present tense for all the verbs in 12:43–45. The present tense shows that this is a general example: these events commonly happen for this situation. Use the proper tense in your language to show that this is a general example.
Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’
Then it says, ‘I will go back to live in the house I left.’
Then he says to himself, ‘I will go back to the person who was my former house.’
Then it says: The pronoun it refers to the unclean spirit. Here the unclean spirit is talking to itself.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
Then he says to himself
I will return to the house I left: The phrase the house I left is a figure of speech. It refers to the person whom the unclean spirit had been possessing.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
Keep the figure of speech. For example:
I will go back to my house. (GNT) If you follow this option, you may want to include a footnote. Here is a sample footnote:
The unclean spirit refers to the person he possessed/controlled as his “house.”
Explain in the text that the house refers to the person. For example:
I will return to the person who was my house
I will go back to the person in whom I lived/resided
Translate the meaning without using a figure of speech. For example:
I will return to the person I came from. (NLT)
On its return, it finds the house vacant, swept clean, and put in order.
When it arrives, it sees that the house is empty, clean and everything put in its place.
When he returns to the person he had left, he discovers that the person is like a house that is ready for someone to live in. It is empty, clean, and tidy.
On its return: This clause means “when the unclean spirit returns to its house.”
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
When the unclean spirit comes back to its house
When the evil spirit returns to the person whom he had left
it finds: Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
it discovers
he sees that
the house vacant, swept clean, and put in order: This is a metaphor. In this metaphor, the person whom the unclean spirit had left is compared to a house that is vacant, clean, and put in order. The person and the house are similar in that both are ready for someone to come and live in them.
Here are some other ways to translate this metaphor:
Keep the metaphor. For example:
the place empty, clean, and fixed up (CEV)
Change the metaphor to a simile. For example:
the person is like a house that is empty, swept, and put in order
Change the metaphor to a simile and make explicit how the person and the house are similar. For example:
the person is like a house that is empty, cleaned, arranged neatly and ready for someone to live there
no one is living in him. He is like a house that is ready to inhabit. It is empty, clean, and put in order.
vacant: The word vacant indicates that no one is living in the “house.” This word indicates that the person has not asked either a demon or Jesus to live in his inner being and be ruler in his life.
Here are some other ways to translate this word:
no one is living there
vacant
swept clean: This word means to clean the floor by brushing it with a broom.
Here are some other ways to translate this word:
swept (ESV)
clean (GNT)
put in order: This phrase indicates that the things in the house are in their right places. This is another way to describe that the house is ready for someone to live in.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
tidy (REB)
made neat (NCV)
fixed up (GW)
everything is in its proper place
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / quotesinquotes
λέγει, εἰς τὸν οἶκόν μου ἐπιστρέψω ὅθεν ἐξῆλθον & καὶ ἐλθὸν
˱it˲_˓is˒_saying to (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Τότε λέγει εἰς τόν οἶκον μού ἐπιστρέψω ὅθεν ἐξῆλθον Καί ἐλθόν εὑρίσκει σχολάζοντα σεσαρωμένον καί κεκοσμημένον)
If it would be clearer in your language, you could translate this so that there is not a quotation within a quotation. Alternate translation: [it says that it will return to its house from which it came out. And having come]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / exmetaphor
εἰς τὸν οἶκόν μου & ὅθεν ἐξῆλθον
to (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Τότε λέγει εἰς τόν οἶκον μού ἐπιστρέψω ὅθεν ἐξῆλθον Καί ἐλθόν εὑρίσκει σχολάζοντα σεσαρωμένον καί κεκοσμημένον)
Here the demon refers to the person it formerly controlled as if he were its house. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use simile form or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [to the person whom I used to control, who is like a house from which I came out] or [to the man from whom I came out]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / go
ἐλθὸν
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Τότε λέγει εἰς τόν οἶκον μού ἐπιστρέψω ὅθεν ἐξῆλθον Καί ἐλθόν εὑρίσκει σχολάζοντα σεσαρωμένον καί κεκοσμημένον)
In a context such as this, your language might say “gone” instead of come. Alternate translation: [having gone]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / exmetaphor
εὑρίσκει σχολάζοντα σεσαρωμένον καὶ κεκοσμημένον
˱it˲_˓is˒_finding being_unoccupied ˓having_been˒_swept (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Τότε λέγει εἰς τόν οἶκον μού ἐπιστρέψω ὅθεν ἐξῆλθον Καί ἐλθόν εὑρίσκει σχολάζοντα σεσαρωμένον καί κεκοσμημένον)
Here Jesus refers to the person whom the demon formerly controlled as if he were a house that was empty, swept out, and put in order. This means that no one is living in the house, so it is ready for someone to move in. Similarly, the person is not serving or obeying anyone, so he is ready for someone to lead or control him. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use simile form or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [it finds the man like an empty house, having been swept out and put in order] or [it finds that the man is not serving anybody, but he is living a good life]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
σεσαρωμένον καὶ κεκοσμημένον
˓having_been˒_swept (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Τότε λέγει εἰς τόν οἶκον μού ἐπιστρέψω ὅθεν ἐξῆλθον Καί ἐλθόν εὑρίσκει σχολάζοντα σεσαρωμένον καί κεκοσμημένον)
If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you need to say who did the action, you could use an indefinite subject. Alternate translation: [and a person has swept it out and put it in order]