Matthew 11:17 - An Understandable Version (2005 edition)

¹⁷ ‘We [pretended like we] were making music [at a wedding] but you did not dance; we [pretended like we] were wailing [at a funeral] but you did not beat your chest [in mourning].’

More versions

King James Version (Oxford) 1769

¹⁷ and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.

Amplified Bible - Classic Edition

¹⁷ We piped to you [playing wedding], and you did not dance; we wailed dirges [playing funeral], and you did not mourn and beat your breasts and weep aloud.

American Standard Version (1901)

¹⁷ and say, We piped unto you, and ye did not dance; we wailed, and ye did not mourn.

Common English Bible

¹⁷ ‘We played the flute for you and you didn’t dance. We sang a funeral song and you didn’t mourn.’

Catholic Public Domain Version

¹⁷ who, calling out to their companions, say: 'We played music for you, and you did not dance. We lamented, and you did not mourn.'

Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version

¹⁷ Who crying to their companions say: We have piped to you, and you have not danced: we have lamented, and you have not mourned.

Matthew 11:17 Cross References

Matthew 11:16

“But what should I compare the people of this generation with? They are like children sitting in the open shopping market, who call out to their playmates,

Matthew 11:18

For when John came, he did not eat or drink [on festive occasions] and people said, ‘He is dominated by an evil spirit.’

Matthew 9:15

Jesus said to them, “Can the groomsmen act sadly while the groom is still with them? But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

Matthew 9:23

When Jesus went into the leader [of the synagogue’s] house, He saw musicians [playing a funeral dirge] and the crowd carrying on [in mournful wails].

Luke 15:25

Now the father’s older son was [out] in the field. And when he came in and got close to the house he heard music and dancing.

Luke 23:27

A large crowd of people followed Jesus, including some women who wailed [in grief] and mourned over His plight.

Luke 7:32

They are like children sitting in the open shopping market, calling to one another, saying, ‘We [pretended we] were making music [at a wedding] but you did not dance; we [pretended we] were wailing [at a funeral] but you did not cry [along with us].’

Luke 8:52

And all the people [in the house] were crying and beating their chests in mourning, so Jesus said [to them], “Do not cry, for the girl is not [really] dead but [only] sleeping.”