Matthew 21:32 - An Understandable Version (2005 edition)

³² For John came to show you the way to be right with God, but you would not believe his message. Yet the tax collectors and prostitutes believed it, and when you saw this, even then you did not change your minds so as to believe his message.

More versions

King James Version (Oxford) 1769

³² For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

Amplified Bible - Classic Edition

³² For John came to you walking in the way of an upright man in right standing with God, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the harlots did believe him; and you, even when you saw that, did not afterward change your minds and believe him [adhere to, trust in, and rely on what he told you].

American Standard Version (1901)

³² For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not; but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye saw it, did not even repent yourselves afterward, that ye might believe him.

Common English Bible

³² For John came to you on the righteous road, and you didn’t believe him. But tax collectors and prostitutes believed him. Yet even after you saw this, you didn’t change your hearts and lives and you didn’t believe him.

Catholic Public Domain Version

³² For John came to you in the way of justice, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. Yet even after seeing this, you did not repent, so as to believe him.

Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version

³² For John came to you in the way of justice, and you did not believe him. But the publicans and the harlots believed him: but you, seeing it, did not even afterwards repent, that you might believe him.

Matthew 21:32 Cross References

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 21:25

Where did the immersion of John come from? From heaven or from men?” And they discussed this among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘from heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe his message?’

Matthew 21:31

Which of these two sons did what his father wanted?” They answered, “The first one.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, tax collectors and prostitutes [will] enter the kingdom of God ahead of you.

Matthew 5:46

For if you love [only] those who love you, what reward will you get for that? Do not even the publicans [Note: These were people with a bad reputation for their dishonest tax collecting activities] do that much?

2 Timothy 2:25

[He must] gently correct those people who oppose [him], in hope that God will give them [opportunity for] repentance, leading to a [full] knowledge of the truth,

Hebrews 3:12

Pay attention, brothers, so that there will not be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, [resulting] in falling away from the living God.

2 Peter 2:21

It would have been better for them if they had not known the right way [to God] than, after knowing it, to turn back from the sacred message that had been presented to them.

Revelation 2:21

And I gave her time to repent, but she refused to repent of her sexual immorality.