Jesus answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things,
Parallel translations
- KJV And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
- BSB “Martha, Martha,” the Lord replied, “you are worried and upset about many things.
- NKJV And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.
- NASB But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things;
- NLT But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details!
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus gently names Martha's anxious, troubled state over many concerns. He addresses the heart behind her busyness.
Overview
The repeated 'Martha, Martha' conveys both affection and concern. Jesus diagnoses not her serving itself but the worry and inner turmoil driving it. He calls her from scattered anxiety toward settled trust and attentiveness.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Phil 4:6In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
- Mark 4:19and the cares of this age, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
- Luke 21:34“So be careful, or your hearts will be loaded down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day will come on you suddenly.
- Matt 6:25–34Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
- Luke 8:14That which fell among the thorns, these are those who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.
- Luke 12:22He said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life, what you will eat, nor yet for your body, what you will wear.
- 1 Cor 7:32–35But I desire to have you to be free from cares. He who is unmarried is concerned for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord;
- Eccl 6:11For there are many words that create vanity. What does that profit man?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 10:41 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.