When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison.
Parallel translations
- WEB For when you are going with your adversary before the magistrate, try diligently on the way to be released from him, lest perhaps he drag you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.
- BSB Make every effort to reconcile with your adversary while you are on your way to the magistrate. Otherwise, he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and the officer may throw you into prison.
- NKJV When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort along the way to settle with him, lest he drag you to the judge, the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.
- NASB For when you are going with your accuser to appear before the magistrate, on the way, make an effort to settle with him, so that he does not drag you before the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.
- NLT When you are on the way to court with your accuser, try to settle the matter before you get there. Otherwise, your accuser may drag you before the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, who will throw you into prison.
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
When headed to court with an accuser, settle on the way before judgment falls. Wise urgency in reconciliation pictures the need to make peace with God now.
Overview
Using a legal scenario, Jesus urges practical wisdom: settle disputes before they reach the judge and lead to imprisonment. Spiritually, this is an appeal to be reconciled to God urgently, before the day of judgment arrives. The verse warns that the time to seek mercy is now, while opportunity remains, pointing to the reconciliation found only in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 18
- Matt 5:23–26Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
- Prov 25:8–9Go not forth hastily to strive, lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame.
- Job 23:7There the righteous might dispute with him; so should I be delivered for ever from my judge.
- Luke 13:24–28Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
- Isa 55:6Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
- Ps 32:6For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.
- Prov 6:1–5My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,
- Ps 50:22Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.
- Luke 14:31–32Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
- Matt 18:30And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
- Heb 3:7–13Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,
- Job 22:21Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.
- 1 Sam 25:18–35Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses.
- Gen 32:3–28And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom.
- 2 Cor 6:2(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
- Job 36:17–18But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked: judgment and justice take hold on thee.
- 1 Pet 3:19By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
- Rev 20:7And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
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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 12:58 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
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