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Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming close to him to hear him.
Luke 15:1 · World English Bible
Parallel translations
  • KJV Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.
  • BSB Now all the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around to listen to Jesus.
  • NKJV Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him.
  • NASB Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near Jesus to listen to Him.
  • NLT Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach.

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.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 8

  • 1 Tim 1:15The saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
  • Matt 9:10–13As he sat in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples.
  • Luke 5:29–32Levi made a great feast for him in his house. There was a great crowd of tax collectors and others who were reclining with them.
  • Matt 21:28–31But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first, and said, ‘Son, go work today in my vineyard.’
  • Ezek 18:27Again, when the wicked man turns away from his wickedness that he has committed, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.
  • Rom 5:20The law came in besides, that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace abounded more exceedingly;
  • Luke 7:29When all the people and the tax collectors heard this, they declared God to be just, having been baptized with John’s baptism.
  • Luke 13:30Behold, there are some who are last who will be first, and there are some who are first who will be last.”

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (2)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Luke videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Luke 15:1YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on LukeMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

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 15:1 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.