And he said to them, “Collect no more than what you have been ordered to.”
Parallel translations
- WEB He said to them, “Collect no more than that which is appointed to you.”
- KJV And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.
- BSB “Collect no more than you are authorized,” he answered.
- NKJV And he said to them, “Collect no more than what is appointed for you.”
- NLT He replied, “Collect no more taxes than the government requires.”
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
John tells tax collectors to collect no more than what is appointed—to stop overcharging. Repentance means abandoning the specific sins of one's calling.
Overview
Rather than telling tax collectors to abandon their occupation, John commands honesty: take only what is owed. True repentance does not require fleeing ordinary life but renouncing the sin within it. Justice and integrity in daily work are fruits worthy of repentance.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Luke 19:8Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my goods I give to the poor. If I have wrongfully exacted anything of anyone, I restore four times as much.”
- Eph 4:28Let him who stole steal no more; but rather let him labor, producing with his hands something that is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need.
- Isa 1:16–17Wash yourselves, make yourself clean. Put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes. Cease to do evil.
- 1 Cor 6:10nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortionists, will inherit God’s Kingdom.
- Mic 6:8He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does Yahweh require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
- Matt 7:12Therefore whatever you desire for men to do to you, you shall also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets.
- Titus 2:11–12For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,
- Prov 28:13He who conceals his sins doesn’t prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
- Isa 55:6–7Seek Yahweh while he may be found. Call on him while he is near.
- Ps 18:23I was also blameless with him. I kept myself from my iniquity.
- Heb 12:1Therefore let us also, seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us,
- Ezek 18:21–22“But if the wicked turns from all his sins that he has committed, and keeps all my statutes, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live. He shall not die.
- Ezek 18:27–28Again, 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.
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 3:13 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.