But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.
Parallel translations
- WEB I tell you that every idle word that men speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.
- KJV But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
- NKJV But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.
- NASB But I tell you that for every careless word that people speak, they will give an account of it on the day of judgment.
- NLT And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak.
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 warns that people will give account on judgment day for every careless word they speak.
Overview
Even idle, unguarded words reveal the heart and so come under God's righteous scrutiny. This sobering truth underscores human accountability before God. It drives sinners to seek the forgiveness and cleansing found only in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Eccl 12:14For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.
- Rom 2:16on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Christ Jesus, as proclaimed by my gospel.
- Rev 20:12And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. And there were open books, and one of them was the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their deeds, as recorded in the books.
- Jude 1:14–15Enoch, the seventh from Adam, also prophesied about them: “Behold, the Lord is coming with myriads of His holy ones
- Eph 6:4–6Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath; instead, bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 12:36 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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