Luke 13:24
New International Version
“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.

New Living Translation
“Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail.

English Standard Version
“Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

Berean Standard Bible
“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able.

Berean Literal Bible
"Strive to enter in through the narrow door; for many, I say to you, will seek to enter in, and will not be able.

King James Bible
Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

New King James Version
“Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

New American Standard Bible
“Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

NASB 1995
“Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

NASB 1977
“Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

Legacy Standard Bible
“Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

Amplified Bible
“Strive to enter through the narrow door [force aside unbelief and the attractions of sin]; for many, I tell you, will try to enter [by their own works] and will not be able.

Christian Standard Bible
“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because I tell you, many will try to enter and won’t be able

Holman Christian Standard Bible
“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because I tell you, many will try to enter and won’t be able

American Standard Version
Strive to enter in by the narrow door: for many, I say unto you, shall seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But Yeshua said to them, “Strive hard to enter the narrow gate, for I say to you, many shall seek to enter and they shall not be able.”

Contemporary English Version
Do all you can to go in by the narrow door! A lot of people will try to get in, but will not be able to.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Strive to enter by the narrow gate; for many, I say to you, shall seek to enter, and shall not be able.

English Revised Version
Strive to enter in by the narrow door: for many, I say unto you, shall seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Try hard to enter through the narrow door. I can guarantee that many will try to enter, but they won't succeed.

Good News Translation
"Do your best to go in through the narrow door; because many people will surely try to go in but will not be able.

International Standard Version
"Keep on struggling to enter through the narrow door, because I tell you that many people will try to enter, but won't be able to do so.

Literal Standard Version
“Be striving to go in through the straight gate, because many, I say to you, will seek to go in, and will not be able;

Majority Standard Bible
“Make every effort to enter through the narrow gate. For many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able.

New American Bible
“Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.

NET Bible
"Exert every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.

New Revised Standard Version
“Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able.

New Heart English Bible
"Strive to enter in by the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will seek to enter in, and will not be able.

Webster's Bible Translation
Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say to you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

Weymouth New Testament
"Strain every nerve to force your way in through the narrow gate," He answered; "for multitudes, I tell you, will endeavour to find a way in and will not succeed.

World English Bible
“Strive to enter in by the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will seek to enter in and will not be able.

Young's Literal Translation
'Be striving to go in through the straight gate, because many, I say to you, will seek to go in, and shall not be able;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Narrow Door
23“Lord,” someone asked Him, “will only a few people be saved?” Jesus answered, 24“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able. 25After the master of the house gets up and shuts the door, you will stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Lord, open the door for us.’ But he will reply, ‘I do not know where you are from.’…

Cross References
Matthew 7:13
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

Luke 13:23
"Lord," someone asked Him, "will only a few people be saved?" Jesus answered,


Treasury of Scripture

Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say to you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

Strive.

Luke 21:36
Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Genesis 32:25,26
And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him…

Matthew 11:12
And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.

the strait.

Matthew 7:13,14
Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: …

for.

Proverbs 1:24-28
Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; …

Proverbs 14:6
A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth.

Proverbs 21:25
The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.

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Able Attempt Best Door Effort Endeavour Enter Find Force Gate Multitudes Narrow Seek Straight Strain Strait Strive Striving Succeed Try Way
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Able Attempt Best Door Effort Endeavour Enter Find Force Gate Multitudes Narrow Seek Straight Strain Strait Strive Striving Succeed Try Way
Luke 13
1. Jesus preaches repentance upon the punishment of the Galilaeans and others.
6. The fruitless fig tree may not stand.
10. He heals the crooked woman;
18. shows the powerful working of the word, by the parable of the grain of mustard seed,
20. and of leaven;
22. exhorts to enter in at the strait gate;
31. and reproves Herod and Jerusalem.














(24) Strive to enter in at the strait gate.--See Notes on Matthew 7:13-14. Another instance of general teaching adapted to a special occasion. We note, however, the variation, "strive to enter in"--i.e., struggle as the wrestler struggles (the word being the same as that in 1Corinthians 9:25; 1Timothy 6:12), instead of the simple "enter ye in," and the compression of the whole illustration.

Verse 24. - Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. The Master, as was frequently his custom, gave no direct answer to his questioner, but his teaching which immediately follows contained the answer to the query. The older authorities, in place of "at the strait gate," read "through the narrow door." The meaning of the image, however, is the same, whichever reading be adopted. The image was not a new one. It had been used before by the Lord, perhaps more than once (see Matthew 7:13, 14), and not improbably had been suggested by some town or fortress hard by the spot where he was teaching - a fort on a hill with a narrow road winding up to a narrow door. In the rabbinical schools he frequented in his youth, he might, too, have heard some adaptation of the beautiful allegory known as the 'Tablet' of Cebes, the disciple of Socrates: "Dost thou not perceive a narrow door, and a pathway before the door, in no way crowded, but few, very few, go in thereat?" The teaching of the Master here is, that the door of salvation is a narrow one, and, to pass through it, the man must strive in real earnest. "See," he seems to say; "if only few are saved, it will not be because the Jews are few and the Gentile nations many, but because, of the Jews and Gentiles, only a few really strive. Something different from race or national privileges will be the test at that narrow door which leads to life. "Many will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." The reason for the exclusion of these many is to be sought in themselves. They wished to enter in, but confined themselves to wishes. They made no strong, vigorous efforts. Theirs was no life of stern self-surrender, of painful self-sacrifice. To wish to pass through that narrow door is not enough.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
“Make every effort
Ἀγωνίζεσθε (Agōnizesthe)
Verb - Present Imperative Middle or Passive - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 75: From agon; to struggle, literally, figuratively, or genitive case.

to enter
εἰσελθεῖν (eiselthein)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 1525: To go in, come in, enter. From eis and erchomai; to enter.

through
διὰ (dia)
Preposition
Strong's 1223: A primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through.

the
τῆς (tēs)
Article - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

narrow
στενῆς (stenēs)
Adjective - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 4728: Narrow, strait. Probably from the base of histemi; narrow.

door.
θύρας (thyras)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 2374: (a) a door, (b) met: an opportunity. Apparently a primary word; a portal or entrance.

For
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

many,
πολλοί (polloi)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 4183: Much, many; often.

I tell
λέγω (legō)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 3004: (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.

you,
ὑμῖν (hymin)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

will try
ζητήσουσιν (zētēsousin)
Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2212: To seek, search for, desire, require, demand. Of uncertain affinity; to seek; specially, to worship, or to plot.

to enter
εἰσελθεῖν (eiselthein)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 1525: To go in, come in, enter. From eis and erchomai; to enter.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

will not be able.
ἰσχύσουσιν (ischysousin)
Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2480: To have strength, be strong, be in full health and vigor, be able; meton: I prevail. From ischus; to have force.


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NT Gospels: Luke 13:24 Strive to enter in by the narrow (Luke Lu Lk)
Luke 13:23
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