Luke 17:33
New International Version
Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.

New Living Translation
If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it.

English Standard Version
Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.

Berean Standard Bible
Whoever tries to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it.

Berean Literal Bible
Whoever may seek to save his life will lose it; but whoever will lose it will preserve it.

King James Bible
Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.

New King James Version
Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.

New American Standard Bible
Whoever strives to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will keep it.

NASB 1995
“Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.

NASB 1977
“Whoever seeks to keep his life shall lose it, and whoever loses his life shall preserve it.

Legacy Standard Bible
Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.

Amplified Bible
Whoever seeks to save his life will [eventually] lose it [through death], and whoever loses his life [in this world] will keep it [from the consequences of sin and separation from God].

Christian Standard Bible
Whoever tries to make his life secure will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Whoever tries to make his life secure will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.

American Standard Version
Whosoever shall seek to gain his life shall lose it: but whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“Whoever chooses to save his life shall lose it, and whoever will lose his life shall find it.”

Contemporary English Version
People who try to save their lives will lose them, and those who lose their lives will save them.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Whosoever shall seek to save his life, shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose it, shall preserve it.

English Revised Version
Whosoever shall seek to gain his life shall lose it: but whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Those who try to save their lives will lose them, and those who lose their lives will save them.

Good News Translation
Those who try to save their own life will lose it; those who lose their life will save it.

International Standard Version
Whoever tries to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it.

Literal Standard Version
Whoever may seek to save his life, will lose it; and whoever may lose it, will preserve it.

Majority Standard Bible
Whoever tries to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it.

New American Bible
Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it.

NET Bible
Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it.

New Revised Standard Version
Those who try to make their life secure will lose it, but those who lose their life will keep it.

New Heart English Bible
Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will preserve it.

Webster's Bible Translation
Whoever shall seek to save his life, shall lose it; and whoever shall lose his life, shall preserve it.

Weymouth New Testament
Any man who makes it his object to keep his own life safe, will lose it; but whoever loses his life will preserve it.

World English Bible
Whoever seeks to save his life loses it, but whoever loses his life preserves it.

Young's Literal Translation
Whoever may seek to save his life, shall lose it; and whoever may lose it, shall preserve it.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Coming of the Kingdom
32Remember Lot’s wife! 33Whoever tries to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it. 34I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed: one will be taken and the other left.…

Cross References
Matthew 10:39
Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

Mark 8:35
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and for the gospel will save it.

Luke 9:24
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.

Luke 17:34
I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed: one will be taken and the other left.

John 12:25
Whoever loves his life will lose it, but whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.


Treasury of Scripture

Whoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.

Luke 9:24,25
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it…

Matthew 10:39
He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

Matthew 16:25
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

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Attempt Gain Gives Life Makes Object Preserve Preserves Safe Save Seek Seeks Tries
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Attempt Gain Gives Life Makes Object Preserve Preserves Safe Save Seek Seeks Tries
Luke 17
1. Jesus teaches to avoid occasions of offense;
3. and to forgive one another.
5. The power of faith.
6. How we are bound to God.
11. Jesus heals ten lepers.
22. Of the kingdom of God, and the coming of the Son of Man.














(33) Whosoever shall seek to save his life.--The better MSS. give a word which is rendered elsewhere by "purchase" (Acts 20:28; 1Timothy 3:13), and perhaps always suggests, as the other word for "save" does not suggest, the idea of some transaction of the kind. So here, the man must purchase, as it were, his lower life at the price of the higher, and he will be a loser by the bargain.

Shall preserve it.--Here, again, the English verb is weak. Better, shall give life to it. The same Greek word occurs in the better MSS. of 1Timothy 6:13, and is there rendered by "quicken," and in its passive form in Acts 7:49, where it should be translated preserved alive, and this is clearly the meaning here. The man who is content to risk his natural life shall gain a life of a higher spiritual order.

Verse 33. - Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. Very deep must have been the impression which this saying made upon the early Church. So literally did many interpret it, that the wiser and more thoughtful men in the congregations during the days of persecution had often to prevent persons of both sexes recklessly throwing away their lives in the conflict with the Roman authorities. Very many in the first three centuries positively courted martyrdom.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Whoever
ὃς (hos)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that.

tries
ζητήσῃ (zētēsē)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2212: To seek, search for, desire, require, demand. Of uncertain affinity; to seek; specially, to worship, or to plot.

to save
περιποιήσασθαι (peripoiēsasthai)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Middle
Strong's 4046: To acquire, earn, purchase, make my own, preserve alive.

his
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

life
ψυχὴν (psychēn)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5590: From psucho; breath, i.e. spirit, abstractly or concretely.

will lose
ἀπολέσει (apolesei)
Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 622: From apo and the base of olethros; to destroy fully, literally or figuratively.

it,
αὐτήν (autēn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

but
δ’ (d’)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

whoever
ὃς (hos)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that.

loses [his life]
ἀπολέσῃ (apolesē)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 622: From apo and the base of olethros; to destroy fully, literally or figuratively.

will preserve
ζωογονήσει (zōogonēsei)
Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2225: From the same as zoon and a derivative of ginomai; to engender alive, i.e. to rescue from death.

it.
αὐτήν (autēn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.


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NT Gospels: Luke 17:33 Whoever seeks to save his life loses (Luke Lu Lk)
Luke 17:32
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