Matthew 21:32 nasb — "For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes d…

NASB

""For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him."

— Matthew 21:32, NASB

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Matthew 21:32 in Other Translations

7 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.”

  • ASV

    “For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not; but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye saw it, did not even repent yourselves afterward, that ye might believe him. ”

  • WEB

    “For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you didn't believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. When you saw it, you didn't even repent afterward, that you might believe him.”

  • NET

    “For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe. Although you saw this, you did not later change your minds and believe him.”

  • DRB

    “For John came to you in the way of justice: and you did not believe him. But the publicans and the harlots believed him: but you, seeing it, did not even afterwards repent, that you might believe him.”

  • BBE

    “For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you had no faith in him, but the tax-farmers and the loose women had faith in him: and you, when you saw it, did not even have regret for your sins, so as to have faith in him.”

  • KJVA

    “For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.”

Matthew 21 — Context

29

"And he answered, 'I will not'; but afterward he regretted it and went.

30

"The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, 'I will, sir'; but he did not go.

31

"Which of the two did the will of his father?" They *said, "The first." Jesus *said to them, "Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you.

32

"For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.

33

"Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who PLANTED A VINEYARD AND PUT A WALL AROUND IT AND DUG A WINE PRESS IN IT, AND BUILT A TOWER, and rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey.

34

"When the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his produce.

35

"The vine-growers took his slaves and beat one, and killed another, and stoned a third.

Matthew 21:32 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Matthew 21:32 say?
Matthew 21:32 in the NASB reads: “"For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.”
Where is Matthew 21:32 in the Bible?
Matthew 21:32 is found in the New Testament, in the book of Matthew, chapter 21, verse 32.
Who wrote Matthew?
Matthew is traditionally attributed to Matthew (Levi), tax-collector turned apostle. It was written c. AD 50–70.
What is the book of Matthew about?
Matthew presents Jesus as the long-awaited Jewish Messiah — son of David, son of Abraham, fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. Structured around five great teaching blocks including the Sermon on the Mount, it ends with the risen King commissioning his disciples to make disciples of all nations.
What are the major themes of Matthew?
Matthew explores themes including Kingdom of Heaven, Messiah, Fulfillment, Discipleship, Great Commission. These themes shape the meaning and context of Matthew 21:32.
What translation should I read Matthew 21:32 in?
Matthew 21:32 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Matthew 21:32?
Matthew 21:32 reads (NASB): “"For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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