Matthew 25:43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in:

A parable about the final judgment of the sheep and the goats.

KJV

Matthew 25:43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

NIV

Matthew 25:43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

LISTENERS HEARD

A refugee, and you didn't really gather me in. Naked and you didn't really wrap around me. Sickly and under guard and you didn't really watch me.

MY TAKE

When there are things that need doing, we should be doing them.

GREEK (Each Word Explained Bottom of Page)

LOST IN TRANSLATION

The vocabulary here is a combination of that in Matthew 25:35 and Matthew 25:34 with the addition of the negative of fact into the statements, but the words that were chosen from those verses accentuate the idea of turning away and not wanting to see.

CW - Confusing Word -- The "took" is not the common word usually translated as "took."
CW - Confusing Word -- The "in" is not the common prefix usually translated as "in."

CW - Confusing Word -- The "invited" is not the common word usually translated as "took."
CW - Confusing Word -- The "in" is not the common prefix usually translated as "in."

IW - Inserted Word -- The word "I needed" doesn't exist in the source.
WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "clothes" should be something more like "naked."
WF - Wrong Form - The "to" is not from the verb form but a preposition.
IW - Inserted Word -- The word "visit" doesn't exist in the source.

EACH WORD of KJV

I -- This is from the first-person, singular form of the verb.

was -- The verb "was" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition.

a -- There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a word doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.

stranger, " - Stranger" is not the common word for "stranger" that has more of the sense of "foreign." It is a more specific noun which means "guest-friend," specifically meaning someone who should receive hospitality, so a "stranger," or "refugee." However, the word also means some that is a "stranger to a thing," "ignorant of a thing," and "unusual."

and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also").

ye -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.

took - (CW) The Greek word translated as "took...in" means "to bring together." It has many different uses, but Jesus often uses it as "gather crops," that is, the opposite of scattering, as in, scattering seeds. However, it also means "make friends of" which makes perfect sense here.

me -- The "me" is in the indirect object form on the first-person pronoun, so usually "to me," though the form has other uses in Greek.

not -- -- The Greek word translated as "not" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It means "no," "not," or"no truly."

in: -- (CW) This finishes the concept of the verb but the prefix does not mean "in" but "together."

Naked, The word for "naked" means both "naked" and "destitute." It also means bald and beardless.

and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also").

ye -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.

clothed - The word for "clothed" means "to put on" or "put around." It is a word Christ uses fairly common to refer to putting on clothes, starting with Solomon being compared to the lilies of the field.

me: -- "Me" is the regular first-person pronoun in Greek as the object of the verb or preposition.

not -- -- The Greek word translated as "not" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It means "no," "not," or"no truly."

I -- This is from the first-person, singular form of the verb.

was sick, - The word used for "was sick" is also an uncommon verb despite all of Jesus's work healing, he only uses it once before. It means "to be weak or sickly."

and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also").

in -- The word translated as "in" also means "within," "with," or "among."

prison, - "Prison" is a word that means a "watcher," "guard," "chain," "keeper," and "a place where people are watched." Jesus uses it to clearly mean prison elsewhere, but the play on words is against the positive way of being "watched over."

and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also").

ye -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.

visited -- (WW) "Visited" is another uncommon word, and it doesn't really mean "visited." The concept is more "look in on" or "watch over" than visiting someone in the hospital.

me: -- "Me" is the regular first-person pronoun in Greek as the object of the verb or preposition.

not -- -- The Greek word translated as "not" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It means "no," "not," or"no truly."

EACH WORD of NIV

I -- This is from the first-person, singular form of the verb.

was -- The verb "was" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition.

a -- There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a word doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.

stranger, " - Stranger" is not the common word for "stranger" that has more of the sense of "foreign." It is a more specific noun which means "guest-friend," specifically meaning someone who should receive hospitality, so a "stranger," or "refugee." However, the word also means some that is a "stranger to a thing," "ignorant of a thing," and "unusual."

and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also").

you -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.

did - This helping verb is used to create questions, commands, negative statements, and smooth word flow in English, but the Greek could be either a question or a statement.

not -- -- The Greek word translated as "not" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It means "no," "not," or"no truly."

invited - (CW) The Greek word translated as "invited ...in" means "to bring together." It has many different uses, but it Jesus often uses it as "gather crops," that is, the opposite of scattering, as in, scattering seeds. However, it also means "make friends of" which makes perfect sense here.

me -- The "me" is in the indirect object form on the first-person pronoun, so usually "to me," though the form has other uses in Greek.

in: -- (CW) This finishes the concept of the verb but the prefix does not mean "in" but "together."

I needed -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "I needed" in the Greek source.

clothes ,(WW) The word for "clothes " means both "naked" and "destitute." It also means bald and beardless.

and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also").

you -- This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.

did - This helping verb is used to create questions, commands, negative statements, and smooth word flow in English, but the Greek could be either a question or a statement.

not -- -- The Greek word translated as "not" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It means "no," "not," or"no truly."

clothe - The word for "clothed" means "to put on" or "put around." It is a word Christ uses fairly commonly to refer to putting on clothes, starting with Solomon being compared to the lilies of the field.