13And behold, two of them were traveling on that same day to a village sixty stadia from Jerusalem called Emmaus. [24:14] They were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. [24:15] While they were talking and reasoning together, Jesus himself drew near and was traveling with them. [24:16] But their eyes were being held, so that they did not recognize him. [24:17] Jesus said to them: "What are these words you are exchanging with each other as you walk?" And they stood still, their faces downcast. [24:18] One of them, named Cleopas, answered him: "Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who has not known the things that happened there in these days?" [24:19] Jesus said to them: "What things?" They said to him: "The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, [24:20] and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him to be condemned to death and crucified him. [24:21] But we were hoping that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. Moreover, along with all this, this is the third day since these things happened. [24:22] Also, some women from our group astonished us — they were at the tomb early [24:23] and did not find his body. They came saying they had also seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. [24:24] Some of those with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see." [24:25] Jesus said to them: "Foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets spoke! [24:26] Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into his glory?" [24:27] And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted for them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. [24:28] They drew near to the village where they were going, and he acted as though he were going farther. [24:29] But they constrained him strongly, saying: "Stay with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is now far spent." And he went in to stay with them. [24:30] As he was reclining with them, taking the bread he blessed it and broke it and gave it to them. [24:31] Their eyes were opened and they recognized him — and he vanished from their sight. [24:32] They said to each other: "Were not our hearts burning within us while he was speaking to us on the road, while he was opening the Scriptures to us?" [24:33] Rising that same hour, they returned to Jerusalem and found the Eleven gathered together and those with them, [24:34] saying: "The Lord has truly risen and has appeared to Simon!" [24:35] Then they recounted what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
LUK 24:13-35
The Road to Emmaus
In the world it was spoken into
In the first-century Jewish context, the journey to Emmaus would have been understood as a moment of profound disorientation and grief. The two travelers, Cleopas and his companion, were likely returning home after the Passover festival in Jerusalem, their hearts heavy with the recent execution of Jesus, whom they had hoped would redeem Israel. The distance of sixty stadia (about seven miles) was a common day’s journey, often undertaken in groups for safety. Their conversation reflects the confusion and despair of those who had witnessed Jesus’ death but had not yet grasped the resurrection. The stranger’s rebuke, calling them 'foolish' , would have resonated with Jewish expectations of the Messiah, rooted in the Scriptures. The breaking of bread, a familiar communal act, became the moment of recognition, echoing Jesus’ earlier meals with his disciples. The sudden disappearance of Jesus underscored the supernatural nature of the encounter, leaving them awestruck and compelled to share the news.
›See the receipts
How other translations render this
LUK 24:13
- KJV
- And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.
- BSB
- That same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.
- Koinōnos
- And behold, two of them were traveling on that same day to a village sixty stadia from Jerusalem called Emmaus.
LUK 24:14
- KJV
- And they talked together of all these things which had happened.
- BSB
- They were talking with each other about everything that had happened.
- Koinōnos
- They were talking with each other about all these things that had happened.
LUK 24:15
- KJV
- And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
- BSB
- And as they talked and deliberated, Jesus Himself came up and walked along with them.
- Koinōnos
- While they were talking and reasoning together, Jesus himself drew near and was traveling with them.
LUK 24:16
- KJV
- But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.
- BSB
- But their eyes were kept from recognizing Him.
- Koinōnos
- But their eyes were being held, so that they did not recognize him.
LUK 24:17
- KJV
- And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?
- BSB
- He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?” They stood still, with sadness on their faces.
- Koinōnos
- Jesus said to them: "What are these words you are exchanging with each other as you walk?" And they stood still, their faces downcast.
LUK 24:18
- KJV
- And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?
- BSB
- One of them, named Cleopas, asked Him, “Are You the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in recent days?”
- Koinōnos
- One of them, named Cleopas, answered him: "Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who has not known the things that happened there in these days?
LUK 24:19
- KJV
- And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:
- BSB
- “What things?” He asked. “The events involving Jesus of Nazareth,” they answered. “This man was a prophet, powerful in speech and action before God and all the people.
- Koinōnos
- Jesus said to them: "What things?" They said to him: "The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,
LUK 24:20
- KJV
- And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.
- BSB
- Our chief priests and rulers delivered Him up to the sentence of death, and they crucified Him.
- Koinōnos
- and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him to be condemned to death and crucified him.
LUK 24:21
- KJV
- But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.
- BSB
- But we were hoping He was the One who would redeem Israel. And besides all this, it is the third day since these things took place.
- Koinōnos
- But we were hoping that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. Moreover, along with all this, this is the third day since these things happened.
LUK 24:22
- KJV
- Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;
- BSB
- Furthermore, some of our women astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning,
- Koinōnos
- Also, some women from our group astonished us — they were at the tomb early
LUK 24:23
- KJV
- And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.
- BSB
- but they did not find His body. They came and told us they had seen a vision of angels, who said that Jesus was alive.
- Koinōnos
- and did not find his body. They came saying they had also seen a vision of angels who said he was alive.
LUK 24:24
- KJV
- And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.
- BSB
- Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had described. But Him they did not see.”
- Koinōnos
- Some of those with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.
LUK 24:25
- KJV
- Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
- BSB
- Then Jesus said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!
- Koinōnos
- Jesus said to them: "Foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets spoke!
LUK 24:26
- KJV
- Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
- BSB
- Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and then to enter His glory?”
- Koinōnos
- Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into his glory?
LUK 24:27
- KJV
- And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
- BSB
- And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was written in all the Scriptures about Himself.
- Koinōnos
- And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted for them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
LUK 24:28
- KJV
- And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further.
- BSB
- As they approached the village where they were headed, He seemed to be going farther.
- Koinōnos
- They drew near to the village where they were going, and he acted as though he were going farther.
LUK 24:29
- KJV
- But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.
- BSB
- But they pleaded with Him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” So He went in to stay with them.
- Koinōnos
- But they constrained him strongly, saying: "Stay with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is now far spent." And he went in to stay with them.
LUK 24:30
- KJV
- And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.
- BSB
- While He was reclining at the table with them, He took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to them.
- Koinōnos
- As he was reclining with them, taking the bread he blessed it and broke it and gave it to them.
LUK 24:31
- KJV
- And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.
- BSB
- Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Jesus—and He disappeared from their sight.
- Koinōnos
- Their eyes were opened and they recognized him — and he vanished from their sight.
LUK 24:32
- KJV
- And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
- BSB
- They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us as He spoke with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
- Koinōnos
- They said to each other: "Were not our hearts burning within us while he was speaking to us on the road, while he was opening the Scriptures to us?
LUK 24:33
- KJV
- And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,
- BSB
- And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, gathered together
- Koinōnos
- Rising that same hour, they returned to Jerusalem and found the Eleven gathered together and those with them,
LUK 24:34
- KJV
- Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.
- BSB
- and saying, “The Lord has indeed risen and has appeared to Simon!”
- Koinōnos
- saying: "The Lord has truly risen and has appeared to Simon!
LUK 24:35
- KJV
- And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.
- BSB
- Then the two told what had happened on the road, and how they had recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread.
- Koinōnos
- Then they recounted what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Where the historical framing draws from
- Josephus, AntiquitiesAntiquities 18.3.3
›Josephus, Antiquities Antiquities 18.3.3
“And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, 9 those that loved him at the first did not forsake him”
Cited to ground: The two travelers, Cleopas and his companion, were likely returning home after the Passover festival in Jerusalem, their hearts heavy with the recent execution of Jesus
Translator's notes
LUK 24:16
- were held:The word translated 'were held' implies a strong, active restraint, suggesting their eyes were not merely unable to see, but were being actively prevented from recognizing him.
LUK 24:25
- foolish:The term translated 'foolish' here refers to a lack of understanding or perception, particularly in spiritual matters, rather than a general lack of intelligence.
LUK 24:29
- they constrained:The word translated 'they constrained' suggests a strong, insistent urging or even a gentle forcefulness, indicating they pressed him firmly to stay, not just politely invited him.
LUK 24:31
- vanished:The word translated 'vanished' literally means to become invisible or to disappear completely, emphasizing the sudden and complete nature of his departure from their sight.