Luke 13:24

13:24 “Exert every effort ¹  to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.

Luke 14:29

14:29 Otherwise, ²  when he has laid ³  a foundation and is not able to finish the tower, ⁴  all who see it ⁵  will begin to make fun of ⁶  him.

Luke 21:15

21:15 For I will give you the words ⁷  along with the wisdom ⁸  that none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict.

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¹ tn Or “Make every effort” (L&N 68.74; cf. NIV); “Do your best” (TEV); “Work hard” (NLT); Grk “Struggle.” The idea is to exert one’s maximum effort (cf. BDAG 17 s.v. ἀγωνίζομαι 2.b, “strain every nerve to enter”) because of the supreme importance of attaining entry into the kingdom of God.

² tn Grk “to complete it, lest.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation and ἵνα μήποτε ({ina mhpote, “lest”) has been translated as “Otherwise.”

³ tn The participle θέντος (qentos) has been taken temporally.

⁴ tn The words “the tower” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

⁵ tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

⁶ tn Or “mock,” “ridicule.” The person who did not plan ahead becomes an object of joking and ridicule.

⁷ tn Grk “a mouth.” It is a metonymy and refers to the reply the Lord will give to them.

⁸ tn Grk “and wisdom.”