Matthew 21:29

The boy answered, ¹  ‘I will not.’ But later he had a change of heart ²  and went.

"‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

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

The son answered, ‘No, I won’t go,’ but later he changed his mind and went anyway.

"The son answered, 'I don't want to.' Later on he thought better of it and went.

And he said in answer, I will not: but later, changing his decision, he went.

He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went.

"He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went.

The boy answered, ¹  ‘I will not.’ But later he had a change of heart ²  and went.

¹ tn Grk “And answering, he said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here the referent (“the boy”) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

² tn The Greek text reads here μεταμέλομαι (metamelomai): “to change one’s mind about something, with the probable implication of regret” (L&N 31.59); cf. also BDAG 639 s.v. The idea in this context involves more than just a change of mind, for the son regrets his initial response. The same verb is used in v. 32.