^5:12For though you should in fact be teachers by this time,¹⁹ you need someone to teach you the beginning elements of God’s utterances.²⁰ You have gone back to needing²¹ milk, not²² solid food. ^5:13For everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced in the message of righteousness, because he is an infant.

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Footnotes

19 Grk “because of the time.”
20 Grk “the elements of the beginning of the oracles of God.”
21 Grk “you have come to have a need for.”
22 Most texts, including some early and important ones (א2 A B* D Ψ 0122 0278 1881 𝔐 sy Cl), have καί (kai, “and”) immediately preceding οὐ (ou, “not”), but other equally significant witnesses (𝔓46 א* B2 C 33 81 1739 lat Or Did) lack the conjunction. As it was a natural tendency for scribes to add a coordinating conjunction, the καί appears to be a motivated reading. On balance, it is probably best to regard the shorter reading as authentic. has καί in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the basic principles of God’s revelation again. You need milk, not solid food. Now everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced with the message about righteousness, because he is an infant.

NLTNew Living Translation

You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

For indeed, although you ought to be teachers by this time, you have need of someone to teach you again the beginning elements of the oracles of God, and you have need of milk, not solid food. For everyone who partakes of milk is unacquainted with the message of righteousness, because he is an infant.

KJV 1900King James Version

For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

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