1 Corinthians 16:1 in 8 translations
7 distinct wordings, grouped by what each translation is trying to do. Differences from the King James text are marked below.
Early modern English
Seventeenth-century wording and sentence shape. Familiar, rhythmic, and the version most quotations you have heard are taken from.
Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.
1611 / 1769 · Public domain · The Authorised Version, revised to the 1769 Blayney text. Includes the Apocrypha as printed in 1611.
Literal, word-for-word
Follows Hebrew and Greek word order and grammar closely, even where the English becomes stiff. Useful for seeing what the underlying sentence is doing.
Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I gave order to the churches of Galatia, so also do ye.
1901 · Public domain · The American revision of the English Revised Version. Deliberately literal, and the base text behind several later translations.
Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the assemblies of Galatia, so do *ye* do also.
1890 · Public domain · John Nelson Darby's translation, made for close study rather than public reading. Often exposes grammatical detail other versions smooth over.
And concerning the collection that is for the saints, as I directed to the assemblies of Galatia, so also ye--do ye;
1898 · Public domain · The most extreme word-for-word rendering here, keeping Hebrew and Greek tense and word order at the cost of natural English.
Modern English
Contemporary vocabulary and punctuation, aiming for the sentence a present-day reader would write while staying close to the source.
Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I commanded the assemblies of Galatia, you do likewise.
2000s · Public domain · A modern-English update of the ASV. Reads close to contemporary speech while staying in the literal tradition. Includes the Apocrypha.
These 2 editions word this verse identically.
With reference to the collection for Christ’s people, I want you to follow the instructions that I gave to the churches in Galatia.
in progress · Public domain (CC0) · A modern open-licensed translation, still being completed. Some Old Testament books are not yet available.
Simplified English
Built from a deliberately small vocabulary so the sense stays reachable for new readers and non-native speakers. Trades nuance for clarity.
Now about the giving of money for the saints, as I gave orders to the churches of Galatia, so do you.
1949 · Public domain · Written with roughly a thousand basic English words plus a small Bible vocabulary. The plainest reading available here.
What changes between the King James and modern wording
The modern rendering is printed below with every word that differs from the King James text marked, so the actual divergence is visible rather than left for you to spot.
Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I commanded the assemblies of Galatia, you do likewise.
Word-for-word swaps
- to→commanded
- churches→assemblies
- so→you
- ye→likewise
The verses either side
King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.