1 John 5:4 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.
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, our faith.
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.
For whatsoever is begotten of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that hath overcome the world, [even] our faith.
1901 · Public domain · The American revision of the English Revised Version. Deliberately literal, and the base text behind several later translations.
For all that has been begotten of God gets the victory over the world; and this is the victory which has gotten the victory over the world, our faith.
1890 · Public domain · John Nelson Darby's translation, made for close study rather than public reading. Often exposes grammatical detail other versions smooth over.
because every one who is begotten of God doth overcome the world, and this is the victory that did overcome the world--our faith;
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.
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world: your faith.
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.
for whatever is born of God overcomes the world. What is the victory by which the world is overcome? Our faith!
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.
Anything which comes from God is able to overcome the world: and the power by which we have overcome the world is our faith.
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.
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world: this is the victory that has overcome the world, your faith.
Word-for-word swaps
- whatsoever→whatever
- overcometh→overcomes
- overcometh→has
- our→your
The verses either side
King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.