1 Thessalonians 5:15 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.
See that none render evil for evil unto any but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all
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.
See that none render unto any one evil for evil; but always follow after that which is good, one toward another, and toward all.
1901 · Public domain · The American revision of the English Revised Version. Deliberately literal, and the base text behind several later translations.
See that no one render to any evil for evil, but pursue always what is good towards one another and towards all;
1890 · Public domain · John Nelson Darby's translation, made for close study rather than public reading. Often exposes grammatical detail other versions smooth over.
see no one evil for evil may render to any one, but always that which is good pursue ye, both to one another and to all;
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.
See that no one returns evil for evil to anyone, but always follow after that which is good, for one another, and for all.
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.
Take care that none of you ever pays back wrong for wrong, but always follow the kindest course with one another and with everyone.
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.
Let no one give evil for evil; but ever go after what is good, for one another and for all.
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.
See that no one returns evil for evil to anyone, but always follow after that which is good, for one another, and for all
Word-for-word swaps
- render→no
- any→to
- ever→always
- yourselves→for
- to→for
The verses either side
King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.