1 Timothy 6:18 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.
That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;
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.
that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute, willing to communicate;
1901 · Public domain · The American revision of the English Revised Version. Deliberately literal, and the base text behind several later translations.
to do good, to be rich in good works, to be liberal in distributing, disposed to communicate [of their substance],
1890 · Public domain · John Nelson Darby's translation, made for close study rather than public reading. Often exposes grammatical detail other versions smooth over.
to do good, to be rich in good works, to be ready to impart, willing to communicate,
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.
that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute, willing to share;
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.
Teach them to show kindness, to exhibit a wealth of good actions, to be open-handed and generous,
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.
And to do good, having wealth in good works, being quick to give, taking part with one another;
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.
That they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute, willing to share;
Word-for-word swaps
- communicate→share
The verses either side
King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.