Acts 19:25 in 8 translations
8 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.
Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth.
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.
whom he gathered together, with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this business we have our wealth.
1901 · Public domain · The American revision of the English Revised Version. Deliberately literal, and the base text behind several later translations.
whom having brought together, and those who wrought in such things, he said, Men, ye know that our well-living arises from this work,
1890 · Public domain · John Nelson Darby's translation, made for close study rather than public reading. Often exposes grammatical detail other versions smooth over.
whom, having brought in a crowd together, and those who did work about such things, he said, `Men, ye know that by this work we have our wealth;
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.
whom he gathered together, with the workmen of like occupation, and said, “Sirs, you know that by this business we have our wealth.
2000s · Public domain · A modern-English update of the ASV. Reads close to contemporary speech while staying in the literal tradition. Includes the Apocrypha.
got these men together, as well as the workmen engaged in similar occupations, and said: “Men, you know that our prosperity depends on this work,
in progress · Public domain (CC0) · A modern open-licensed translation, still being completed. Some Old Testament books are not yet available.
got these men together, as well as the workmen engaged in similar occupations, and said: ‘Men, you know that our prosperity depends on this work,
in progress · Public domain (CC0) · The Commonwealth spelling edition of the Open English Bible. Identical wording to the US edition apart from spelling.
Simplified English
Built from a deliberately small vocabulary so the sense stays reachable for new readers and non-native speakers. Trades nuance for clarity.
Whom he got together, with other workmen of the same trade, and said to them, Men, it is clear that from this business we get our wealth.
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.
Whom he gathered together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, you know that by this business we have our wealth.
Word-for-word swaps
- called→gathered
- ye→you
- craft→business
The verses either side
King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.