Galatians 1:23 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.
But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed.
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.
but they only heard say, He that once persecuted us now preacheth the faith of which he once made havoc;
1901 · Public domain · The American revision of the English Revised Version. Deliberately literal, and the base text behind several later translations.
only they were hearing that he who persecuted us formerly now announces the glad tidings of the faith which formerly he ravaged:
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 only they were hearing, that `he who is persecuting us then, doth now proclaim good news--the faith that then he was wasting;'
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.
but they only heard: “He who once persecuted us now preaches the faith that he once tried to destroy.”
2000s · Public domain · A modern-English update of the ASV. Reads close to contemporary speech while staying in the literal tradition. Includes the Apocrypha.
all that they had heard was – ‘The man who once persecuted us is now telling the good news of the faith of which he once made havoc.’
in progress · Public domain (CC0) · A modern open-licensed translation, still being completed. Some Old Testament books are not yet available.
all that they had heard was – “The man who once persecuted us is now telling the good news of the faith of which he once made havoc.”
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.
Only it came to their ears that he who at one time was cruel to us is now preaching the faith which before had been attacked by him;
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.
But they only, heard: he who once persecuted us now preaches the faith that he once tried to destroy.”
Word-for-word swaps
- That→heard
- which→who
- preacheth→preaches
- once→that
- destroyed→once
The verses either side
King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.