John 18:5 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.
They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.
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.
They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am [he]. And Judas also, who betrayed him, was standing with them.
1901 · Public domain · The American revision of the English Revised Version. Deliberately literal, and the base text behind several later translations.
They answered him, Jesus the Nazaraean. Jesus says to them, I am [he]. And Judas also, who delivered him up, stood with them.
1890 · Public domain · John Nelson Darby's translation, made for close study rather than public reading. Often exposes grammatical detail other versions smooth over.
they answered him, `Jesus the Nazarene;' Jesus saith to them, `I am he;' --and Judas who delivered him up was standing with them; --
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.
They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas also, who betrayed him, was standing with them.
2000s · Public domain · A modern-English update of the ASV. Reads close to contemporary speech while staying in the literal tradition. Includes the Apocrypha.
“Jesus of Nazareth,” was their answer. “I am he,” said Jesus. (Judas, the betrayer, was also standing with them.)
in progress · Public domain (CC0) · A modern open-licensed translation, still being completed. Some Old Testament books are not yet available.
‘Jesus of Nazareth,’ was their answer. ‘I am he,’ said Jesus. (Judas, the betrayer, was also standing with them.)
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.
Their answer was, Jesus the Nazarene. Jesus said, I am he. And Judas, who was false to him, was there at their side.
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.
They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus said to them, I am he.” Judas also, who betrayed him, was standing with them.
Word-for-word swaps
- unto→said
- And→he
- which→who
- stood→was
The verses either side
King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.