John 4:17 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.
The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:
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.
The woman answered and said unto him, I have no husband. Jesus saith unto her, Thou saidst well, I have no husband:
1901 · Public domain · The American revision of the English Revised Version. Deliberately literal, and the base text behind several later translations.
The woman answered and said, I have not a husband. Jesus says to her, Thou hast well said, I have not a husband;
1890 · Public domain · John Nelson Darby's translation, made for close study rather than public reading. Often exposes grammatical detail other versions smooth over.
the woman answered and said, `I have not a husband.' Jesus saith to her, `Well didst thou say--A husband I have not;
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.
The woman answered, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You said well, ‘I have no husband,’
2000s · Public domain · A modern-English update of the ASV. Reads close to contemporary speech while staying in the literal tradition. Includes the Apocrypha.
“I have no husband,” answered the woman. “You are right in saying ‘I have no husband,’” replied Jesus,
in progress · Public domain (CC0) · A modern open-licensed translation, still being completed. Some Old Testament books are not yet available.
‘I have no husband,’ answered the woman. ‘You are right in saying “I have no husband,”’ replied Jesus,
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.
In answer, the woman said, I have no husband. Jesus said to her, You have said rightly, I have no husband:
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.
The woman answered I have no husband. Jesus said to her, “You said, well, I have no husband,’
Word-for-word swaps
- unto→to
- well→You
The verses either side
King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.