John 4:20 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.
These 2 editions word this verse identically.
Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
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.
Our fathers worshipped in this mountain, and ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where one must worship.
1890 · Public domain · John Nelson Darby's translation, made for close study rather than public reading. Often exposes grammatical detail other versions smooth over.
our fathers in this mountain did worship, and ye--ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where it behoveth to worship.'
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.
Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”
2000s · Public domain · A modern-English update of the ASV. Reads close to contemporary speech while staying in the literal tradition. Includes the Apocrypha.
“It was on this mountain that our ancestors worshiped; and yet you Jews say that the proper place for worship is in Jerusalem.”
in progress · Public domain (CC0) · A modern open-licensed translation, still being completed. Some Old Testament books are not yet available.
‘It was on this mountain that our ancestors worshiped; and yet you Jews say that the proper place for worship is in Jerusalem.’
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.
Our fathers gave worship on this mountain, but you Jews say that the right place for worship is in Jerusalem.
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.
Our fathers worshiped in this mountain; and you Jews say, that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.
Word-for-word swaps
- worshipped→worshiped
- ye→you
- men→people
The verses either side
King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.