John 6:12 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.
When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
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.
And when they were filled, he saith unto his disciples, Gather up the broken pieces which remain over, that nothing be lost.
1901 · Public domain · The American revision of the English Revised Version. Deliberately literal, and the base text behind several later translations.
And when they had been filled, he says to his disciples, Gather together the fragments which are over and above, that nothing may be lost.
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 when they were filled, he saith to his disciples, `Gather together the broken pieces that are over, that nothing may be lost;'
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.
When they were filled, he said to his disciples, “Gather up the broken pieces which are left over, that nothing be lost.”
2000s · Public domain · A modern-English update of the ASV. Reads close to contemporary speech while staying in the literal tradition. Includes the Apocrypha.
When they were satisfied, Jesus said to his disciples, “Collect the broken pieces that are left, so that nothing may be wasted.”
in progress · Public domain (CC0) · A modern open-licensed translation, still being completed. Some Old Testament books are not yet available.
When they were satisfied, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Collect the broken pieces that are left, so that nothing may be wasted.’
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.
And when they had had enough, Jesus said to his disciples, Take up the broken bits which are over, so that nothing may be wasted.
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.
When they were filled, he said to his disciples, Gather up the broken pieces which are left over, that nothing be lost.
Word-for-word swaps
- unto→to
- remain→broken
The verses either side
King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.