Jude 1:24 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.
Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
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.
Now unto him that is able to guard you from stumbling, and to set you before the presence of his glory without blemish in exceeding joy,
1901 · Public domain · The American revision of the English Revised Version. Deliberately literal, and the base text behind several later translations.
But to him that is able to keep you without stumbling, and to set [you] with exultation blameless before his glory,
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 to Him who is able to guard you not stumbling, and to set you in the presence of His glory unblemished, in gladness,
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.
Now to him who is able to keep them from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory in great joy,
2000s · Public domain · A modern-English update of the ASV. Reads close to contemporary speech while staying in the literal tradition. Includes the Apocrypha.
These 2 editions word this verse identically.
To him who is able to guard you from falling, and to bring you into his glorious presence, blameless and rejoicing –
in progress · Public domain (CC0) · A modern open-licensed translation, still being completed. Some Old Testament books are not yet available.
Simplified English
Built from a deliberately small vocabulary so the sense stays reachable for new readers and non-native speakers. Trades nuance for clarity.
Now to him who is able to keep you from falling, and to give you a place in his glory, free from all evil, with great joy,
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.
Now to him who is able to keep them from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory in great joy,
Word-for-word swaps
- unto→to
- that→who
- you→them
- falling→stumbling
- exceeding→in
The verses either side
King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.