Luke 1:29 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.
And when she saw she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
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.
But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this might be.
1901 · Public domain · The American revision of the English Revised Version. Deliberately literal, and the base text behind several later translations.
But she, [seeing] [the angel], was troubled at his word, and reasoned in her mind what this salutation might be.
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 she, having seen, was troubled at his word, and was reasoning of what kind this salutation may be.
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.
But when she saw him, she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered what kind of salutation this might be.
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.
Mary was much disturbed at his words, and was wondering to herself what such a greeting could mean,
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.
But she was greatly troubled at his words, and said to herself, What may be the purpose of these words?
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.
But when she saw him, she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered what kind of salutation this might be.
Word-for-word swaps
- And→But
- his→the
- mind→considered
- manner→kind
- should→might
The verses either side
King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.