Luke 14:7 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 he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them,
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 he spake a parable unto those that were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief seats; saying unto them,
1901 · Public domain · The American revision of the English Revised Version. Deliberately literal, and the base text behind several later translations.
And he spoke a parable to those that were invited, remarking how they chose out the first places, saying to them,
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 he spake a simile unto those called, marking how they were choosing out the first couches, saying unto them,
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.
He spoke a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the best seats, and said to them,
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.
Observing that the guests were choosing the best places for themselves, Jesus told them this parable –
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.
And he gave teaching in the form of a story to the guests who came to the feast, when he saw how they took the best seats; saying to them,
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.
he spoke a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the best seats, and said to them,
Word-for-word swaps
- forth→spoke
- which→who
- bidden→invited
- marked→noticed
- unto→best
The verses either side
King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.