Luke 22:22 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.
And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!
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.
For the Son of man indeed goeth, as it hath been determined: but woe unto that man through whom he is betrayed!
1901 · Public domain · The American revision of the English Revised Version. Deliberately literal, and the base text behind several later translations.
and the Son of man indeed goes as it is determined, but woe unto that man by whom he is delivered up.
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 indeed the Son of Man doth go according to what hath been determined; but woe to that man through whom he is being delivered up.'
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.
The Son of Man indeed goes, as it has been determined, but woe to that man through whom he is betrayed!”
2000s · Public domain · A modern-English update of the ASV. Reads close to contemporary speech while staying in the literal tradition. Includes the Apocrypha.
True, the Son of Man is passing, by the way ordained for him, yet alas for that man by whom he is being betrayed!”
in progress · Public domain (CC0) · A modern open-licensed translation, still being completed. Some Old Testament books are not yet available.
True, the Son of Man is passing, by the way ordained for him, yet alas for that man by whom he is being betrayed!’
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.
For it will be done to the Son of man after the purpose of God, but unhappy is that man by whom he is given up.
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.
the Son of man indeed goes, as it has been determined: but woe to that man through whom he is betrayed!
Word-for-word swaps
- goeth→indeed
- was→has
- unto→to
- by→through
The verses either side
King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.