Luke 22:32 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.
But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
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 I made supplication for thee, that thy faith fail not; and do thou, when once thou hast turned again, establish thy brethren.
1901 · Public domain · The American revision of the English Revised Version. Deliberately literal, and the base text behind several later translations.
but *I* have besought for thee that thy faith fail not; and *thou*, when once thou hast been restored, confirm thy brethren.
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 I besought for thee, that thy faith may not fail; and thou, when thou didst turn, strengthen thy brethren.'
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 I prayed for you, that your faith wouldn’t fail. You, when once you have turned again, establish your brothers.”
2000s · Public domain · A modern-English update of the ASV. Reads close to contemporary speech while staying in the literal tradition. Includes the Apocrypha.
but I prayed for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. And you, when you have returned to me, are to strengthen the others.”
in progress · Public domain (CC0) · A modern open-licensed translation, still being completed. Some Old Testament books are not yet available.
but I prayed for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. And you, when you have returned to me, are to strengthen the others.’
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.
But I have made prayer for you, that your faith may not go from you: and when you are turned again, make your brothers strong.
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 I prayed for you, that your faith wouldn’t fail You, when once you have turned again, establish your brothers.”
Word-for-word swaps
- thee→you
- thy→your
- and→You
- brethren→once
The verses either side
King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.