Luke 9:27 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 tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.
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 tell you of a truth, There are some of them that stand here, who shall in no wise taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.
1901 · Public domain · The American revision of the English Revised Version. Deliberately literal, and the base text behind several later translations.
But I say unto you of a truth, There are some of those standing here who shall not taste death until they shall have seen the kingdom of God.
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 say to you, truly, there are certain of those here standing, who shall not taste of death till they may see the reign of God.'
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 tell you the truth: There are some of those who stand here, who will in no way taste of death, until they see God’s Kingdom.”
2000s · Public domain · A modern-English update of the ASV. Reads close to contemporary speech while staying in the literal tradition. Includes the Apocrypha.
Indeed, I tell you, some who are standing before me will not know death, until they have seen the kingdom of God.”
in progress · Public domain (CC0) · A modern open-licensed translation, still being completed. Some Old Testament books are not yet available.
Indeed, I tell you, some who are standing before me will not know death, until they have seen the kingdom of God.’
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 truly I say to you, Some of those who are here now will have no taste of death till they see the kingdom of God.
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 tell you the truth, there are some of those who stand here, who will in no way taste of death, until they see God’s kingdom
Word-for-word swaps
- a→the
- be→are
- standing→of
- not→who
- till→until
- the→God’s
The verses either side
King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.