Matthew 19:27 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.
Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?
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.
Then answered Peter and said unto him, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee; what then shall we have?
1901 · Public domain · The American revision of the English Revised Version. Deliberately literal, and the base text behind several later translations.
Then Peter answering said to him, Behold, *we* have left all things and have followed thee; what then shall happen to us?
1890 · Public domain · John Nelson Darby's translation, made for close study rather than public reading. Often exposes grammatical detail other versions smooth over.
Then Peter answering said to him, `Lo, we did leave all, and follow thee, what then shall we have?'
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.
Then Peter answered, “Behold, we have left everything, and followed you. What then will we have?”
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 we – we left everything, and followed you; what, then, will we have?”
in progress · Public domain (CC0) · A modern open-licensed translation, still being completed. Some Old Testament books are not yet available.
‘But we – we left everything, and followed you; what, then, will we have?’
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.
Then Peter said to him, See, we have given up everything and have come after you; what then will we have?
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.
Then Peter answered, Behold, we have left everything, and followed you. what then will we have
Word-for-word swaps
- him→answered
- all→left
- thee→you
- shall→then
The verses either side
King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.