Matthew 26:73 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 after a while came unto they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee.
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 after a little while they that stood by came and said to Peter, Of a truth thou also art [one] of them; for thy speech maketh thee known.
1901 · Public domain · The American revision of the English Revised Version. Deliberately literal, and the base text behind several later translations.
And after a little, those who stood [there], coming to [him], said to Peter, Truly *thou* too art of them, for also thy speech makes thee manifest.
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 after a little those standing near having come, said to Peter, `Truly thou also art of them, for even thy speech doth make thee manifest.'
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.
After a little while those who stood by came and said to Peter, “Surely you are also one of them, for your speech makes you known.”
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 soon afterward those who were standing by came up and said to Peter, “You also are certainly one of them; why, even your way of speaking proves it!”
in progress · Public domain (CC0) · A modern open-licensed translation, still being completed. Some Old Testament books are not yet available.
But soon afterwards those who were standing by came up and said to Peter, ‘You also are certainly one of them; why, even your way of speaking proves it!’
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.
And after a little time those who were near came and said to Peter, Truly you are one of them; because your talk is witness against you.
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.
after a little while those who stood by, came and said to Peter, Surely you are also one of them; for your speech makes you known.”
Word-for-word swaps
- that→those
- thou→you
- art→one
- thy→your
- thee→makes
The verses either side
King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.