Matthew 27:21 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.
The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.
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 the governor answered and said unto them, Which of the two will ye that I release unto you? And they said, Barabbas.
1901 · Public domain · The American revision of the English Revised Version. Deliberately literal, and the base text behind several later translations.
And the governor answering said to them, Which of the two will ye that I release unto you? And they said, Barabbas.
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 the governor answering said to them, `Which of the two will ye that I shall release to you?' And they said, `Barabbas.'
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 the governor answered them, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” They said, “Barabbas!”
2000s · Public domain · A modern-English update of the ASV. Reads close to contemporary speech while staying in the literal tradition. Includes the Apocrypha.
The Governor, however, said to them, “Which of these two do you wish me to release for you?” “Barabbas,” they answered.
in progress · Public domain (CC0) · A modern open-licensed translation, still being completed. Some Old Testament books are not yet available.
The Governor, however, said to them, ‘Which of these two do you wish me to release for you?’ ‘Barabbas,’ they answered.
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 the ruler made answer and said to them, Which of the two is it your pleasure that I let go free? And they said, Barabbas.
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 The governor answered them, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you? They said, Barabbas.
Word-for-word swaps
- Whether→Which
- I→two
- unto→to
The verses either side
King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.