TRANSLATIONS OF JOHN 1:1

110

TRANSLATIONS

OF

JOHN 1:1

En ajrch/: h\n oJ lovgoV, kai; oJ ovgoV h\n pro;V to;n qeovn, kai; qeo;V h\n oJ lovgoV.
lovgoV h\n pro;V to;n qeovn, kai; qeo;V h\n oJ lovgoV.

INTRODUCTION
The following pages contain 110 English translations of the New Testament verse identified as John 1:1. The versions represent the work of scholars from a wide variety of religious groups. The time frame covered is approximately 700 years with the oldest translation coming from the 1300s. The translations are presented in alphabetical order based on the name of the Bible version from which they are taken.

En ajrch/: h\n oJ lovgoV, kai; oJ lovgoV h\n pro;V to;n
In beginning was the word and the word was with the
qeovn, kai; qeo;V h\n oJ lovgoV.
god and god was the Word 

American Standard Version
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.

American Translation (Beck), An
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.

Amplified Bible
In the beginning (before all time) was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself (Isa. 9:6.)

Analytical-Literal Translation
In the beginning was the Word [or, the Expression
of [divine] Logic], and the Word was with [or, in
communion with] God, and the Word was God [or,
was as to His essence God].

Aramaic New Covenant
In the beginning the Word having been and the
Word having been unto God and God having been
the Word . . .

Archbishop Newcome’s New Testament
(Prior to changes by Belsham)
The Word was in the beginning, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.

Barclay New Testament
When the world began, the Word was already there.
The Word was with God, and the nature of the Word
was the same as the nature of God.

Basic Bible
From the first he was the Word, and the Word was
in relation with God and was God.

Bible in Basic English
From the first he was the Word, and the Word was
in relation with God and was God.

Bible Reader, The
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.

Bishops Bible
In the begynnyng was the worde, & the worde was
with God: and that worde was God.

Common English New Testament
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.

Complete Jewish Bible
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.

Concordant Literal New Testament
In the beginning was the word, and the word was
toward God, and God was the word.

Confraternity of Christian Doctrine Translation
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God; and the Word was God.

Conservative Version, A
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.

Contemporary English Version
In the beginning was the one who is called the Word.
The Word was with God and was truly God.

Coptic Version of the New Testament
In (the) beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and God was the Word: . . .

Coverdale Bible, The
In the begynnynge was the worde, and the worde
was with God, and God was ye worde.

Darby Holy Bible
In (the) beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.

Documents of the New Testament, The
In the Beginning there existed the Divine Reason,
and the Divine Reason was with God, and the Divine
Reason was God.

Douay-Rheims Bible
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.

Emphasized Bible by J.B. Rotherham, The
//Originally// was /the Word,
And //the Word// was /with God;
And /the Word/ was //God//.

Emphatic Diaglott, The
In the beginning was the LOGOS, and the LOGOS
was with God, and the LOGOS was God.

English Majority Text Version
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.

English Jubilee 2000 Bible
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with the God, and the Word was God.

English Version for the Deaf
(a.k.a. Easy to Read Version)
Before the world began, the Word was there. The
Word was there with God. The Word was God.

Geneva Bible, The
In the beginning was the Worde, and the Worde was
with God and that Worde was God.

Godbey Translation of the New Testament
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.

God’s Word (a.k.a. Today’s Bible Translation)
In the beginning the Word already existed. The
Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Great Bible (Cranmer 1539)
In the begynnynge was the worde, and the worde
was wyth God: and God was the worde.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.
Holy Bible in Modern English, The
The WORD existed in the beginning, and the WORD
was with God, and the WORD was God.

Inclusive Version, An
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.

Interlinear Bible (Greene)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.

International Standard Version
In the beginning, the Word existed. The Word was
with God, and the Word was God.

James Murdock’s Translation of the Syriac Peshitta
In the beginning, was the Word; and the Word was
with God; and the Word was God.

Jerusalem Bible, The
In the beginning was the Word: the Word was with
God and the Word was God.

John Wesley New Testament
In the beginning existed the Word, and the Word
was with God and the Word was God.

King James Version
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.

Kleist-Lilly New Testament
When time began, the Word was there, and the Word
was face to face with God, and the Word was God.

Knox Translation
At the beginning of time the Word already was; and
God had the Word abiding with him, and the Word
was God.

Lamsa Bible
The Word was in the beginning, and that very Word
was with God, and God was that Word.

Lattimore New Testament
In the beginning was the word, and the word was
with God, and the word was God.

Letchworth Version in Modern English
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.

Living Bible
Before anything else existed, there was Christ, with
God. He has always been alive and is himself God.

Living Oracles New Testament, The
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.

McCord’s New Testament Translation of the
Everlasting Gospel
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.

Message, The (a.k.a. New Testament in Contemporary English)
The Word was first, the Word present to God, God
present to the Word. The Word was God, . . .

Modern Reader’s Bible
IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD: AND
THE WORD WAS WITH GOD: AND THE
WORD WAS GOD.

Modern Speech New Testament, The
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.
Montgomery New Testament (Helen Brett
Montgomery)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
face to face with God, and the Word was God.
New American Bible
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.

New American Standard Version
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.

New Berkeley Version in Modern English, The
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.

New Century Version
In the beginning there was the Word. The Word
was with God, and the Word was God.

New English Bible
When all things began, the Word already was. The Word
dwelt with God, and what God was, the Word was.

New Evangelical Translation
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.

New International Version
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.

New Jerusalem Bible
In the beginning was the Word: and the Word was
with God and the Word was God.

New King James
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.

New Life Version
The Word (Christ) was in the beginning. The Word
was with God. The Word was God.

New Living Translation
In the beginning the Word already existed. He was
with God, and he was God.

New Millenium Bible, The
The Word already existed before the world was
created. The Word was with God, and the Word
was God.

New Revised Standard Version
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.

New Testament: An Understandable Version, The
The Word (already) existed in the beginning (of
time). (Note: this is a reference to the preexistence
of Jesus, See verse 14). And the Word was with
God and the Word was (what) God (was).

New Testament in Plain English
In the beginning the Word of God was there. And
the Word was face to face with God, and the Word
was God.

New World Translation (Jehovah’s Witnesses)
In (the) beginning the Word was, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was a god.

Noli New Testament
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
by God, and the Word was God.

Norlie’s Simplified New Testament
The Word was in the beginning; the Word was with
God, and the Word was God.

Orthodox Jewish Brit Chadasha, The
Bereshis (In the Beginning) was the Dvar Hashem
(YESHAYAH 55:11; BERESHIT 1:1), and the Dvar
Hasem was agav (along with) Hashem (MISHLE
8:30; 30:4), and the Dvar Hashem was nothing less,
by nature, than Elohim! (TEHILLIM 56:11(10);
yn17:5; Rev. 19:13).
11
People’s New Covenant, The
In the original being the Word, or GOD-Idea existed;
and the God-Idea existed in the at-one-ment with
God; and the GOD-Idea was GOD-manifest.

Phillips Revised Student Edition
At the beginning God expressed himself. That
personal expression, that word, was with God, and
was God, . . .

Recovery Version
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.

Restoration of Original Sacred Name Bible
Originally was the Word, and the Word was with
YAHVAH; and the Word was YAHVAH.

Revised English Bible
In the beginning the Word already was. The Word was
in God’s presence, and what God was, the Word was.

Revised Version
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.

Revised Standard Version
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.

Riverside New Testament
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.

Sacred Scriptures, Bethel Edition, The
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with Yahweh, and the Word was Elohim.

Scholars Version
In the beginning there was the divine word and
wisdom. The divine word and wisdom was there
with God, and it was what God was.

Scriptures (ISR), The
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with Elohim, and the Word was Elohim.

Shorter Bible, The
In the beginning was the divine Wisdom, and
the divine Wisdom was with God, and the divine
Wisdom was God.

Spencer New Testament
In the beginning was the WORD, and the WORD
was with God, and the WORD was God.

Swann New Testament
In the beginning was the TRUTH, and the TRUTH
was with God, and God was the TRUTH.

Today’s English New Testament
In the beginning was the Logos. And the Logos
was with God. And God was the Logos.

Today’s English Version (a.k.a Good News Bible)
Before the world was created, the Word already existed;
he was with God, and he was the same as God.

Twentieth Century New Testament, The
At the Beginning the Word already was: The Word
was with God; and the Word was God.

Unvarnished New Testament, The
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
toward God, and God was what the Word was.

Versified Rendering of the Complete Gospel Story
CHRIST, the Living Word, existed ere creation’s
work began. He was with God, and He was God…

Webster Bible, The
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.

Westminster Version of the Sacred Scriptures
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.

Weymouth New Testament
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.

The Wiclif Translation
In the bigynnynge was the word and the word was
at god, and god was the word, . . .

William Tyndale Translation
In the beginnynge was the worde, and the worde
was with God: and the worde was God.

Williams New Testament
In the beginning the Word existed; and the Word
was face to face with God; yea, the Word was God
Himself.

World English Bible
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.

Worldwide English (New Testament)
The Word already was, way back before anything
began to be. The Word and God were together. The
Word was God.

Worrell New Testament
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.

Wuest Expanded Translation
In the beginning the Word was existing. And the
Word was in fellowship with God the Father. And
the Word was as to His essence absolute deity.

Young’s Literal Translation, Revised Edition
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God; and the Word was God; . . .

Notice To How Other Translations Render This Part Of The Verse.

1808 “and the word was a god” the new testament in an improved version, upon the basis of Archbishop Newcomer’s new translation: with a corrected text.


1864 “and a god was the word” the emphatic Diaglott, interlinear reading, by Benjamin Wilson


1828 “and the word was a divine being” La Bible du centenaries, L’Evangile selon jean by Maurice Goguel


1935 “and the word was divine” The Bible-An American Translation, by J.M.P Smith and E.J Goodspeed


1946 “and of a divine kind was the word” Das Neue Testament, by Ludwig Thimme


1950 “and the word was a god” New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures


1958 “and the word was a God” The New Testament, by James L Tomanek


1975 “and a god (or, of a divine kind) was the word” Das Evangelium nach Johannes, by Siegfried schulz


1978 “and godlike kind was Logos” Das Evangelium nach Johannes, by Johannes Schneider

So now who is right and who is wrong? I can’t really see who is right and who is wrong so help people of GOD. I see all these to be RIGHT...for the fact that JESUS runs in two fold, despite the fact that some of these translations are properly matching the Greek version.