101 Translations Of John 1:1: “…and the Word was God.”
Below is a list of 101 English translations of the New Testament verse of the Bible 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 circa 1300 A.D. The translations are presented in alphabetical order based on the name of the Bible version from which they are taken. Please note that the Jehovah’s Witness Bible, The New World Translation, version of this verse on page 11 where its translators inserted the word “a” into the text, does not agree with these translations of the verse listed below. The actual, original Greek text below is followed with 101 English translations:
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.”
K leist-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).”
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 Wyclif Translation (by John Wycliffe): “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…”
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© 2008 Michael J. Caba, Reprinted and posted on our website by permission.
