How is your favorite Bible passage translated in versions other than the one which you normally use? In this survey, John 3: 16 is considered, using sixty-eight versions. The difference may only be one word with some. Perhaps, as you read this listing, you will find some whose wording that you like and others that you find awkward.
Versions Compared
- AAT – An American Translation (Beck)
- AB – Amplified Bible
- AIV – An Inclusive Version
- ANT – The Authentic New Testament
- ASV – American Standard Version
- BNT – Barclay New Testament
- CENT – Common English New Testament
- CEV – Contemporary English Version
- CJB – Complete Jewish Bible
- CLNT – Concordant Literal New Testament
- CNT – Cassirer New Testament
- CTNT – Centenary Translation of the New Testament
- DHB – Darby Holy Bible
- DRB – Douay-Rheims Bible
- EBR – The Emphasized Bible
- EDW – The Emphatic Diaglott
- EVD – English Version for the Deaf
- GW – God’s Word
- HBME – The Holy Bible in Modern English
- HBRV – Holy Bible, Revised Version
- IB – Interlinear Bible
- IV – Inspired Version
- KJV – King James Version
- KLNT – Kleist-Lilly New Testament
- KTC – Knox Translation
- LB – Living Bible
- LBP – Lamsa Bible
- MCT – McCord’s New Testament Translation
- MNT – Moffatt New Translation
- MRB – Modern Reader’s Bible
- MSNT – The Modern Speech New Testament
- NAB – New American Bible
- NAS – New American Standard Version
- NBV – New Berkeley Version
- NCV – New Century Version
- NEB – New English Bible
- NET – New Evangelical Translation
- NIV – New International Version
- NJB – New Jerusalem Bible
- NKJ – New King James Version
- NLT – New Living Translation
- NLV – New Life Version
- NNT – Noli New Testament
- NRS – New Revised Standard Version
- NSNT – Norlie’s Simplified New Testament
- NWT – New World Translation
- ONT – Original New Testament
- PRS – Phillips Revised Student Edition
- REB – Revised English Bible
- RNT – Riverside New Testament
- RSV – Revised Standard Version
- SBK – The Shorter Bible
- SGAT – An American Translation (Smith-Goodspeed)
- SNB – Restoration of Original Sacred Name Bible
- SSBE – Sacred Scriptures, Bethel Edition
- SV – The Scholars Version
- TBR – The Bible Reader
- TCNT – The Twentieth Century New Testament
- TDB – The Dartmouth Bible
- TEV – Today’s English Version
- TJB – The Jerusalem Bible
- TM – The Message
- WAS – Worrell New Testament
- WET – Wuest Expanded Translation
- WMF – The Word Made Fresh
- WNT – Williams New Testament
- WTNT – William Tindale Newe Testament
- YLR – Young’s Literal Translation, Revised Edition
John 3: 16
AAT – God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him might not perish but have everlasting life.
AB – For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only-begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish – come to destruction, be lost – but have eternal (everlasting) life.
AIV – For God so loved the world that God gave God’s only Child, so that everyone who believes in that Child may not perish but may have eternal life.
ANT – For God loved the world so dearly as to give his Only-begotten Son, so that all who believe in him should not perish but have Eternal Life.
SAV – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.
BNT – For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him should not have destruction but eternal life.
CENT – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes on him, should not perish, but may have everlasting life.
CEV – God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never die.
CJB – For God so loved the world that he gave his only and unique Son, so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life, instead of being utterly destroyed.
CLNT – For thus God loves the world, so that He gives His only-begotten Son, that everyone who is believing in Him should not be perishing, but may be having life eonian.
CNT – Yes, God had such love for the world that he gave up his only Son, so that anyone believing in him might not perish but lay hold of eternal life.
CTNT – For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever trusts in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
DHB – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believes on him may not perish, but have life eternal.
DRB – For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting.
EBR – For God so loved the world,
That his Only Begotten Son he gave, —
That whosoever believeth on him
Might not perish,
But have life age-abiding.
EDW – For GOD so loved the WORLD, that he gave his SON, the ONLY-BEGOTTEN, that EVERY ONE BELIEVING into him may not perish, but obtain aionian LIFE.
EVD – Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son. Gave gave his Son so that every person that believes in him would not be lost, but have life forever.
GW – God loved the world this way: He gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not die but have eternal life.
HBME – For God so loved the world that He gave the only-begotten Son, so that every one believing in Him should not be lost, but have eternal life.
HBRV – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.
IB – For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that everyone believing into Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
IV – For God so loved the world, that he gave his Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish; but have everlasting life.
KJV – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
KLNT – So marked, indeed, has been God’s love for the world that he gave his only-begotten Son: everyone who believes in him is not to perish, but to have eternal life.
KTC – God so loved the world, that he gave up his only-begotten Son, so that those who believe in him may not perish, but have eternal life.
LB – For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that anyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Footnote: [Only], Or, “the unique Son of God.”
LBP – For God so loved the world that he even gave his only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
MCT – God so loved the world that he gave his unique Son, in order that everyone who believes in him might not perish, but may have eternal life.
Footnote: The word “begotten” in John 1: 14, 18; 3: 16, 18; Hebrews 11: 17; 1 John 4: 9 is eliminated (1) for the sake of accuracy and (2) for the sake of the honor that belongs to Isaac and to Jesus. … . In none of the six citations mentioned above did the infallible Holy Spirit cause monos gennetheis, only begotten, to be written, but in every instance the word written is monogenes, the only one of a kind, the unique one.
MNT – For God loved the world so dearly that he gave up his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life, instead of perishing.
MRB – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.
MSNT – For so greatly did God love the world that He gave His only Son, that every one who trusts in Him may not perish but may have the Life of the Ages.
NAB – For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.
NAS – For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.
NBV – For God so loved the world, that he gave up his only-begotten Son, so that those who believe in him may not perish, but have eternal life.
Footnote: Christ is the unique Son of God, eternally One with the Father and the Spirit, yet truly man in His perfect humanity.
NCV – God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life.
NEB – God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, that everyone who has faith in him may not die but have eternal life.
NET – For God loved the world so much that He gave His one-and-only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life.
Footnote: The Greek word for “one-and-only” can also mean “one-of-a-kind” (“unique”) or “only-begotten.”
NIV – For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
NJB – For this is how God loved the world:
he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him may not perish
but may have eternal life.
NKJ – For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
NLT – For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
NLV – For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. Whoever puts his trust in God’s Son will not be lost but will have life that lasts forever.
NNT – God loved men so much that he gave up his only-begotten Son for them. For whoever believes in him will not perish, but will find eternal life.
NRS – For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
NSNT – For God so loved the world that He gave His only born Son, that all who believe on Him shall not die, but have everlasting life.
NWT – For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.
ONT – For God loved the world so dearly as to give his Only-begotten Son, so that all who believe in him should not perish but have Eternal Life.
Footnote: While much that was in his documentary source (the Memoirs of John the Priest) has been adapted by the Greek author to bring the text into line with his ideas, as here, some passages, largely by way of commentary, stand out as his distinctive contribution. Whenever possible attention has been drawn to these, as in this instance, and some have been placed below the main body of the text and in slightly smaller type. The present passage is John 3: 16-21. [This passage has been so placed by the translator.]
PRS – For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him should not be lost, but should have eternal life.
REB – God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that everyone who has faith in him may not perish but have eternal life.
RNT – For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that every one who believes in him may not perish, but have life eternal.
RSV – For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
SBK – For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
SGAT – For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that no one who believes in him should be lost, but that they should all have eternal life.
SNB – For YAHVAH so loved the world, that His Only Begotten Son He gave, that whosoever believeth on Him might not perish, but have life age-abiding.
SSBE – For Yahweh so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes on him should not perish, but have eternal life.
SV – This is how God loved the world: God gave up an only son, so that every one who believes in him will not be lost but have real life.
TBR – For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
TCNT – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that every one who believes in him may not be lost, but have Immortal Life.
TDB – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
TEV – For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life.
TJB – Yes, God loved the world so much
that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost
but may have eternal life.
TM – This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.
WAS – For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that every one who believes on Him should not perish, but have eternal life; … .
WET – For in such a manner did God love the world, inasmuch that His Son, the uniquely-begotten One, He gave, in order that everyone who places his trust in Him may not perish but may be having life eternal.
WMF – God so loved the people of the world that he sent his only Son, affirming that whoever believed on Him would not perish, but would have eternal life.
WNT – For God loved the world so much that He gave His Only Son, so that anyone who trusts in Him may never perish but have eternal life.
WTNT – God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son for the intent, that none that believe in him, should perish: but should have everlasting life.
YLR – …, for God did so love the world, that His Son – the only begotten – He gave, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during.
