John 1 Comparison: Wycliffe Bible (1395) vs King James Version
John 1
1In the bigynnyng was the word, and the word was at God, and God was the word.
2This was in the bigynnyng at God.
3Alle thingis weren maad bi hym, and withouten hym was maad no thing, that thing that was maad.
4In hym was lijf, and the lijf was the liyt of men; and the liyt schyneth in derknessis,
5and derknessis comprehendiden not it.
6A man was sent fro God, to whom the name was Joon.
7This man cam in to witnessyng, that he schulde bere witnessing of the liyt, that alle men schulden bileue bi hym.
8He was not the liyt, but that he schulde bere witnessing of the liyt.
9There was a very liyt, which liytneth ech man that cometh in to this world.
10He was in the world, and the world was maad bi hym, and the world knew hym not.
11He cam in to his owne thingis, and hise resseyueden hym not.
12But hou many euer resseyueden hym, he yaf to hem power to be maad the sones of God, to hem that bileueden in his name; the whiche not of bloodis,
13nether of the wille of fleische, nether of the wille of man, but ben borun of God.
14And the word was maad man, and dwellyde among vs, and we han seyn the glorie of hym, as the glorie of the `oon bigetun sone of the fadir, ful of grace and of treuthe.
15Joon berith witnessyng of hym, and crieth, and seith, This is, whom Y seide, He that schal come aftir me, is maad bifore me, for he was tofor me;
16and of the plente of hym we alle han takun, and grace for grace.
17For the lawe was youun bi Moises; but grace and treuthe `is maad bi Jhesu Crist.
18No man sai euer God, no but the `oon bigetun sone, that is in the bosum of the fadir, he hath teld out.
19And this is the witnessyng of Joon, whanne Jewis senten fro Jerusalem prestis and dekenes to hym, that thei schulden axe hym, Who art thou?
20He knoulechide, and denyede not, and he knoulechide, For Y am not Crist.
21And thei axiden hym, What thanne? Art thou Elie? And he seide, Y am not. Art thou a profete? And he answeride, Nay.
22Therfor thei seiden to hym, Who art thou? that we yyue an answere to these that senten vs. What seist thou of thi silf?
23He seide, Y am a vois of a crier in deseert, Dresse ye the weie of the Lord, as Ysaie, the prophete, seide.
24And thei that weren sent, weren of the Fariseis.
25And thei axiden hym, and seiden to hym, What thanne baptisist thou, if thou art not Crist, nether Elie, nether a profete?
26Joon answeride to hem, and seide, Y baptise in watir, but in the myddil of you hath stonde oon, that ye knowen not;
27he it is, that schal come aftir me, that was maad bifor me, of whom Y am not worthi to louse the thwong of his schoo.
28These thingis weren don in Bethanye biyende Jordan, where Joon was baptisyng.
29Anothir day Joon say Jhesu comynge to hym, and he seide, Lo! the lomb of God; lo! he that doith awei the synnes of the world.
30This is he, that Y seide of, Aftir me is comun a man, which was maad bifor me; for he was rather than Y.
31And Y knew hym not, but that he be schewid in Israel, therfor Y cam baptisynge in watir.
32And Joon bar witnessyng, and seide, That Y saiy the spirit comynge doun as a culuer fro heuene, and dwellide on hym.
33And Y knew hym not; but he that sente me to baptise in watir, seide to me, On whom thou seest the Spirit comynge doun, and dwellynge on hym, this is he, that baptisith in the Hooli Goost.
34And Y say, and bar witnessyng, that this is the sone of God.
35Anothir dai Joon stood, and tweyne of hise disciplis;
36and he biheeld Jhesu walkinge, and seith, Lo! the lomb of God.
37And twei disciplis herden hym spekynge,
38and folewiden Jhesu. And Jhesu turnede, and say hem suynge hym, and seith to hem, What seken ye? And thei seiden to hym, Rabi, that is to seie, Maistir, where dwellist thou?
39And he seith to hem, Come ye, and se. And thei camen, and sayn where he dwellide; and dwelten with hym that dai. And it was as the tenthe our.
40And Andrewe, the brother of Symount Petir, was oon of the tweyne, that herden of Joon, and hadden sued hym.
41This foond first his brother Symount, and he seide to him, We han foundun Messias, that is to seie, Crist; and he ledde him to Jhesu.
42And Jhesus bihelde hym, and seide, Thou art Symount, the sone of Johanna; thou schalt be clepid Cefas, that is to seie, Petre.
43And on the morewe he wolde go out in to Galilee, and he foond Filip; and he seith to hym, Sue thou me.
44Filip was of Bethsaida, the citee of Andrew and of Petre.
45Filip foond Nathanael, and seide to hym, We han foundun Jhesu, the sone of Joseph, of Nazareth, whom Moyses wroot in the lawe and profetis.
46And Nathanael seide to hym, Of Nazareth may sum good thing be?
47Filip seide to hym, Come, and se. Jhesus siy Nathanael comynge to hym, and seide to hym, Lo! verili a man of Israel, in whom is no gile.
48Nathanael seide to hym, Wherof hast thou knowun me? Jhesus `answerde, and seide to hym, Bifor that Filip clepide thee, whanne thou were vndur the fige tree, Y saiy thee. Nathanael answerde to hym,
49`and seide, Rabi, thou art the sone of God, thou art kyng of Israel.
50Jhesus answerde, and seide to hym, For Y seide to thee, Y sawy thee vndur the fige tre, thou bileuest; thou schalt se more than these thingis.
51And he seide to hem, Treuli, treuli, Y seie to you, ye schulen se heuene opened, and the aungels of God stiynge vp and comynge doun on mannys sone.
John 1
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2The same was in the beginning with God.
3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
8He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
10He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
15John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
16And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
17For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
18No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
19And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
20And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
21And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.
22Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?
23He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
24And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.
25And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?
26John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;
27He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose.
28These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
30This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.
31And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
32And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
33And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
34And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
35Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;
36And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
37And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
38Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?
39He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.
40One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.
41He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.
42And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.
43The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.
44Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
45Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
46And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
47Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
48Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.
49Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
50Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.
51And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.
Understanding Wycliffe Bible (1395) vs King James Version in John 1
Wycliffe Bible (1395) (Wycliffe)
The first complete English translation of the Bible (1395) by John Wycliffe and his followers. Translated from the Latin Vulgate. A landmark in English history and the Reformation.
King James Version (KJV)
The classic 1611 English translation known for its majestic prose and literary influence. Ideal for traditional study and memorization thanks to its formal style. A foundational English Bible used for centuries.
You are viewing a side-by-side comparison of John 1 in the Wycliffe Bible (1395) and King James Version. Comparing these two versions can help shed light on the nuances of the original text.
Key Comparison: John 1:16
"and of the plente of hym we alle han takun, and grace for grace."
"And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace."
