Read this verse in 6 Bible translations — from word-for-word to thought-for-thought.
New International Version · 1978 (rev. 2011)
John the Baptist’s Testimony About Jesus After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized.
27 words · Balance of accuracy and readability
King James Version · 1611
After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized.
21 words · Formal / word-for-word
English Standard Version · 2001 (rev. 2016)
After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing.
20 words · Essentially literal
New Living Translation · 1996 (rev. 2015)
Then Jesus and his disciples left Jerusalem and went into the Judean countryside. Jesus spent some time with them there, baptizing people.
22 words · Thought-for-thought clarity
The Message · 2002
After this conversation, Jesus went on with his disciples into the Judean countryside and relaxed with them there. He was also baptizing.
22 words · Contemporary paraphrase
New American Standard Bible · 1971 (rev. 2020)
After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He was spending time with them and baptizing.
23 words · Most literal English translation
Bible Verse Randomizer offers John 3:22 in 6 translations: New International Version, King James Version, English Standard Version, New Living Translation, The Message, New American Standard Bible. Each uses a different translation philosophy — from word-for-word (KJV, ESV, NASB) to thought-for-thought (NIV, NLT) to paraphrase (MSG).
No single translation is "best" — it depends on your purpose. For deep study, use the ESV or NASB (word-for-word). For devotional reading, the NIV balances accuracy and readability. The NLT and MSG are excellent for understanding the general meaning in modern English. Comparing multiple translations helps grasp the full richness of the text.
Literal (formal equivalence) translations like KJV, ESV, and NASB translate word-for-word from the original Hebrew/Greek. Dynamic equivalence translations like NIV and NLT translate thought-for-thought for clarity. The MSG is a paraphrase that captures the spirit in contemporary language. Each approach has strengths — that's why comparing translations is valuable.