Read this verse in 6 Bible translations — from word-for-word to thought-for-thought.
New International Version · 1978 (rev. 2011)
He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
44 words · Balance of accuracy and readability
King James Version · 1611
And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
47 words · Formal / word-for-word
English Standard Version · 2001 (rev. 2016)
He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
47 words · Essentially literal
New Living Translation · 1996 (rev. 2015)
“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”
43 words · Thought-for-thought clarity
The Message · 2002
"Because you're not yet taking God seriously," said Jesus."The simple truth is that if you had a mere kernel of faith, a poppy seed, say, you would tell this mountain,'Move!' and it would move. There is nothing you wouldn't be able to tackle."
43 words · Contemporary paraphrase
New American Standard Bible · 1971 (rev. 2020)
And He said to them,'Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain,'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.
48 words · Most literal English translation
Bible Verse Randomizer offers Matthew 17:20 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.
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