A parallel Bible with 11 free translations, lined up verse by verse
Compare Bible translations side by side and see exactly where the wording changes. Read up to four editions at once in the reader, or a popular verse in all 11 on its public page, each in its own verse numbering.
Start comparing translationsSee John 3:16 in 11 translations
Scripture Deck is free, with no subscription or card. A free account opens the reader and saves your study; the public Bible and verse pages need no account. Sign in if you already have an account.
01
See John 3:16 in 11 translations
The public John 3:16 page prints the verse in all 11 editions, one after another, each labeled with its abbreviation and name. Here are five of them:
| Edition | John 3:16 |
|---|---|
| World English Bible (WEB) | For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. |
| King James Version (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. |
| Berean Standard Bible (BSB) | For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. |
| Young’s Literal Translation (YLT) | 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. |
| Douay-Rheims 1899 (DRA) | 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. |
Read the rows together and the choices stand out: “one and only Son” or “only begotten Son,” and “eternal life,” “everlasting life,” “life everlasting” or “life age-during.” Seeing them together lets you check a phrase before you quote it, and name the edition you quote.
Scripture Deck has a public page like this for 1,000 popular verses, such as Psalm 23:1 and Romans 8:28. Each shows the verse in all 11 editions. Where an edition numbers the verse differently, its own reference is given: on the Psalm 23:1 page, the Douay-Rheims row reads “Psalm 22:1 in this edition.”
02
Choose from 11 free English editions
Every edition keeps its own wording, punctuation and verse numbering. Nine are in the public domain, and two are shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license (CC BY-SA 4.0).
| Edition | Abbreviation | License |
|---|---|---|
| World English Bible | WEB | Public domain |
| American Standard Version (1901) | ASV | Public domain |
| King James Version (1769 text) | KJV | Public domain outside the UK |
| Berean Standard Bible | BSB | Public domain |
| Literal Standard Version (2020) | LSV | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
| Free Bible Version (2018) | FBV | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
| Young’s Literal Translation | YLT | Public domain |
| Darby Translation | DBY | Public domain |
| Webster’s Bible (1833) | WBT | Public domain |
| World English Bible (Catholic) | WEBC | Public domain |
| Douay-Rheims 1899 | DRA | Public domain |
The King James Version is in the public domain outside the United Kingdom, where its printing remains under letters patent. The World English Bible (Catholic) and the Douay-Rheims print the 73-book Catholic canon; the other nine print the 66 books. Catholic Bible covers the two Catholic editions.
The NIV, ESV, NKJV and other licensed translations are not included. They are not free to redistribute, so Scripture Deck does not carry them.
Credits and license notices for the nine 66-book editions are on the sources page. In the app, Sources and attribution in Settings lists the notice for every edition, the Catholic editions included.
03
Read up to four translations in parallel
- Open a chapter in the Bible reader, such as Psalm 23.
- Choose Parallel at the top of the reader. A second column opens beside the first.
- Pick an edition from that column’s menu, such as KJV — King James Version. Choose Add translation for a third or fourth column.
- Close a column with the button beside its menu. Closing the first column makes the next one the edition you are reading.
Each column has its own translation menu, and an edition already on screen can’t be chosen twice. Rows are lined up by verse, so editions that number a passage differently still sit together. Select a verse in any column to select the whole row; a note, memory card or copied verse made from it uses the first column’s edition.
The columns are part of the page address, so Previous chapter, Next chapter and a reload keep them. Opening the Bible from the menu starts again with one column.
Two columns sit side by side from tablet width, and up to four fit across a large desktop screen. On a phone, each verse lists its editions one after another, labeled WEB, KJV and so on.
04
Switch editions without losing your place
The translation menu at the top of the reader lists all 11 editions. Choose another and the reader opens the same passage in that edition; if a verse is selected, it opens at that verse. Your choice is saved to your account, so your phone and computer open the Bible in the same edition.
Editions don’t all number the Bible the same way, and Scripture Deck keeps each one’s own numbers. A numbering note above the chapter explains the difference where it applies:
- Psalms in the Douay-Rheims. It keeps the Latin Vulgate’s numbering, so from Psalm 10 to Psalm 147 its psalms are numbered one lower. Switch from WEB Psalm 23 and the reader opens Douay-Rheims Psalm 22.
- The end of Romans. Every 66-book edition except the WEB prints the closing doxology at Romans 16:25–27; the WEB numbers it Romans 14:24–26. With the WEB beside KJV Romans 16, the WEB column labels that verse 14:24.
- Verses left out. Where an edition leaves a verse out of its main text, the reader keeps the number and shows the edition’s source note in its place.
If an edition doesn’t include the book you are reading, such as Tobit in the KJV, the reader stays where you are and tells you.
05
Compare chosen passages from a collection
When you want particular verses rather than a whole chapter, gather them in a collection. Create one in Collections with New collection, then type a list into Add passages, such as John 3:16; Psalm 23:1; Romans 8:28, and choose Add.
Then tick Select on a passage:
- With one passage ticked, choose Compare translations to read it beside itself in a second edition.
- With two or more ticked, choose Side by side to open up to four as columns.
Each column has its own passage picker and translation menu, so you can set John 3:16 in the WEB beside the same verse in the KJV and the BSB, or read Psalm 23:1 beside Romans 8:28. Add column opens another, up to four. A column’s copy button, or Copy all, copies each passage as its reference and edition, such as “John 3:16 (KJV)”, followed by its text.
The comparison is saved in the page address, so you can bookmark it and come back. If an edition numbers a passage differently or leaves a verse out, that column says it can’t print the passage there and links to the chapter. Collection pages themselves print the World English Bible, or the WEB Catholic for the Catholic books; a comparison opens in the edition you read in.
Bible study collections explains how to build and organize collections.
06
KJV vs. WEB: what changes in familiar verses
The King James Version here is the standardized 1769 text. The World English Bible is the edition the public Bible pages open in. Side by side:
| Verse | King James Version (KJV) | World English Bible (WEB) |
|---|---|---|
| Psalm 23:1 | The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. | Yahweh is my shepherd: I shall lack nothing. |
| Romans 8:28 | And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. | We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. |
Wording. The KJV keeps forms such as “whosoever believeth” in John 3:16, where the WEB has “whoever believes.”
The divine name. In Psalm 23:1, the WEB has “Yahweh” where the KJV has “the LORD.”
Numbering. The KJV prints the closing doxology of Romans at 16:25–27; the WEB numbers the same verses 14:24–26.
Source notes. At Acts 8:37 the KJV prints a verse; the WEB shows a source note in its place.
You can compare these two without an account. Every chapter of the 66 books is public in the WEB, the KJV and the BSB, with a switch between the three at the top of each chapter. Read Psalm 23 in the KJV, then switch to the WEB. In John 3, the number of a verse with its own page, such as 16, opens that verse in every edition.
Questions
Bible translation comparison questions
Is Scripture Deck free?
Yes. There is no charge to create an account, read any of the 11 editions or compare them, and no subscription or card. If optional paid features are added later, the tools you use today will stay free.
Can I compare translations without an account?
Yes, on the public Bible pages. Every chapter of the 66 books is public in the WEB, the KJV and the BSB, and 1,000 popular verses each have a page with the verse in all 11 editions. Parallel columns in the reader and collection comparisons need a free account.
Why aren’t the NIV and ESV included?
They are licensed translations that are not free to redistribute. Scripture Deck includes only editions in the public domain or shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Why does a verse have a different number in another translation?
Editions number some passages differently. The Douay-Rheims numbers most psalms one lower, so its Psalm 22 is Psalm 23 elsewhere, and several editions print the end of Romans at 16:25–27 where the WEB has 14:24–26. Scripture Deck lines editions up by verse, shows each edition’s own number, and explains the difference in a numbering note.
Can I compare translations on my phone?
Yes. Scripture Deck runs in a browser and can be installed as a web app on supported devices. On a phone the Parallel button shows as a two-column icon, and each verse lists its editions one after another; comparison columns follow one another down the page.
Can I copy a comparison?
Yes. In the reader, Copy adds the reference and edition after the verse, such as “John 3:16 (KJV)”. On a comparison, each column’s copy button and Copy all give the reference and edition, then the text, ready to paste into a Bible note or anywhere else.
Scripture sources: John 3:16, Psalm 23:1 and Romans 8:28 are quoted from Scripture Deck’s pinned editions of the World English Bible, King James Version (standardized 1769 text), Berean Standard Bible, Young’s Literal Translation and Douay-Rheims 1899. All five are public domain; the King James Version is public domain outside the United Kingdom. Credits for the first four are on the sources page; the Douay-Rheims is the 1899 American edition from eBible.org.