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KJV vs BSB vs WEB: three free Bible translations compared

November 2, 2026

If you want a Bible you can read, quote, copy and share without asking anyone’s permission, you need a public-domain translation. Three of them cover most needs: the King James Version (KJV), the Berean Standard Bible (BSB) and the World English Bible (WEB). This guide explains where each comes from, shows them side by side on well-known verses, and suggests which to reach for when.

The short answer

• KJV if you want the wording most English speakers have memorized, for reading aloud, and for older books, hymns and sermons that quote it.
• BSB if you want modern English that stays close to the original wording, for everyday reading and study.
• WEB if you want modern English that is a little plainer and more conversational, and a careful second opinion beside the other two.

None of them is the wrong choice. Many readers keep two open: one familiar and one modern.

Where each one comes from

The King James Version was first published in 1611. The text most people read today is a later revision from the eighteenth century, with modernized spelling. Its English is formal and archaic (“thee”, “believeth”), and its rhythm has shaped the language for four centuries. It is in the public domain in most of the world. In the United Kingdom the Crown still holds rights to it.

The Berean Standard Bible is a recent translation from the Hebrew and Greek, first published as the Berean Study Bible. Its publishers placed it in the public domain in 2023. It aims to be accurate and readable at once, and it capitalizes pronouns that refer to God (“He”, “His”).

The World English Bible is a modern update of the American Standard Version of 1901, revised against the Hebrew and Greek. It was made to be public domain from the start. It uses contractions and everyday vocabulary (“don’t”), which makes it easy to read aloud to children and new readers.

Side by side

The clearest way to see the difference is to read the same verse three times. Each quotation below is copied from the public-domain text.

John 3:16

• 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.
• 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.
• WEB: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only born Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

The Greek word behind “only begotten” (monogenēs) has been debated for a long time. The BSB’s “one and only” follows most modern translations; the WEB’s “only born” keeps the idea of birth that the KJV’s wording carries.

Romans 8:28

• KJV: 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.
• BSB: And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.
• WEB: We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose.

This is a real difference, not only one of style. Some Greek manuscripts make “God” the subject of the verb, and the BSB follows that reading: God works all things together. The KJV and WEB follow manuscripts where “all things” is the subject.

Philippians 4:6

• KJV: Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
• BSB: Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
• WEB: In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

Here the KJV’s age shows. “Careful” meant “full of care”, that is, anxious. A modern reader can easily take it to mean “cautious”. This is the kind of verse where a modern translation beside the KJV helps.

Psalm 23:1

• KJV: The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
• BSB: The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
• WEB: The LORD is my shepherd; I shall lack nothing.

The BSB keeps the familiar wording where it is still accurate. The WEB says what “want” meant in 1611. All three print LORD in capitals where the Hebrew has God’s personal name.

Genesis 1:2

• KJV: And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
• BSB: Now the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
• WEB: The earth was formless and empty. Darkness was on the surface of the deep and God’s Spirit was hovering over the surface of the waters.

“Hovering” is closer to the Hebrew picture, a bird over its nest, than “moved”. The KJV’s “And … and …” keeps the Hebrew habit of starting sentences with “and”; the modern translations smooth it out.

What the differences mean for study

• Wording: The KJV and BSB tend to keep the shape of the original sentences. The WEB is a little freer with word order to sound natural.
• Manuscripts: The KJV New Testament was translated from the Greek texts available in the early 1600s. The BSB and WEB draw on many more manuscripts found since. Most differences are small, but a few, like Romans 8:28, change the sense of a verse.
• Old words: “Careful”, “want”, “prevent” and “conversation” meant different things in 1611. If a KJV verse seems odd, check a modern translation before building on it.
• Memory: If you already know a verse in the KJV, keep it. Reading a modern translation next to it deepens what you know rather than replacing it.

The habit that matters most is simple: when a verse is important to you, read it in more than one translation. Where they agree, you can be confident in the sense. Where they differ, you have found something worth studying.

Other free translations worth knowing

• American Standard Version (1901): very literal, the basis of the WEB.
• Young’s Literal Translation: follows the Hebrew and Greek word by word, including verb tenses. Hard to read straight through, useful for checking.
• Darby: a careful literal translation by John Nelson Darby.
• Webster: Noah Webster’s 1833 revision of the KJV, updating words that had changed meaning.

Reading them side by side in Carrell

Carrell includes all seven of these public-domain translations: KJV, WEB, BSB, ASV, YLT, Darby and Webster. You can read them side by side in parallel columns, or open any verse and compare it across every translation at once. The quotations on this page were copied from the texts Carrell ships. You can also import translations you already own. Licensed translations such as the NIV or ESV are not available today.

Carrell is free for reading, the bundled Bibles, search, highlights and notes, on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Linux, and it is in beta. Download Carrell, or read more about the translations and reader.