For those who want to know what Jesus really said, how he said it, why crowds came to hear him, and shades of meaning lost or hidden in translation.

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Today's Verse Analysis

What is bound and untied on heaven and earth

Spoken to
audience
KJV Verse

Matthew 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

NIV Verse:

Matthew 18:19 Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.

What His Listeners Heard:

Again, Amen, I tell you that when two from you agree on this earth about every matter of it, when they ask it will happen for them with that Father of mine, the one in skies.

Lost In Translation:

Much of this verse is actually a humorous observation about human nature and our inability to agree on anything and the fact that the Father can change our opinions. The mistakes regarding the translation of "any thing," which means "every matter of it," here is repeated in most Bibles.

KJV w/Translation Issues :

Again I say unto you, That if(CW) two of(CW) you shall(CW) agree on (MW) earth as touching any(WW) thing(WW) that(WF) (MW) they shall(CW) ask, it shall be(WV) done(WW) for them of(CW) my (MW) Father which(CW) is(IW) in heaven(WN).

KJV List (See full page for word-by-word analysis):
For analysis of each word of original Greek and biblical verses, click here.

Constantly Updated

My analysis standards and methods are constantly improving. New information on each verse is provided as articles are updated. It requires approximately two years for me to work through updating each of Jesus's verses.

What Jesus's Listeners Heard

The everyday meanings of the Greek words Jesus used were different than the definitions they have been given over time in biblical translation. The word translations here are based upon documents of his time such as the Greek Septuagint, not ideas unknown in his time.

About this Site

See what Jesus said in Greek and see how his words are changed in English translation. My goal is to translate Jesus's words as they were heard when he taught, not the way they are interpreted today. The work here resurrects the humor and cleverness of Jesus's words lost in translation.

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Do Your Own Research

Each article provides detailed information on all the Greek words in each verse with links simplifying your own research. It compares the Greek to popular translations to show where words are confused, changed, left out, and added. This site offers research available nowhere else, such as how often Jesus uses a specific Greek word and links to a list of every verse in which he uses a given word.