History of the Lord's Prayer in English

The Lord's Prayer has been translated and updated throughout the history of the English language. Here are examples which show the major developments:

Translations of Matthew 6:9b–13

The text of the Matthean Lord's Prayer in the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible ultimately derives from first Old English translations. Not considering the doxology, only five words of the KJV are later borrowings directly from the Latin Vulgate (these being debts, debtors, temptation, deliver, and amen). ^[1] Early English translations such as the Wycliffe and the Old English, however, were themselves translations of the Latin Vulgate. ^[2]

Old English

c. AD 940, Lindesfarne Gospels [3] Fader ūrer ðū arð ł ðū bist in heofnum ł in heofnas sīe gehālgud noma ðīn to cymeð rīc ðīn sīe willo ðīn suǣ is in heofne ⁊ in eorðo hlāf ūserne oferwistlīc sel ūs tōdæg ⁊ forgef ūs scylda ūsra suǣ wē forgēfon scyldgum ūsum ⁊ ne inlǣd ūsih in costunge ah gefrig ūsich from yfle

AD 995, West Saxon [4] Fæder ūre þū þē eart on heofonum Sī þīn nama gehālgod Tō becume þīn rice Gewurþe þīn willa On erðon swā swā on heofonum Urne gedæghwamlīcan hlāf syle ūs tō dæg And forgyf ūs ūre gyltas Swā swā wē forgyfð ūrum gyltendum. And ne gelæd þū ūs on costnunge Ac alȳs ūs of yfele. - - Sōþlice.

Middle English

14th Century, Paues [5] Oure Fader that art in hevene halewed be thi name. Thi kyngdom come to us. Thi wylle be don, as in hevene, & in erthe. Oure eche dayes breed geve us to day. & forgeve us oure dettys, as we forgeve oure dettourys. And ne lede us not in temptacyon, but delyuere us of yvel. - - Amen.

AD 1389 Wycliffe [4] Oure fadir That art in hevenes Halwid be thi name Thi kingdom come to Be thi wille don On erthe as in hevenes Give to us this day oure bred ovir othir substaunce And forgiv us oure dettis As we forgiven oure dettours And lede us not in to temptacioun But delyevr us from yvel - - Amen.

Early Modern English

AD 1526 Tyndale [4] O oure father which arte in heven, halowed be thy name; let thy kingdom come; thy wyll be fulfilled as well in erth as hit ys in heven; geve vs this daye oure dayly breade; and forgeve vs oure treaspases, even as we forgeve them which treaspas vs; leede vs not into temptacion, but delyvre vs ffrom yvell. For thyne is the kingdom and the power, [6] and the glorye for ever. Amen.

AD 1611 King James Version [7] Our father which art in heauen, hallowed be thy name Thy kingdome come. Thy will be done, in earth, as it is in heauen. Giue vs this day our daily bread. And forgiue vs our debts, as we forgiue our debters. And lead vs not into temptation, but deliuer vs from euill: For thine is the kingdome, and the power, and the glory, for euer, Amen.

Modern English

AD 1901 American Standard Version [8] Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

AD 1989 New Revised Standard Version [9] Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one.

Other liturgical sources

AD 1549 Anglican BCP [10] Our father, whyche art in heaven, halowed be thy name. Thy Kyngdome come. Thy wyll be doen in yearth, as it is in heaven. Geve us this daye our dayly breade. And forgeve us our trespaces, as wee forgeve them that trespasse agaynst us. And leade us not into temptacion. But deliver us from evill. - - Amen.

AD 1662 Anglican BCP [11] Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil: [For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever.] Amen.

1759 Ordo administrandi sacramenta [12] Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. - - Amen.

AD 1772 Anglican BCP [13] Our Father, which art in heaven; Hallowed by thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, As it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil: [For thine is the kingdom, :and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever.] Amen.

Baltimore Catechism 1885 [14] Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name: Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us: and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. - - Amen.

The 1892 U.S. BCP [15] OUR Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, As it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil: [For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever.] Amen.

AD 1928 Anglican BCP [16] Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

AD 1988 ELLC [17] Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. [For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever.] Amen.

AD 2000 Church of England Common Worship [18] Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever. Amen.

AD 2011 Catholic Roman Missal [19] Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Other versions

1768 Benjamin Franklin ^[20]

Heavenly Father,

May all revere thee,

And become thy dutiful Children and faithful Subjects.

May thy Laws be obeyed on Earth as perfectly as they are in Heaven.

Provide for us this Day as thou has hitherto daily done.

Forgive us our Trespasses, and enable us likewise to forgive those that offend us.

Keep us out of Temptation, and deliver us from Evil.

References

Citations

1. Cook 1891, pp. 61–62.
2. Cook 1891, p. 60.
3. "The Lindisfarne Lord's Prayer Glosses Matthew Text and Translation". The Ancient Germanic Lord's Prayer. 17 June 2020.
4. The Gothic and Anglo-Saxon gospels in parallel columns with the versions of Wycliffe and Tyndale
5. Paues A 14th Century Biblical Version (1904) apud "14th Century Surprise". tyndale.org.
6. 1534 Tyndale in the English Hexapla
7. King James Bible Online
8. Biblegateway ASV
9. Biblegateway NRSV
10. The First Book of Common Prayer
11. The Order of the Administration of the Lord's Supper
12. Richard Challoner, Ordo administrandi sacramenta 1759;
13. The Book of Common Prayer, 1772
14. "A Catechism of Christian Doctrine".
15. "1892 Book of Common Prayer: Holy Communion".
16. Forms of Prayer
17. English Language Liturgical Consultation 1988, p. 11.
18. Church of England 2024.
19. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops 2011, p.  663.
20. Willcox 1972, pp. 299–303.

Sources

• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, ed. (2011). Roman Missal (3 ed.). International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation.
• Church of England, ed. (2024). "Common Worship: Common Material: The Lord's Prayer". Church of England .
• Cook, Albert S. (1891). "The Evolution of the Lord's Prayer in English". The American Journal of Philology . 12 (1): 59–66. doi:10.2307/287989. ISSN   0002-9475. JSTOR   287989 .
• English Language Liturgical Consultation, ed. (1988). "The Lord's Prayer". Praying Together (PDF). pp. 11–14. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 July 2007.
• Willcox, William B., ed. (1972). "A New Version of the Lord's Prayer, [late 1768?]". The Papers of Benjamin Franklin. Vol. 15 (January 1 through December 31, 1768). New Haven and London: Yale University Press. pp. 299–303.