The Christian Greek Scriptures, completed near the end of the first century of our Common Era, are an indispensable part of the Sacred Scriptures inspired by the Creator of heaven and earth. In fact, the original Greek Scriptures give us the key to the proper understanding of the first and larger part of the Holy Bible, that is, the inspired Hebrew Scriptures, commonly called “The Old Testament.” Comparatively few persons in this latter half of the 20th century have studied the original language of the inspired Greek Scriptures so as to be able to enjoy directly the basic thoughts of the original written text. The inspired Greek Scriptures were written in koi·neʹ (common) Greek of the first century of our Common Era, the international language of that period of time.

Sincere searchers for eternal, life-giving truth desire an accurate understanding of the faith-inspiring Greek Scriptures, an understanding that is fortified by the knowledge of what the original language says and means. The purpose behind the publishing of The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures is to aid such seekers of truth and life. Its literal interlinear English translation is specially designed to open up to the student of the Sacred Scriptures what the original koi·neʹ Greek basically or literally says.

In the broad left-hand column of the pages will be found the Greek text edited by B. F. Westcott and F. J. A. Hort, and published in 1881. Between the lines of the Greek text will be found the word-for-word English translation of 1969. In the narrower right-hand column of the pages will be found the 20th-century language New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, Matthew to Revelation, in its 1984 revision. The word-for-word interlinear translation and the New World Translation are arranged in parallel on the page, so that comparisons can be made between the two readings. Thus, the accuracy of any modern translation can be determined.

The interlinear word-for-word rendering has not been made by taking the English word or phrase from the modern translation in the right-hand column and transferring it to a position under the Greek word to which it corresponds. Rather, the translation under each Greek word sets out what the Greek word itself says according to its root meanings (where the Greek word is made up of two or more particles) and according to its grammatical form. So in many cases the reading in the English word-for-word interlinear translation is not the same as that found in the right-hand column. This helps one to determine what the Greek text actually, basically says. In using these interlinear readings, one will find a greater demand for scrutiny than when reading the parallel flowing translation into English. Yet in doing so, one is rewarded with increased Bible comprehension.

PARENTHESES: In the English interlinear readings, parentheses occur. These denote that the English word or words enclosed are implied in the meaning of the Greek word above, according to its gender, number, antecedents, or relation to context.

BRACKETS: In the English readings (interlinear and main), brackets occur. These denote that the word or words enclosed have been inserted by the translators to make some application that is shown by the Greek word or to show something that is understood along with the Greek word because of its grammatical form. For example, the Greek definite article for “the” may be used just by itself to denote a person. But this article may be in the feminine gender, and according to the context it applies to a woman. Accordingly, for the enlightenment of the reader who is not familiar with Greek, the word “woman” is inserted enclosed in brackets in the English reading.

DOUBLE BRACKETS: In the Greek text and also in the English renderings, double brackets are to be found. These enclose matter that coeditors Westcott and Hort considered to be interpolations. Such interpolations may be things omitted by certain recognized Greek manuscripts or may be “important matter apparently derived from extraneous sources,” as, for instance, the alternate conclusions to Mark’s Gospel.—See The New Testament in the Original Greek, by Westcott and Hort, London, 1881, Vol. I, p. 565.

SECOND PERSON PLURALS: Where “YOU” is printed in small capital letters, it shows that the pronoun is plural. Also, where the plural number of a verb is not apparent, its plurality is indicated by printing it in small capital letters. If the context already clearly indicates plurality, then no special capitalization is used.

OMITTED VERSES: Verses found in the King James Version of 1611 but not found in the Westcott and Hort Greek text are omitted and are indicated by the verse number followed by a long dash.

FOOTNOTES: In this edition we have updated the footnotes. These footnotes use symbols that are explained in the section entitled “Explanation of the Symbols Used” (pages 13-15).

In the firm conviction that this work will be of great aid to readers in the understanding of the original inspired Greek Scriptures, we take pleasure in offering it to the public.