Updated September 2026 · Reviewed for biblical clarity, historical context, and beginner readability.
If you have ever opened the Bible and wondered why there are four Gospels—and where you are supposed to begin—you are not alone.
Many new believers start reading Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John and quickly notice something strange: the stories sometimes repeat, the wording changes, and John can feel very different from the other three. That can make the Gospels seem more confusing than they actually are.
The basic idea is simple. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are four accounts of the same Jesus, written for different audiences and with different emphases. Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King, Mark as the Servant in action, Luke as the Savior for all people, and John as the Son of God.
Together, they help you understand who Jesus is, what He taught, what He did, and why His death and resurrection matter.
What Are the Four Gospels?
The four Gospels are the first four books of the New Testament:
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
The word Gospel comes from a Greek term meaning “good news.” In the Bible, it refers to the good news about Jesus Christ and what God has done through Him.
Each Gospel tells the story of Jesus’ life, teaching, miracles, death, and resurrection from a particular angle. They are not four separate religions, four different Jesuses, or four modern biographies that attempt to record every year of His life.
They are four purposeful accounts of one person, written for different first readers.
The four Gospels also sit at the beginning of the New Testament because everything that follows builds on what they tell us about Jesus. To understand where they fit within the rest of Scripture, it can help to read how the Old Testament connects to the New.
John states the purpose of his own Gospel plainly:
“These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” — John 20:31
That purpose is worth keeping in mind while you read all four.
What Does Each Gospel Focus On?
This table gives the short answer. The sections that follow explain each one in more detail.
| Gospel | Audience | Emphasis | Key Verse |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew | Jewish believers familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures | Jesus as the promised King and Messiah, fulfilling what was promised | Matthew 28:19–20 |
| Mark | Roman and Gentile readers under pressure | Jesus as the Servant in action, with urgency, power, and costly service | Mark 10:45 |
| Luke | Greek-speaking Gentiles; addressed to Theophilus | Jesus as the Savior for everyone, with compassion and inclusion | Luke 19:10 |
| John | A broad readership, written to produce belief | Jesus as the eternal Son of God, with emphasis on belief and eternal life | John 20:31 |
The table is useful when you need the quick answer, but the differences become much clearer once you see what each Gospel is trying to show you.
Who Wrote Each Gospel, and When?
None of the four Gospels names its author directly within the text. The names attached to them come from very early and consistent church tradition, with some of that tradition traceable to within living memory of the events.
| Gospel | Traditionally attributed to | Written approximately | Original audience |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew | Matthew, also called Levi, a tax collector and one of the twelve apostles | AD 60–85 | Jewish Christians, likely in Syria or Palestine |
| Mark | John Mark, a close companion of Peter and co-worker of Paul | AD 65–70 | Roman Christians facing persecution |
| Luke | Luke, a physician and travelling companion of Paul | AD 60–85 | Greek-speaking Gentile believers; addressed to Theophilus |
| John | John the Apostle, described as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” | AD 85–100 | A broad readership, written to produce faith |
These dates are approximate, and scholars debate the exact dating and relationships between the Gospels. That debate is legitimate, but it does not prevent you from reading them well.
An early church writer named Papias, writing in the first half of the second century, records that Mark set down what he had heard from Peter. That is one of the reasons the traditional attribution of Mark continues to be taken seriously.
You do not need to settle every authorship question before beginning the Gospels. It is enough to know what the traditional claims are, what the scholarly debates involve, and where the major points of uncertainty remain.
Matthew: Jesus the Promised King
Matthew writes for readers who know the Hebrew Scriptures and are asking whether Jesus is the Messiah those Scriptures promised.
His answer is a sustained yes.
Matthew presents Jesus as the long-awaited King, descended from David and fulfilling prophecy.
The Gospel opens with a genealogy, placing Jesus in Israel’s story from the very first sentence. From there, Matthew repeatedly connects events in Jesus’ life to Old Testament promises. Roughly a dozen “this was to fulfil what was spoken” formulas make that connection especially clear.
Matthew also has a deliberate teaching structure. The book contains five major teaching blocks, with the Sermon on the Mount in chapters 5–7 being the first and most famous.
Its key verse is Matthew 28:19–20, the Great Commission with which the Gospel ends.
Matthew is also where you find the visit of the Magi, the flight to Egypt, and the parable of the sheep and the goats, all of which are absent from the other three Gospels.
Because Matthew leans so heavily on fulfilled prophecy, it can read more naturally once you understand how the Old Testament connects to the New. BibleProject’s guide to the book of Matthew is also a useful free overview of its literary structure.
Read Matthew especially closely if you want to understand how Jesus connects with Old Testament prophecy or if you prefer teaching arranged around major themes.
Mark: Jesus the Servant in Action
Mark is the shortest Gospel and the fastest moving.
It reads less like a treatise and more like an urgent report.
Mark presents Jesus as the Servant who came “not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
Unlike Matthew and Luke, Mark has no genealogy and no birth narrative. It moves straight to John the Baptist, Jesus’ baptism, and the beginning of His public ministry.
One of Mark’s most noticeable features is the repeated use of the word translated “immediately.” It appears more than forty times and helps drive the pace of the story.
The book also pivots around Peter’s confession in chapter 8. Before that point, the question is largely about who Jesus is. After it, the story increasingly moves toward the cross.
Mark’s key verse is Mark 10:45.
Mark contains the least unique material of the four Gospels. That is actually part of what makes it useful for beginners. Much of what you encounter in Mark also appears elsewhere, so the Gospel gives you a concentrated overview of Jesus’ ministry.
If you are new to the Bible, short on time, or want momentum rather than depth on a first pass, Mark is a natural starting point. BibleProject’s guide to the book of Mark gives a helpful overview of its structure.
Luke: Jesus the Savior for Everyone
Luke is the most carefully framed of the four Gospels.
He begins by explaining his method. He has investigated the eyewitness accounts so that he can write “an orderly account” for Theophilus in Luke 1:1–4.
Luke presents Jesus as the Savior who seeks out people others often overlook.
The Gospel gives particular attention to the poor, women, foreigners, the sick, and the socially excluded. That concern is not occasional. It runs through the book.
Luke also begins with parallel birth narratives of John the Baptist and Jesus. Later, his Gospel connects directly to Acts, which functions as a second volume. Read together, Luke and Acts form one continuous story from Jesus’ birth to the spread of the Gospel to Rome.
Luke’s key verse is Luke 19:10:
“The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Some of the best-known stories in Scripture appear only in Luke, including the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, Zacchaeus, and the walk to Emmaus.
Read Luke if you enjoy narrative detail, want to spend more time with Jesus’ parables, or want to see how the Gospel reaches people from many different backgrounds.
BibleProject’s guide to the book of Luke is a useful companion for understanding how Luke and Acts fit together.
John: Jesus the Son of God
John stands apart from Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
He assumes you may already know the basic outline of the story and asks a different question:
Who exactly is Jesus?
Rather than beginning with a genealogy or a birth narrative, John begins before creation:
“In the beginning was the Word.” — John 1:1
John presents Jesus as the eternal Word made flesh and focuses heavily on His identity, belief, and eternal life.
The Gospel contains seven major “I am” statements, including Jesus’ descriptions of Himself as the bread of life, the light of the world, the good shepherd, and the resurrection and the life. It also contains seven signs selected for their significance.
Chapters 13–17 form an extended private conversation with the disciples on the night before the crucifixion. Much of that material appears nowhere else in the four Gospels.
John’s key verse is John 20:31, which is also the Gospel’s own purpose statement.
John uniquely records Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman at the well, the raising of Lazarus, the washing of the disciples’ feet, and Thomas’ doubt.
Read John if you want to understand Jesus’ identity more deeply or if you are wrestling with belief itself.
BibleProject’s guide to the book of John is a helpful companion for a slower, more reflective read.
Why Are There Four Gospels Instead of One?
A natural question for new believers is why the Bible gives us four accounts of Jesus instead of one.
The simplest explanation is that each Gospel writer noticed and emphasized things the others did not emphasize in the same way.
Each Gospel was written for a different community with different questions. Jewish readers needed to understand how Jesus related to the promises of Scripture. Roman readers needed to understand His authority, power, and service. Gentile readers needed to know that the message of salvation was for them too.
Each Gospel also highlights a different dimension of who Jesus is. Remove one and the overall portrait becomes less complete.
Together, the four accounts provide corroboration of the central events of Jesus’ life, including His teaching, death, and resurrection.
The differences between the accounts are not automatically errors. If four people described the same wedding, you would expect different details, different emphases, and different lengths. You would be more suspicious if all four accounts were completely identical.
The same principle helps explain why Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John can feel different while remaining focused on the same Jesus.
What Are the Synoptic Gospels?
Matthew, Mark, and Luke are called the Synoptic Gospels.
The word synoptic comes from Greek roots meaning roughly “seeing together.” The three books share a large amount of material, often in the same order and sometimes with very similar wording.
John is not a Synoptic Gospel. Its content and approach are substantially different.
Knowing this term answers a question many new readers have before they know how to phrase it:
Why do three of the four Gospels feel so similar while one feels so different?
The “Synoptic Problem,” Explained Simply
You may come across the phrase “Synoptic Problem” in Bible study notes.
It does not mean that there is a problem with the Bible. It is the scholarly question of how to explain the overlap between Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
The most widely held explanation is that Mark was written first and that Matthew and Luke both drew on Mark along with other material. One common theory also proposes a shared collection of Jesus’ sayings known as Q.
Other proposals exist.
You do not need a settled position on the Synoptic Problem to benefit from reading the Gospels. Knowing that the discussion exists simply helps you understand why Matthew, Mark, and Luke share so much material.
Why Is John So Different From the Other Three Gospels?
Estimates commonly put around 90% of John’s content as unique to his account.
The difference is not only in what John includes but also in how he writes.
| Feature | Matthew, Mark and Luke | John |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching style | Short sayings and many parables | Long discourses and extended dialogues |
| Geography | Mostly Galilee, with a final journey to Jerusalem | Repeated visits to Jerusalem and its festivals |
| Miracles | Called “mighty works”; many are reported | Called “signs”; seven are selected for their meaning |
| Jesus’ identity | Revealed gradually, often kept quiet | Stated openly from the first chapter |
| Parables | Central to the teaching | Almost none; replaced by images such as the vine, shepherd, and light |
John was probably written last, to a church that had been living with the story of Jesus for decades.
That helps explain the difference in register. John is less concerned with simply reporting the sequence of events and more concerned with pressing the question of belief and Jesus’ identity.
What Is Unique to Each Gospel?
One of the fastest ways to feel the distinct personality of each Gospel is to look at material that appears only in one account.
Only in Matthew
Matthew uniquely records the visit of the Magi, the flight to Egypt, Joseph’s dreams, the coin found in the fish, the parable of the sheep and the goats, the parable of the ten virgins, and the Great Commission.
Only in Mark
Mark contains relatively little unique material. Its distinctive scenes include the healing of a deaf man in the Decapolis, the blind man at Bethsaida being healed in two stages, the parable of the growing seed, and the young man who flees the arrest scene.
Only in Luke
Luke uniquely includes the shepherds and the manger, Simeon and Anna, Jesus at twelve in the temple, the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, the rich man and Lazarus, Zacchaeus, the ten lepers, the penitent thief, and the road to Emmaus.
Only in John
John uniquely records the wedding at Cana, Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman at the well, the healing at Bethesda, the raising of Lazarus, the washing of the disciples’ feet, the seven “I am” statements, the farewell discourse, doubting Thomas, and breakfast on the shore.
Only Matthew and Luke describe Jesus’ birth. Mark begins with His adult ministry, while John begins before creation.
All four Gospels record the crucifixion and resurrection.
The Four Traditional Symbols of the Gospels
In church art, you will often see the four Gospels represented by four creatures: a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle.
The images come from the four living creatures described in Ezekiel 1:10 and Revelation 4:7. Early Christian writers later connected those creatures with the four Gospel accounts.
| Gospel | Symbol | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Matthew | A man | It opens with Jesus’ human genealogy. |
| Mark | A lion | It opens with a voice crying in the wilderness. |
| Luke | An ox | It opens in the temple, with priestly sacrifice. |
| John | An eagle | Its perspective begins above creation, looking down. |
This particular arrangement comes from Jerome and became standard in Western Christianity.
Irenaeus, writing earlier, assigned the symbols differently. So if you encounter another arrangement in older Christian art or writing, both traditions are genuine.
The symbols are an interpretive aid, not part of Scripture itself.
What Order Were the Gospels Written In?
The order in which the Gospels appear in your Bible is not necessarily the order in which they were written.
Matthew comes first partly because it was long assumed to be the earliest Gospel.
| Order in the Bible | Likely order of writing |
|---|---|
| 1. Matthew | 1. Mark — earliest, on the most widely held view |
| 2. Mark | 2. Matthew |
| 3. Luke | 3. Luke |
| 4. John | 4. John — latest |
This matters for one practical reason. If Mark was written first and Matthew and Luke drew on it, then reading Mark first lets you see the foundation before you see what Matthew and Luke built on it.
The exact dating and relationships between the Gospels remain a subject of scholarly discussion, so this is best understood as a scholarly reconstruction rather than an absolute certainty.
Which Gospel Should You Read First?
If you want a single recommendation, start with Mark.
It is the shortest, the fastest, and the most concentrated overview of Jesus’ ministry per hour of reading.
But the better answer depends on why you are reading.
| If this describes you | Start with | Because |
|---|---|---|
| You are completely new to the Bible | Mark | It has 16 chapters, takes roughly 90 minutes, and maintains constant forward movement. |
| You are wrestling with whether you believe | John | It was written specifically to address the question of belief. |
| You enjoy stories and detail | Luke | It provides a rich narrative and contains many parables. |
| You know the Old Testament | Matthew | Its prophecy connections will be especially meaningful. |
| You have very little time | Mark, one chapter a day | You can finish it in about two weeks. |
| You are reading with children | Luke or Mark | Both contain concrete stories and relatively short scenes. |
There is no wrong starting point.
The bigger mistake is waiting to choose perfectly instead of beginning.
Are the Gospels Historically Reliable?
This is a fair question, and it deserves a straight answer rather than a defensive one.
Several things count in the Gospels’ favour as historical documents.
They were written within a few decades of the events, while eyewitnesses were still alive and able to contradict them. They also survive in a very large number of early manuscripts, which allows scholars to compare copies and identify where textual variation occurs.
The Gospels contain material that would have been awkward to invent. The disciples repeatedly fail. Peter denies Jesus. Jesus’ own family doubts Him.
Women are presented as the first witnesses to the resurrection in a culture that undervalued their testimony. Those first witnesses did what Christians still do today: they told others what they saw. That is the start of evangelism, which simply means sharing the good news. Jesus gave this task to all his followers in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19–20).
The central claims are also presented across four Gospel accounts rather than resting on only one.
At the same time, honesty requires recognizing that the Gospels are not neutral reporting, and they never claim to be. Each author selected and arranged material to make a case. John says this openly in John 20:31.
Recognizing that the Gospels are purposeful accounts is not a weakness. It is simply reading them as the kind of documents they present themselves to be.
Why Aren’t There More Gospels in the Bible?
You may have heard of the Gospel of Thomas or the Gospel of Judas and wondered why they are not included in the Bible.
It is a reasonable question.
Those texts were written considerably later, generally from the middle of the second century onward, which places them well outside the lifetime of anyone who could have witnessed the events described in the canonical Gospels.
They were also not in circulation in the earliest Christian communities, and their theology differs sharply from the four canonical Gospels. They often present salvation as secret knowledge for insiders rather than as good news announced publicly.
By contrast, the four Gospels were being used together and treated as authoritative very early.
Irenaeus, writing around AD 180, explicitly argues that there are four Gospels and only four. The Muratorian Fragment, from roughly the same period, also lists them.
The church did not simply select four from a large field of equally early accounts. The four Gospels were already being read and recognized by the earliest Christian communities.
Which Bible Translation Should You Read the Gospels In?
For a first read, choose readability over precision. You can always compare a more literal translation later.
| Translation | Character | Good first choice if… |
|---|---|---|
| NIV | Balanced between accuracy and readability | You want a widely used default. |
| NLT | Thought-for-thought and very readable | English is not your first language, or previous attempts felt heavy. |
| ESV | More literal and slightly more formal | You want wording closer to the structure of the original. |
| CSB | Contemporary middle ground | You want readable English without loosening the wording too much. |
| KJV | Traditional, 400-year-old English | You specifically want the classic literary version. |
A practical approach is to read a passage in a readable translation first and then compare it with a more literal translation when something puzzles you.
Bible Gateway lets you compare translations side by side at no cost.
What the Gospels Are Not
Clearing up a few misconceptions saves a lot of unnecessary confusion.
The Gospels are not simply contradictory accounts. Differences in detail can reflect each author’s purpose and audience, and where the accounts vary they often supplement one another rather than directly conflict.
They are not modern biographies. None of the four attempts to cover Jesus’ entire life. All four concentrate on roughly three years of ministry, with a striking proportion of each Gospel devoted to His final week.
They are not four religions or four Jesuses. One person is at the centre of all four accounts, presented through four different portraits.
They are also not arranged as one chronological record. Each Gospel organizes its material to serve its own purpose. Matthew, for example, often groups Jesus’ teaching thematically rather than arranging everything strictly by date.
An 8-Week Gospel Reading Plan
One chapter a day would complete all four Gospels in about three months. The plan below is a slightly faster eight-week version, averaging roughly one and a half chapters a day.
| Weeks | Read | Chapters | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Mark | 16 | Notice what Jesus does and how often “immediately” appears. |
| 3–4 | John | 21 | Pay attention to who Jesus claims to be and mark each “I am” statement. |
| 5–6 | Luke | 24 | Notice who Jesus pays attention to and track the overlooked people He stops for. |
| 7–8 | Matthew | 28 | Watch how Jesus fulfils what was promised and notice the “to fulfil” phrases. |
Keep one notebook for the whole eight weeks and write a single sentence after each reading:
What did this show me about Jesus?
If you want more structure, the SOAP method gives you a four-line template, while the 5-minute daily Bible habit explains how to make regular reading easier to maintain.
How to Read the Gospels Without Feeling Overwhelmed
Five habits make the difference between finishing and stalling.
Read one scene at a time. The Gospels are made up of episodes, so it can be more useful to stop at the end of a scene rather than at a chapter break.
Ask one question of every passage:
What does this show me about Jesus?
That question works across all four Gospels and does not require study notes.
Let confusing passages wait. Mark them and move on. Many questions become clearer as you gain more context.
Notice the setting. Knowing that Galilee was largely rural while Jerusalem was the religious centre can change how many scenes read. Bible charts and maps can be genuinely useful here.
Finally, write one line a day. A single sentence is enough to make the reading stick.
If reading the Bible generally still feels difficult, the best way to read the Bible for the first time starts further back than this article does.
Common Mistakes New Believers Make With the Gospels
Reading too fast to notice anything
Speed produces coverage without comprehension. Three chapters you remember beat ten you do not.
Treating differences as errors
When two accounts differ, ask what each author is emphasizing before assuming one must be wrong.
Skipping the context
A parable aimed at religious leaders can read very differently once you know who was standing there. If passages keep feeling disconnected, understanding what you read without feeling confused addresses this directly.
Expecting to understand everything immediately
People who spent three years with Jesus in person misunderstood Him regularly. Patience with yourself is realistic, not lazy.
Reading about Jesus without ever applying it
Knowledge of the Gospels is meant to change how you live. Applying the Bible to daily life is a natural next step once you have read one Gospel through.
Where the Gospels Sit in the New Testament
The four Gospels open the New Testament and set up everything that follows.
Acts, which is Luke’s second volume, continues the story into the early church. The letters that follow, most of them written by Paul, explain the implications of what the Gospels report.
The ordering is deliberate: the events come first, followed by explanation and application.
For the full map, see every book of the Bible explained. BibleProject’s New Testament book guides also provide a free book-by-book reference.
A Word of Encouragement
Understanding Jesus’ life takes time.
Some days a passage will open up immediately. Other days you may close the book unsure about what you just read. Both are ordinary parts of learning, and neither is a measure of your faith.
God is patient with beginners. Sincerity counts for more than fluency.
So start small. Read slowly. Write one line.
If you would like a set of verses to hold onto while you read, verses every new believer should know is a useful companion.
The Elvasma 66-Page Bible Study Guide also gives you a one-page orientation to each book, including all four Gospels, before you begin reading.
The Gospels are not an examination.
They are an invitation to meet the person at the centre of them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does each Gospel focus on?
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King who fulfils Old Testament prophecy. Mark presents Him as the Servant in urgent action. Luke presents Him as the Savior for everyone, especially the overlooked. John presents Him as the eternal Son of God and writes to produce belief. Together, they give one fuller portrait of Jesus.
What are the Synoptic Gospels?
Matthew, Mark, and Luke are called the Synoptic Gospels because their accounts can be “seen together.” They share a large amount of material, often in the same order and sometimes in very similar wording. John is not a Synoptic Gospel because its content and style are substantially different.
Why is the Gospel of John so different from the other three?
Around 90% of John’s content appears nowhere else. John uses long discourses instead of relying mainly on short sayings, places much of the action in Jerusalem rather than Galilee, contains almost no parables, and states Jesus’ divine identity openly from the first chapter.
Which Gospel should a new believer read first?
Mark is a straightforward starting point because it has 16 chapters, takes roughly 90 minutes to read, and moves quickly through Jesus’ ministry. John may be more useful if you are wrestling with belief itself, Luke if you enjoy narrative detail, and Matthew if you already know the Old Testament well.
How long does it take to read all four Gospels?
The four Gospels contain 89 chapters and take approximately eight hours to read at a steady pace. At one chapter a day, that is roughly three months. At about one and a half chapters a day, it fits comfortably into eight weeks.
What order were the four Gospels written in?
Most scholars hold that Mark was written first, followed by Matthew and Luke, with John written last. This differs from the order in your Bible, where Matthew comes first partly because it was long assumed to be the earliest Gospel.
What are the symbols of the four Gospels?
Matthew is represented by a man, Mark by a lion, Luke by an ox, and John by an eagle. The images come from the four living creatures in Ezekiel 1:10 and Revelation 4:7. This particular arrangement comes from Jerome, while Irenaeus assigned them differently.
Which Gospels tell the story of Jesus’ birth?
Only Matthew and Luke describe Jesus’ birth. Matthew includes the Magi and the flight to Egypt, while Luke includes the shepherds, the manger, Simeon, and Anna. Mark begins with Jesus’ adult ministry, while John begins before creation with “In the beginning was the Word.”
Do the four Gospels contradict each other?
The Gospels differ in detail, emphasis, and arrangement because each author wrote for a different audience and purpose. Where accounts vary, they often supplement one another. The fact that four accounts are not identical does not by itself make them contradictory.
Why aren’t the Gospel of Thomas or the Gospel of Judas in the Bible?
These texts were written much later, generally from the middle of the second century onward, outside the lifetime of eyewitnesses to the events described by the canonical Gospels. They were also not in circulation in the earliest Christian communities, and their theology differs sharply from the four canonical Gospels.
Are the Gospels historically reliable?
They have several features that matter when assessing their historical value, including composition within decades of the events, a large number of early manuscripts, corroboration across four accounts, and the inclusion of material that would have been awkward to invent. They are also openly purposeful documents rather than neutral reporting.
Do I need to read all four Gospels, or is one enough?
One Gospel is enough to begin and will give you the essential story. Reading all four gives you a fuller portrait because each includes material the others omit. You would miss the Prodigal Son without Luke and the raising of Lazarus without John.
What is the Gospel in simple terms?
The word Gospel means “good news.” The message is that Jesus, the Son of God, lived, died for human sin, and rose again, and that those who trust in Him are forgiven and receive eternal life.
Which Bible translation is best for reading the Gospels?
For a first read, choose readability. The NIV is a reliable default, while the NLT can be easier to follow if previous attempts felt heavy. The ESV and CSB stay closer to the wording and structure of the original languages. A useful approach is to read a passage in a readable translation and compare a puzzling verse with a more literal translation.