1 Corinthians 12:8 in 8 translations
7 distinct wordings, grouped by what each translation is trying to do. Differences from the King James text are marked below.
Early modern English
Seventeenth-century wording and sentence shape. Familiar, rhythmic, and the version most quotations you have heard are taken from.
For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
1611 / 1769 · Public domain · The Authorised Version, revised to the 1769 Blayney text. Includes the Apocrypha as printed in 1611.
Literal, word-for-word
Follows Hebrew and Greek word order and grammar closely, even where the English becomes stiff. Useful for seeing what the underlying sentence is doing.
For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom; and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit:
1901 · Public domain · The American revision of the English Revised Version. Deliberately literal, and the base text behind several later translations.
For to one, by the Spirit, is given [the] word of wisdom; and to another [the] word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit;
1890 · Public domain · John Nelson Darby's translation, made for close study rather than public reading. Often exposes grammatical detail other versions smooth over.
for to one through the Spirit hath been given a word of wisdom, and to another a word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit;
1898 · Public domain · The most extreme word-for-word rendering here, keeping Hebrew and Greek tense and word order at the cost of natural English.
Modern English
Contemporary vocabulary and punctuation, aiming for the sentence a present-day reader would write while staying close to the source.
For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit;
2000s · Public domain · A modern-English update of the ASV. Reads close to contemporary speech while staying in the literal tradition. Includes the Apocrypha.
These 2 editions word this verse identically.
To one is given the power to speak with wisdom through the Spirit; to another the power to speak with knowledge, due to the same Spirit;
in progress · Public domain (CC0) · A modern open-licensed translation, still being completed. Some Old Testament books are not yet available.
Simplified English
Built from a deliberately small vocabulary so the sense stays reachable for new readers and non-native speakers. Trades nuance for clarity.
For to one are given words of wisdom through the Spirit; and to another words of knowledge through the same Spirit:
1949 · Public domain · Written with roughly a thousand basic English words plus a small Bible vocabulary. The plainest reading available here.
What changes between the King James and modern wording
The modern rendering is printed below with every word that differs from the King James text marked, so the actual divergence is visible rather than left for you to spot.
For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom; and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit;
Word-for-word swaps
- by→through
- by→according
The verses either side
King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.