Bible Verses
Translation comparison

1 Maccabees 12:33 in 2 translations

2 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.

King James Version
KJV

Simon also went forth, and passed through the country unto Ascalon, and the holds there adjoining, from whence he turned aside to Joppa, and won it.

1611 / 1769 · Public domain · The Authorised Version, revised to the 1769 Blayney text. Includes the Apocrypha as printed in 1611.

Modern English

Contemporary vocabulary and punctuation, aiming for the sentence a present-day reader would write while staying close to the source.

World English Bible
WEB

And Simon went forth, and took his journey as far as Ascalon, and the strongholds that were near to it. And he turned toward Joppa, and took possession of it;

2000s · Public domain · A modern-English update of the ASV. Reads close to contemporary speech while staying in the literal tradition. Includes the Apocrypha.

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.

And Simon went forth, and took his journey as far as Ascalon, and the strongholds that were near to it. And he turned toward Joppa, and took possession of it.

Word-for-word swaps

  • untotook
  • whencestrongholds
  • totoward
  • wontook

The verses either side

King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.

32And removing thence, he came to Damascus, and so passed through all the country,
33Simon also went forth, and passed through the country unto Ascalon, and the holds there adjoining, from whence he turned aside to Joppa, and won it.
34For he had heard that they would deliver the hold unto them that took Demetrius’ part; wherefore he set a garrison there to keep it.

Not shown for this verse: American Standard Version, Darby Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Open English Bible (US), Open English Bible (Commonwealth), Bible in Basic English. Most modern translations do not include the Apocrypha.