2 Corinthians 10:15 in 8 translations
8 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.
Not boasting of things without measure, of other men’s labours; but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly,
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.
not glorying beyond [our] measure, [that is,] in other men`s labors; but having hope that, as your faith groweth, we shall be magnified in you according to our province unto [further] abundance,
1901 · Public domain · The American revision of the English Revised Version. Deliberately literal, and the base text behind several later translations.
not boasting out of measure in other people's labours, but having hope, your faith increasing, to be enlarged amongst you, according to our rule, yet more abundantly
1890 · Public domain · John Nelson Darby's translation, made for close study rather than public reading. Often exposes grammatical detail other versions smooth over.
not boasting of the things not measured, in other men's labours, and having hope--your faith increasing--in you to be enlarged, according to our line--into abundance,
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.
not boasting beyond proper limits in other men’s labors, but having hope that as your faith grows, we will be abundantly enlarged by you in our sphere of influence,
2000s · Public domain · A modern-English update of the ASV. Reads close to contemporary speech while staying in the literal tradition. Includes the Apocrypha.
Our boasting, therefore, is not unlimited, nor does it extend to the labors of others; but our hope is that, as your faith grows, our influence among you may be very greatly increased – though still confined to our sphere –
in progress · Public domain (CC0) · A modern open-licensed translation, still being completed. Some Old Testament books are not yet available.
Our boasting, therefore, is not unlimited, nor does it extend to the labours of others; but our hope is that, as your faith grows, our influence among you may be very greatly increased – though still confined to our sphere –
in progress · Public domain (CC0) · The Commonwealth spelling edition of the Open English Bible. Identical wording to the US edition apart from spelling.
Simplified English
Built from a deliberately small vocabulary so the sense stays reachable for new readers and non-native speakers. Trades nuance for clarity.
Not taking credit to ourselves for what is not our business, that is, for the work of others; but having hope that, with the growth of your faith, we may get the credit for an increase which is the effect of our work,
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.
Not boasting beyond proper limits in other men’s labors, but having hope, that as your faith grows, we will be abundantly enlarged by you in our sphere of influence,
Word-for-word swaps
- of→beyond
- labours→labors
- when→that
- that→grows
- shall→will
- to→in
The verses either side
King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.