2 Corinthians 4:17 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 our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding eternal weight of glory;
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 our light affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory;
1901 · Public domain · The American revision of the English Revised Version. Deliberately literal, and the base text behind several later translations.
For our momentary [and] light affliction works for us in surpassing measure an eternal weight of glory;
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 the momentary light matter of our tribulation, more and more exceedingly an age-during weight of glory doth work out for us--
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 our light affliction, which is for the moment, works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory;
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.
The light burden of our momentary trouble is preparing for us, in measure transcending thought, a weight of imperishable glory;
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 our present trouble, which is only for a short time, is working out for us a much greater weight of glory;
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 our light affliction, which is for the moment, works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory;
Word-for-word swaps
- a→the
- worketh→works
- exceeding→and
The verses either side
King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.