2 Maccabees 13:15 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.
And having given the watchword to them that were about him, Victory is of God; with the most valiant and choice young men he went in into the king’s tent by night, and slew in the camp about four thousand men, and the chiefest of the elephants, with all that were upon him.
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.
And given out to his men the watchword, VICTORY IS GOD’S, with a chosen body of the bravest young men he fell upon the camp by night and penetrated to the king’s tent, and killed of the army as many as two thousand men, and brought down the chiefest elephant with him that was in the tower upon him.
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 given out to his men the watchword Victory is GOD’S, with a chosen body of the bravest young men he fell upon the camp by night, and penetrated to the king’s tent, and killed of the army as many as two thousand men, and brought down the chiefest elephant with him that was in the tower upon him.
Word-for-word swaps
- God→GOD’S
- choice→bravest
- into→fell
- tent→camp
- in→penetrated
- four→king’s
The verses either side
King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.
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.