Hebrews 10:9 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.
Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
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.
then hath he said, Lo, I am come to do thy will. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
1901 · Public domain · The American revision of the English Revised Version. Deliberately literal, and the base text behind several later translations.
then he said, Lo, I come to do thy will. He takes away the first that he may establish the second;
1890 · Public domain · John Nelson Darby's translation, made for close study rather than public reading. Often exposes grammatical detail other versions smooth over.
then he said, `Lo, I come to do, O God, Thy will;' he doth take away the first that the second he may establish;
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.
then he has said, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He takes away the first, that he may establish the second,
2000s · Public domain · A modern-English update of the ASV. Reads close to contemporary speech while staying in the literal tradition. Includes the Apocrypha.
and then there is added – ‘See, I have come to do your will.’ The former sacrifices are set aside to be replaced by the latter.
in progress · Public domain (CC0) · A modern open-licensed translation, still being completed. Some Old Testament books are not yet available.
and then there is added – “See, I have come to do your will.” The former sacrifices are set aside to be replaced by the latter.
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.
Then he said, See, I have come to do your pleasure. He took away the old order, so that he might put the new order in its place.
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.
Then he, has said, “Behold, I have come to do your will, He takes away the first, that he may establish the second.
Word-for-word swaps
- Lo→has
- thy→your
- taketh→takes
The verses either side
King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.