Hebrews 13:7 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.
Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of conversation.
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.
Remember them that had the rule over you, men that spake unto you the word of God; and considering the issue of their life, imitate their faith.
1901 · Public domain · The American revision of the English Revised Version. Deliberately literal, and the base text behind several later translations.
Remember your leaders who have spoken to you the word of God; and considering the issue of their conversation, imitate their faith.
1890 · Public domain · John Nelson Darby's translation, made for close study rather than public reading. Often exposes grammatical detail other versions smooth over.
Be mindful of those leading you, who did speak to you the word of God, whose faith--considering the issue of the behaviour--be imitating,
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.
Remember your leaders, men who spoke to you the word of God, and considering the results of their conduct, imitate their faith.
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.
Do not forget your leaders, who told you God’s message. Recall the close of their lives, and imitate their faith.
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.
Keep in mind those who were over you, and who gave you the word of God; seeing the outcome of their way of life, let your faith be like theirs.
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.
Remember your leaders, men who spoke to you the word of God: and considering the results of their conduct, imitate their faith.
Word-for-word swaps
- you→your
- unto→spoke
- follow→and
- end→results
- conversation→their
The verses either side
King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.