Joel 2:8 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.
Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.
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.
Neither doth one thrust another; they march every one in his path; and they burst through the weapons, and break not off [their course].
1901 · Public domain · The American revision of the English Revised Version. Deliberately literal, and the base text behind several later translations.
Neither doth one press upon another; they march every one in his path; and fall amid weapons, but are not wounded.
1890 · Public domain · John Nelson Darby's translation, made for close study rather than public reading. Often exposes grammatical detail other versions smooth over.
And each his brother they press not, Each in his way they go on, If by the missile they fall, they are not cut off.
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.
Neither does one jostle another; they march everyone in his path, and they burst through the defenses, and don’t break ranks.
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.
none jostles the other. They march each in his path. They fall upon the weapons without breaking.
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.
No one is pushing against another; everyone goes straight on his way: bursting through the sword points, their order is not broken.
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.
Neither does one jostle another; they march everyone in his path: and they burst through the defenses, and don’t break ranks.
Word-for-word swaps
- shall→does
- thrust→jostle
- one→march
- upon→burst
- wounded→defenses
The verses either side
King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.