Philippians 1:29 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 unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;
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.
because to you it hath been granted in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer in his behalf:
1901 · Public domain · The American revision of the English Revised Version. Deliberately literal, and the base text behind several later translations.
because to you has been given, as regards Christ, not only the believing on him but the suffering for him also,
1890 · Public domain · John Nelson Darby's translation, made for close study rather than public reading. Often exposes grammatical detail other versions smooth over.
because to you it was granted, on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also on behalf of him to suffer;
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.
Because it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer on his behalf,
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.
For, on behalf of Christ, you have had the privilege granted you, not only of trusting in him, but also of suffering on his behalf.
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.
Because to you it has been given in the cause of Christ not only to have faith in him, but to undergo pain on his account:
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.
Because it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer on his behalf,
Word-for-word swaps
- you→Because
- the→has
- on→in
- for→on
- sake→behalf
The verses either side
King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.