Psalms 111:10 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.
The fear of the LORD the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his praise endureth for ever.
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.
The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all they that do [his commandments]: His praise endureth for ever. Psalm 112
1901 · Public domain · The American revision of the English Revised Version. Deliberately literal, and the base text behind several later translations.
The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all they that do [his precepts]: his praise abideth for ever.
1890 · Public domain · John Nelson Darby's translation, made for close study rather than public reading. Often exposes grammatical detail other versions smooth over.
The beginning of wisdom is fear of Jehovah, Good understanding have all doing them, His praise is standing for ever!
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.
The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom. All those who do his work have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!
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.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom those who keep it are wise indeed. His praise abides for ever and ever.
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.
The fear of the Lord is the best part of wisdom: all those who keep his laws are wise: his praise is eternal.
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.
The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom: All those who do his work have a good understanding his praise endures forever!
Word-for-word swaps
- LORD→Yahweh
- ever→endures
The verses either side
King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.