Psalms 31:13 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 I have heard the slander of many: fear on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life.
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.
For I have heard the defaming of many, Terror on every side: While they took counsel together against me, They devised to take away my life.
1901 · Public domain · The American revision of the English Revised Version. Deliberately literal, and the base text behind several later translations.
For I have heard the slander of many terror on every side when they take counsel together against me: they plot to take away my life.
1890 · Public domain · John Nelson Darby's translation, made for close study rather than public reading. Often exposes grammatical detail other versions smooth over.
For I have heard an evil account of many, Fear is round about. In their being united against me, To take my life they have devised,
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.
For I have heard the slander of many, terror on every side, while they conspire together against me, they plot to take away my life.
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.
I hear the whispers of many – terror on every side – scheming together against me, plotting to take my life.
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.
False statements against me have come to my ears; fear was on every side: they were talking together against me, designing to take away my life.
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.
For I have heard the slander of many: terror on every side: while they conspire together against me, they plot to take away my life.
Word-for-word swaps
- fear→terror
- counsel→conspire
- devised→plot
The verses either side
King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.