Psalms 66:7 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.
He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.
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.
He ruleth by his might for ever; His eyes observe the nations: Let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah
1901 · Public domain · The American revision of the English Revised Version. Deliberately literal, and the base text behind several later translations.
He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes observe the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.
1890 · Public domain · John Nelson Darby's translation, made for close study rather than public reading. Often exposes grammatical detail other versions smooth over.
Ruling by His might to the age, His eyes among the nations do watch, The refractory exalt not themselves. Selah.
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.
He rules by his might forever. His eyes watch the nations. Don’t let the rebellious rise up against him. Selah.
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 mighty Ruler eternal, whose eyes keep watch on the nations, that no rebel lift up his head.Selah
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.
He is ruling in power for ever; his eyes are watching the nations: may his haters have no strength against him. (Selah.)
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.
He rules by his might forever. his eyes watch the nations: Don’t let the rebellious rise up against him. Selah.
Word-for-word swaps
- ruleth→rules
- ever→might
- behold→watch
- themselves→rise
The verses either side
King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.