Psalms 68:21 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.
But God shall wound the head of his enemies, the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses.
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.
But God will smite through the head of his enemies, The hairy scalp of such a one as goeth on still in his guiltiness.
1901 · Public domain · The American revision of the English Revised Version. Deliberately literal, and the base text behind several later translations.
Verily God will smite the head of his enemies, the hairy scalp of him that goeth on still in his trespasses.
1890 · Public domain · John Nelson Darby's translation, made for close study rather than public reading. Often exposes grammatical detail other versions smooth over.
Only--God doth smite The head of His enemies, The hairy crown of a habitual walker in his guilt.
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.
But God will strike through the head of his enemies, the hairy scalp of such a one as still continues in his guiltiness.
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.
Yes, God will shatter the head of his foes the rough scalp of those who strut on in their sins.
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 heads of the haters of God will be crushed; even the head of him who still goes on in his evil ways.
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.
But God will strike through the head of his enemies, the hairy scalp of such a one as still continues in his guiltiness.
Word-for-word swaps
- wound→will
- an→a
- trespasses→guiltiness
The verses either side
King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.