Romans 8:18 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 reckon that the sufferings of this present time not worthy with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
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 reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us-ward.
1901 · Public domain · The American revision of the English Revised Version. Deliberately literal, and the base text behind several later translations.
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy [to be compared] with the coming glory to be revealed to us.
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 reckon that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory about to be revealed in us;
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 consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed toward us.
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 do not count the sufferings of our present life worthy of mention when compared with the glory that is to be revealed and bestowed on us.
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.
I am of the opinion that there is no comparison between the pain of this present time and the glory which we will see in the future.
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 consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed toward us.
Word-for-word swaps
- reckon→consider
- shall→will
- in→toward
The verses either side
King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.