Wisdom of Solomon 13:13 in 2 translations
2 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.
And taking the very refuse among those which served to no use, being a crooked piece of wood, and full of knots, hath carved it diligently, when he had nothing else to do, and formed it by the skill of his understanding, and fashioned it to the image of a man;
1611 / 1769 · Public domain · The Authorised Version, revised to the 1769 Blayney text. Includes the Apocrypha as printed in 1611.
Modern English
Contemporary vocabulary and punctuation, aiming for the sentence a present-day reader would write while staying close to the source.
And taking the very refuse thereof which served to no use, A crooked piece of wood and full of knots, Carveth it with the diligence of his idleness, And shapeth it by the skill of his indolence; Then he gives it the semblance of the image of a man,
2000s · Public domain · A modern-English update of the ASV. Reads close to contemporary speech while staying in the literal tradition. Includes the Apocrypha.
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.
And taking the very refuse thereof which served to no use, a crooked piece of wood, and full of knots, Carveth it with the diligence of his idleness, and shapeth it by the skill of his indolence; Then he gives it the semblance of the image of a man;
Word-for-word swaps
- those→thereof
- carved→Carveth
- do→with
- formed→shapeth
- fashioned→indolence
The verses either side
King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.
Not shown for this verse: American Standard Version, Darby Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Open English Bible (US), Open English Bible (Commonwealth), Bible in Basic English. Most modern translations do not include the Apocrypha.