All is vanity.

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Ecclesiastes 1:2

Great Bible (1539)

All is but vanity (saith the Preacher) all is but plain vanity.

King James Bible (1611)

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

Analyzing the difference

In this example, the basic meaning is not much changed, but the King James Bible produces a much more powerful and memorable line than the Great Bible through the use of repetition and a balanced, two-stress rhythm (as in “vanity of vanities” and “all is vanity”). The King James Bible version is also a more literal rendering of the Hebrew text, since repetition is a favored device of Hebrew poets.