diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/sword/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/sword/default.nix
index bdbed724b20c..7349d7f81eb6 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/sword/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/sword/default.nix
@@ -3,11 +3,11 @@
 stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
 
   pname = "sword";
-  version = "1.7.4";
+  version = "1.8.1";
 
   src = fetchurl {
-    url = "https://www.crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/source/v1.7/${pname}-${version}.tar.gz";
-    sha256 = "0g91kpfkwccvdikddffdbzd6glnp1gdvkx4vh04iyz10bb7shpcr";
+    url = "https://www.crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/source/v1.8/${pname}-${version}.tar.gz";
+    sha256 = "14syphc47g6svkbg018nrsgq4z6hid1zydax243g8dx747vsi6nf";
   };
 
   nativeBuildInputs = [ pkgconfig ];
@@ -17,13 +17,6 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
     patchShebangs .;
   '';
 
-  patches = [
-    (fetchurl {
-      url = "https://gitweb.gentoo.org/repo/gentoo.git/plain/app-text/sword/files/sword-1.7.4-gcc6.patch";
-      sha256 = "0cvnya5swc7dxabir6bz6la2h1qxd32g3xi06m9b5l5ahb6g10y7";
-    })
-  ];
-
   configureFlags = [ "--without-conf" "--enable-tests=no" ];
   CXXFLAGS = [
     "-Wno-unused-but-set-variable"
@@ -34,9 +27,18 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   meta = with stdenv.lib; {
     description = "A software framework that allows research manipulation of Biblical texts";
     homepage = "http://www.crosswire.org/sword/";
-    platforms = platforms.linux;
+    longDescription = ''
+      The SWORD Project is the CrossWire Bible Society's free Bible software
+      project. Its purpose is to create cross-platform open-source tools --
+      covered by the GNU General Public License -- that allow programmers and
+      Bible societies to write new Bible software more quickly and easily. We
+      also create Bible study software for all readers, students, scholars, and
+      translators of the Bible, and have a growing collection of many hundred
+      texts in around 100 languages.
+    '';
     license = licenses.gpl2;
-    maintainers = [ maintainers.piotr maintainers.AndersonTorres ];
+    maintainers = with maintainers; [ piotr AndersonTorres ];
+    platforms = platforms.unix;
   };
 
 }