BEMBRY.ORG ~ Bible Translation Summaries

King James Version / Authorized Version

Year of Translation

The original translation was completed in 1611, but the text has been updated over the centuries to fit modern spelling conventions and make other minor modifications.

Translator

The King James Version was commissioned by King James and carried out by a committee of fourty seven scholars, most of whom were bishops in the Church of England. The translators were divided into six groups. Three groups worked on the Old Testament, two worked on the New Testament, and one worked on the Apocrypha.

Scope

The King James version originally included the Old Testament, New Testament, and also the Apocrypha. Protestant editions omit the Apocrypha.

Relation to Other Translations

The King James Version (or Authorized Version) was based on the Bishop's Bible, an earlier translation done by a collection of bishops and scholars in the Church of England. The Bishop's Bible, in turn, was based on the Great Bible, which was based on the Matthew's Bible, which was based on the original translations of William Tyndale.

Purpose

The King James Version was translated in an effort to produce a more "universal" Bible. Up to that point, two of the leading English translations were filled with partisan marginal notes. The Geneva Bible was filled with highly controversial notes by the reformers, while the Bishop's Bible was slanted toward the Church of England. When the King James version was commissioned in 1604 it was decided that this version would be made without any marginal notes, just the Bible text. The hope was that it would therefore be more acceptable for both the "protestants" and the "official church".

Special Features

The King James Version (also called the "Authorized Version") retained the use of ecclesiastical terms. So words which were translated into vernacular other English versions (such as "congregation", "love", and "repentance") were here "translated" into official terms used in the Church of England ("church", "charity", and "penance"). Proper names were translated into their more common form, so Hebrew names such as "Yitz'chak" were rendered "Isaac".

Paragraphs are indicated in the text using the paragraph symbol¶. Oddly enough, however, these marks do not appear after Acts 20:36.

Sample Readings

Psalm 19
The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
Day unto day uttereth speech,
and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
Their line is gone out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,
Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.
His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it:
and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.
The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul:
the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart:
the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever:
the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold:
sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover by them is thy servant warned:
and in keeping of them there is great reward.
Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.
Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me:
then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart,
be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

Isaiah 53:1-6:
Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

1 Corinthians 13:1-7
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

John 3:16-21
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

Publication Information

The King James Version is certainly not covered by copyright laws anymore and is available from almost any publisher of Bibles. The text can also be found free on the Internet. Restricted access