In this collection of essays, thirty scholars from diverse disciplines offer their unique perspectives on the genius of the King James Version, a translation whose 400th anniversary was recently celebrated throughout the English-speaking world. While avoiding nostalgia and hagiography, each author clearly appreciates the monumental, formative role the KJV has had on religious and civil life on both sides of the Atlantic (and beyond) as well as on the English language itself. In part 1 the essayists look at the KJV in its historical contexts—the politics and rapid language growth of the era, the emerging printing and travel industries, and the way women are depicted in the text (and later feminist responses to such depictions). Part 2 takes a closer look at the KJV as a translation and the powerful precedents it set for all translations to follow, with the essayists exploring the translators’ principles and processes (with close examinations of “Bancroft’s Rules” and the Prefaces), assessing later revisions of the text, and reviewing the translation’s influence on the English language, textual criticism, and the practice of translation in Jewish and Chinese contexts. Part 3 looks at the various ways the KJV has impacted the English language and literature, the practice of religion (including within the African American and Eastern Orthodox churches), and the broader culture. The contributors are Robert Alter, C. Clifton Black, David G. Burke, Richard A. Burridge, David J. A. Clines, Simon Crisp, David J. Davis, James D. G. Dunn, Lori Anne Ferrell, Leonard J. Greenspoon, Robin Griffith-Jones, Malcolm Guite, Andrew E. Hill, John F. Kutsko, Seth Lerer, Barbara K. Lewalski, Jacobus A. Naudé, David Norton, Jon Pahl, Kuo-Wei Peng, Deborah W. Rooke, Rodney Sadler Jr., Katharine Doob Sakenfeld, Harold Scanlin, Naomi Seidman, Christopher Southgate, R. S. Sugirtharajah, Joan Taylor, Graham Tomlin, Philip H. Towner, David Trobisch, and N. T. Wright.

The King James Version has shaped the church, our worship, and our mother tongue for over 400 years. But what should we do with it today? The KJV beautifully rendered the Scriptures into the language of turn-of-the-seventeenth-century England. Even today the King James is the most widely read Bible in the United States. The rich cadence of its Elizabethan English is recognized even by non-Christians. But English has changed a great deal over the last 400 years—and in subtle ways that very few modern readers will recognize. In Authorized Mark L. Ward, Jr. shows what exclusive readers of the KJV are missing as they read God's word.#In their introduction to the King James Bible, the translators tell us that Christians must "heare CHRIST speaking unto them in their mother tongue." In Authorized Mark Ward builds a case for the KJV translators' view that English Bible translations should be readable by what they called "the very vulgar"—and what we would call "the man on the street."

Honors the 400th anniversary of the book's publication by telling its dramatic story and exploring its inherent literary excellence and unparalleled influence on English and American culture.

Oxford is proud to publish a limited edition of the 1611 text of the King James Bible, with real leather binding, gilt edging, ribbon marker, gift presentation plate, and protective cloth slipcase. This is the most authoritative edition of the King James Bible available. The text of the 1611 edition differs from modern editions of the King James Version in thousands of details, and this edition is the most authentic version of the original text that has ever been published. It follows the 1611 text page-for-page and line-for-line, reproducing all misprints rather than correcting them. The volume also reprints the large body of preliminary matter, which includes genealogies, maps, and lists of readings, as well as the translator's preface to the reader. The text features an easy-to-read modern font instead of the black-letter type of the original, with the exception of the original decorative letters and early page ornaments, which have been reproduced. The volume concludes with an essay by Renaissance Studies expert, Gordon Campbell, on the first edition of the King James Bible. This beautiful Anniversary Edition is an elegant keepsake as well as a marvelous gift for anyone interested in the Bible.

For 400 years the King James Version of the Holy Bible has been the most influential book to be published in the English language. Now Bible collector and expert Donald L. Brake brings to life the fascinating story of its creation and proliferation throughout the English-speaking world. With beautiful and informative photos, illustrations, charts, and sidebars, Brake invites readers to explore the KJV's mysterious beginnings, the men who translated it, the manuscripts upon which that translation was based, the important people and places that influenced its production, and even Shakespeare's involvement in it. In an age where a new translation of the Bible seems to come about every few years, discover what has made the King James Version endure for four centuries.

The King James Version (KJV) has been a gift of God to the Body of Christ. It has been the standard of truth and inspiration which has stabilized the Protestant Church and blessed millions of people. Still, someone needs to say it: the KJV is an inferior translation. In these pages, Dr. Harold R. Eberle clearly shows the errors and biases of the KJV, hoping that you will consider the advantages of more modern translations.

sing 45 distinct topics, "Treasure of God's Word" illuminates His everlasting love and compassion for those who choose to follow Jesus Christ. Strategically spread throughout the book are articles outlining the history of the translations of the King James Version of the Bible from 1611 to the present day.