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[[Image:800px-Crop Book of Isaiah 2006-06-06.jpg|thumb|200px|right]]

[[Image:800px-Crop Book of Isaiah 2006-06-06.jpg|thumb|200px|right]]

The '''King James Version''' (also called the '''Authorized Version''', or, in older texts, '''the English Bible''', '''our English Bible''', and sometimes the '''She Bible''') of the [[Bible]] is a poetic masterpiece that has profoundly influenced the [[English|English-speaking]] world ever since its publication more than 400 years ago.  It was the culmination of seven years of work (1604-1611) by about fifty English scholars and around twenty [[Church of England]] [[bishops]], as authorized by King [[James I of England]].  The result was It was not the first English translation ([[William Tyndale]] had previously [[translation|translated]] the Bible into English, and much of the Authorized Version was taken from Tyndale's version) nor was it the most accurate (some modern translations benefit from better, more [[conservative]] sources).  Debate exists concerning the accuracy of the translation. But the King James Version of the Bible was the most majestic and it has inspired English literature from [[Herman Melville]] to [[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow]] to the [[Martin Luther King, Jr.|Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.]]

The '''King James Version''' (also called the '''Authorized Version''', or, in older texts, '''the English Bible''', '''our English Bible''', and sometimes the '''She Bible''') of the [[Bible]] is a poetic masterpiece that has profoundly influenced the [[English|English-speaking]] world ever since its publication in 1611.  It was the culmination of seven years of work (1604–1611) by about fifty English scholars and around twenty [[Church of England]] [[bishops]], as authorized by King [[James I of England]].  The result was It was not the first English translation ([[William Tyndale]] had previously [[translation|translated]] the Bible into English, and much of the Authorized Version was taken from Tyndale's version) nor was it the most accurate (some modern translations benefit from better, more [[conservative]] sources).  Debate exists concerning the accuracy of the translation. But the King James Version of the Bible was the most majestic and it has inspired English literature from [[Herman Melville]] to [[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow]] to the [[Martin Luther King, Jr.|Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.]]

For example, many cite Rev. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech without acknowledging its source in the translation of ''[[Book of Isaiah|Isaiah]] 40:4'':

For example, many cite Rev. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech without acknowledging its source in the translation of ''[[Book of Isaiah|Isaiah]] 40:4'':

:"I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together."

:"I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together."

The King James translators described it as "Newly Translated out of the Original tongues."<ref>The actual title-page inscription is "The Holy Bible, Conteyning the Old Testament, and the New: Newly Translated out of the Originall tongues: & with the former Translations diligently compared and revised, by his Majesties Special Commandment. Appointed to be read in Churches. "</ref> The King James Version of the [[Old Testament]] was based on the Hebrew [[Masoretic text]], codified in the Middle Ages. The [[New Testament]] was primarily based on Greek texts predating the [[Latin Vulgate]]. The translators explicitly acknowledged making use of previous English translations, however, and the [[Catholic Encyclopedia]] describes it as being essentially the Bishops' Bible, corrected by comparison with the Hebrew and Greek texts.<ref>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02141a.htm The Authorized Version], Catholic Encyclopedia</ref>  F. H. A. Scrivener, however, notes many passages which correspond to the Latin Vulgate rather than the Greek.<ref>F. H. A. Scrivener, ''The New Testament in Greek according to the Text Followed in the Authorized Version''.  Cambridge: University Press, 1881; The appendix on pages 655-6 gives a list of the passages corresponding exactly with the Latin version against the Greek.</ref>  The King James Version is freely and fully available for searching online.<ref>http://www.bartleby.com/108/</ref>

The King James translators described it as "Newly Translated out of the Original tongues."<ref>The actual title-page inscription is "The Holy Bible, Conteyning the Old Testament, and the New: Newly Translated out of the Originall tongues: & with the former Translations diligently compared and revised, by his Majesties Special Commandment. Appointed to be read in Churches. "</ref> The King James Version of the [[Old Testament]] was based on the Hebrew [[Masoretic text]], codified in the Middle Ages. The [[New Testament]] was primarily based on Greek texts predating the [[Latin Vulgate]]. It also used the [[Textus Receptus]], a Greek text compiled by Erasmus in the 16th century on the basis of 12th-century Byzantine manuscripts. The translators explicitly acknowledged making use of previous English translations, however, and the [[Catholic Encyclopedia]] describes it as being essentially the Bishops' Bible, corrected by comparison with the Hebrew and Greek texts.<ref>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02141a.htm The Authorized Version], Catholic Encyclopedia</ref>  F. H. A. Scrivener, however, notes many passages which correspond to the Latin Vulgate rather than the Greek.<ref>F. H. A. Scrivener, ''The New Testament in Greek according to the Text Followed in the Authorized Version''.  Cambridge: University Press, 1881; The appendix on pages 655-6 gives a list of the passages corresponding exactly with the Latin version against the Greek.</ref>  The King James Version is freely and fully available for searching online.<ref>http://www.bartleby.com/108/</ref>

A recent attempt to "update" the King James Version was the New King James Version, which most notably modernized pronouns such as "thou" and verb forms such as "art". Keeping "thou"s, however, is helpful, since it clarifies whether the speaker is addressing one or multiple people, a distinction modern English no longer makes. The NKJV has been called a "transition Bible."

A recent attempt to "update" the King James Version was the New King James Version, which most notably modernized pronouns such as "thou" and verb forms such as "art". Keeping "thou"s, however, is helpful, since it clarifies whether the speaker is addressing one or multiple people, a distinction modern English no longer makes. The NKJV has been called a "transition Bible." These newer translations use a Greek text based on manuscripts not known in 1611. This text, called the Critical Text, was compiled by B.F. Westcott and F.J.A. Hort in 1881 and is updated regularly. It is based on two early manuscripts, ''[[Codex Vaticanus]]'' and ''[[Codex Sinaiticus]].''

Some Christians believe that the original Authorized Version of the King James Bible is the only acceptable English translation of the Bible.<ref>http://www.isitso.org/guide/kjvonly.html</ref> This is referred to by some Christians, especially those who do not hold to this viewpoint, as the "KJV-only movement," while internally, these Christians call themselves "Bible Believers."  On the other side of the debate, many Christians avoid the King James Bible because of its archaic language, advances in scholarship's understanding of ancient languages, and discovery of (arguably <ref>[http://rosetta.reltech.org/TC/vol06/Robinson2001.html Maurice A. Robinson, ''New Testament Textual Criticism: The Case for Byzantine Priority'']</ref>)  more reliable manuscripts.  Note that the King James Bible uses British spellings like "favour" rather than "favor" (Acts 2:47).

Some Christians believe that the original Authorized Version of the King James Bible is the only acceptable English translation of the Bible.<ref>http://www.isitso.org/guide/kjvonly.html</ref> This is referred to by some Christians, especially those who do not hold to this viewpoint, as the "KJV-only movement," while internally, these Christians call themselves "Bible Believers."  On the other side of the debate, many Christians avoid the King James Bible because of its archaic language, advances in scholarship's understanding of ancient languages, and discovery of (arguably <ref>[http://rosetta.reltech.org/TC/vol06/Robinson2001.html Maurice A. Robinson, ''New Testament Textual Criticism: The Case for Byzantine Priority'']</ref>)  more reliable manuscripts.  Note that the King James Bible uses British spellings like "favour" rather than "favor" (Acts 2:47).