King James (Authorized Version of the) Bible (KJV)

This English translation of the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament and New Testament, including the Apocrypha, was produced by Anglican bishops and other divines in 1611. It was undertaken in response to a request at the Hampton Court Conference, which was summoned by King James I of England and VI of Scotland in an attempt to reconcile Anglicans and Puritans. The KJV was a revision of earlier English versions, especially the so-called Bishops' Bible of 1568, which was based on the earlier translation by William Tyndale. The canons of the Episcopal Church recognize the KJV as “the historic Bible of this Church.” However, it is also generally recognized today that the KJV has serious defects, especially in its use of inferior Hebrew and Greek texts. Although classic in its beauty, the language of the KJV is often difficult or misleading today.