Authorized King James Bibles

What we mean by an authentic King James text

The King James Version was first printed in 1611. Printers have corrected and respelled it many times since. The text most readers know today took shape in the Cambridge edition of 1762 and the Oxford edition of 1769, and Cambridge and Oxford still print it.

“Authorized” is the historic name of the King James Version, though no formal act authorizing it is on record. On this site the word means one thing: that a named edition’s text matches our published definition of an authentic King James text. We never apply it to a publisher, store or person.

On this site, a text is an authentic King James text when:

  • It has every word of the standard King James text, in the same order, with nothing added, left out or put into modern English.
  • Its words match the current standard printing of Cambridge or of Oxford. Where those two differ, a reading that matches either one counts.
  • It may differ in spelling, punctuation, capital letters, italics, paragraph breaks and page layout. We record these differences and tell you about them. They do not fail a text unless they change a word.

We do not treat any single printing as the only correct one.

The Apocrypha. Many King James Bibles include the Apocrypha. We check it separately and say so. A Bible without it is not marked down.

What a check covers. A check looks at the words of one named edition and printing on one date. It does not cover notes, introductions, cross-references, maps, study helps, paper or binding. It is not a guarantee about anything else a publisher sells.

What this check is for. It is about one thing: that the words of a King James Bible are the King James words, with nothing changed or left out. A Bible sold as “King James” but rewritten to match modern translations, or with verses changed or removed, does not meet this definition. Any text that matches the faithful text is welcome here.

What we do not check. Updated versions such as the New King James Version are different translations. We do not check them.

Earlier King James texts. A faithful reprint of an earlier King James text, such as the 1611, is shown for what it says it is, with the text it follows. We do not mark it as failing.

Authorized: a named edition’s text that meets this definition. Never applied to a publisher, a store or a person.

Recognized: a publisher with at least one named edition that passed our check.

Listed: a store. Each listing says which of two paths it rests on.

How we check. We take one named edition and printing. We compare a fixed list of test passages against current Cambridge and Oxford copies. Software flags every difference. A person judges each one. We publish the result with the date, the edition, the ISBN, the printing and the differences we found. The list of test passages is public and is the same for every edition. We check an edition once, on a stated date. A new printing is a new check. We do not promise to re-check.

The test passages

  1. Genesis 1:1 — In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
  2. Psalm 12:7 — Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
  3. Isaiah 7:14 — Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
  4. Micah 5:2 — But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
  5. Matthew 6:13 — And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
  6. Luke 2:14 — Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
  7. Mark 16:20 — And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
  8. Acts 8:37 — And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
  9. Romans 8:1 — There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
  10. Ephesians 5:9 — (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
  11. Colossians 1:14 — In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
  12. 1 Timothy 3:16 — And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
  13. 2 Timothy 3:16 — All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
  14. 1 John 5:7 — For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
  15. Revelation 22:19 — And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.