Imagine being able to hold the Word of God in your hand!  Indeed, you can do just that. The Authorized KJV Bible is God's Word. It is God's love letter to all mankind, containing Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. It does not contain God's Word or describe what God said; rather, it is the Word of God, written during a period of 1,500 years by about 40 authors inspired by the Holy Spirit to record His Word for all eternity. The authorized King James Version Bible has been listed on Norton Anthology's list of "the world's best literature" for decades, and it is the most widely published, best-selling book of all time.

Since God wrote the 10 Commandments on stone tablets and gave them to Moses on Mt. Sinai (Exodus 25:12), He has gone to great pains to preserve His word unchanged for all to read and understand. Throughout the centuries, great Christians like Martin Luther and John Wycliffe have suffered persecution and imprisonment so that the Bible would be preserved, translated into different languages, and made available to all. The result is that by reading the Bible, everyone can understand God's will and plan for their lives.

God's plan of salvation is that Jesus Christ -- God the Son -- came to earth in human form but without sin, was crucified and died as a perfect sacrifice to pay for all our sins, past, future and present -- your sins and mine. He then defeated death and hell, rose on the third day, and ascended into Heaven, where He sits at God the Father's right hand. Everyone who acknowledges their sins, asks God for forgiveness, believes in Jesus' finished work of salvation, and accepts Him as their personal Savior with simple, childlike faith will not die eternally in hell, but will live joyously forever in Heaven (John 3:16).

So why read the KJV Bible, and not some other more "modern" version? The KJV Bible, published in 1611, is the signed, sealed and delivered official Word of God in the English language. It was authorized by King James and commissioned by God Himself, as He brought together a team of more than 50 of the world's best scholars to translate His Word into English, the world's most widely used official language. Rather than seeking their own fame, glory or profit, these scholars were humble, dedicated to the Lord and to spreading His Word to all people, even if they had to pay for it with their own lives.

The Old Testament of the KJV Bible was translated from the Masoretic Hebrew Text, and the New Testament was translated from the Majority Text. The latter is also called the Received Text or Textus Receptus because most existing texts -- more than 5,000 -- are in agreement with it. Modern English Bible revisions are based on the Egyptian Minority Texts not agreeing with the Majority Text.

The newer English versions are actually revisions, not translations, of God's Word. In the Bible, God Himself warns against the dangers of adding to, taking away from, or changing His Word in any way (Revelation 22:18-19; Proverbs 30:5-6; Matthew 5:18).

Apart from this most important reason to stick with the KJV Bible, there is the poetic beauty of the text that reflects its inspiration from God. If you compare Psalm 23, for example, beginning with "The Lord is my shepherd..." in the KJV Bible with that of any other version, you can easily appreciate the majestic, musical quality of the KJV. The profound influence of the KJV Bible on English literatire is evident in the masterpieces of famous authors including John Bunyan, John Milton, Herman Melville, and William Wordsworth.

One of my personal favorite reasons to read the KJV Bible is that Jesus promised to prepare a place for us in Heaven. In the KJV, He promises each of us a "mansion." (John 14:2). How can that compare with the "room" mentioned in the modern versions?

You may be wondering why the other English versions of the Bible came into being. Some say it's because the KJV is in the public domain, meaning that it cannot be copyrighted and that publishers cannot make as much money selling it as they can make by selling the newer versions.

Others suggest that each new revision further attempts to undermine the divinity of Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, and His perfect sacrifice for our sins. By changing, adding or omitting words or even entire verses, the new versions blur the distinctions between Christianity and other religions. This casts doubt that accepting Jesus as your Savior is the only way to eternal life, as is so clear in the KJV Bible, and paves the way for a new global religion. The KJV Bible warns that as the world approaches the End Times, false prophets will attempt to distort God's Word and deceive the people (Matthew 24:11).

A common objection to reading the KJV Bible is that it is "hard to understand." Actually, studies comparing the language used in the different versions show that the KJV is the easiest to read because it uses more action words and contains no "fluff" or wordiness. A standard test shows that the KJV Bible contains mostly 1- and 2-syllable words, and is therefore at a 5th grade reading level.

God rewards those who diligently seek Him through prayer, by keeping His commandments, and especially by reading His Word. When you are saved and accept Jesus as your Savior, the Holy Spirit enters your heart and will teach you to understand God's Word, if you pray to Him for wisdom and enlightenment and if you spend quality time with the Word each day.

Once you start a regular Bible reading plan, you'll quickly get used to the "thee's" and "thou's" that may seen unnatural at first. Like reading Shakespeare, it's definitely worth the effort!  You may find it helpful to use a Bible dictionary to explain some of the words that are not commonly used today, because the richness of meaning these words convey is lost in the modern versions. Here's a link to a Bible dictionary, concordance, and other helpful Bible Study Guides.

The KJV Bible is the inspired, preserved, infallible, inerrant Word of God -- it contains no mistakes or contradictions, and it reveals scientific truths that could not have been writen over 1,000 years ago unless it was inspired by God Himself.

In what form should you read and study the KJV Bible? If you are blessed to own a family heirloom KJV Bible, keep it in a special place of honor in your home, away from excessive light, humidity, and extreme temperature. For daily reading and study, you may feel more comfortable with a lightweight, softcover KJV Bible that you can carry with you. Don't be afraid to underline passages or make notes when the Holy Spirit speaks to your heart, or when you are listening to a sermon or Sunday school lesson. Here is a link to some inexpensive Bibles & Scripture .

Having a few inexpensive KJV Bibles on hand is a great way to share the Good News of God's plan of salvation with others. They make great gifts for friends, family and coworkers who would like to learn about His Word. Another inexpensive way to share God's Word is with KJV Bible CDs & Audiobooks . Listening to these in your car or home also allows you to experience the peace and joy given by God's Word wherever you are.

Just as God does not change, and Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8), so God's Word will not change throughout eternity. The KJV Bible provides daily bread for our Christian walk. So come to God's table today!