American King James Version

The American King James Version is a public-domain modernization of the King James Version, undertaken to update that translation's spelling and archaic forms for contemporary readers. It covers the complete Bible and works from English rather than the original languages, taking the King James Version as its base text. Its translation philosophy is one of light modernization, and it is accordingly classified as a revision rather than an independent translation, with the KJV as its predecessor and base translation. Its distinctive character lies in the fact that it is not a fresh translation from the original languages; it is included here as a distinct published revision. It belongs to the long line of efforts, extending from the seventeenth century onward, to keep the wording of the King James tradition accessible, and its unrestricted status has encouraged its circulation in digital Bible collections and study software.