King James
Contemporary Edition

The complete Old & New Testaments

The King James Version in contemporary English.

Introducing the King James Contemporary Edition (KJCE). A thoughtfully designed reading edition that brings the familiar KJV into contemporary English, with the aim of preserving its meaning, nuance, and force.

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Now available on Amazon. Paperback and Kindle editions.

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Midnight-blue and gold cover of the King James Contemporary Edition
King James Contemporary Edition
First edition · Editorial direction: James Brown

A closer reading

Begin with
a familiar passage.

Read the wording for yourself. These passages come directly from the KJCE first-edition manuscript, shown beside the King James Version.

Open the book preview (PDF)

Psalm 23

1A psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I will lack nothing.

2He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside the still waters.

3He restores my soul; he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me.

5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

6Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

King James Contemporary Edition · Working English modernization

Compare with the King James Version

1A Psalm of David. The LORD [is] my shepherd; I shall not want.

2He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

4Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou [art] with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

KJV source: eBible.org eng-kjv, September 26, 2026 digital edition. Square brackets mark words the KJV translators supplied.

Watch and listen

Hear the Gospel of John
in contemporary English.

Calm KJCE readings with on-screen Scripture text, on the BibleGems7 YouTube channel.

Narration in these videos is synthesized with AI voice tools, and the artwork is AI-generated. Links open YouTube, which has its own privacy policy.

Two ways to read

A place on your shelf.
A companion on your Kindle.

Both editions contain all 66 books, 1,189 chapters, and 31,102 verses.

Paperback

Published October 3, 2026

A generous 8 × 10-inch reading edition with classic Garamond type, two-column pages, and clear passage references.

Length
828 pages
Finish
Matte cover, black ink on white paper
ISBN
9798178731109

Available on Amazon.com

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Kindle

Published October 6, 2026

A reflowable edition that adapts to your reading screen, with a linked table of contents and direct navigation to every chapter.

Navigation
Book and chapter links
Reading
Adjustable text in compatible Kindle apps
Contents
Complete Old and New Testaments

Available on Amazon.com

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Current prices and Amazon’s free “Read sample” preview are on each Amazon product page. No orders or payments are accepted on this website.

For pastors and church leaders

Helping readers understand
the King James Bible they treasure.

KJCE works from the King James Version itself. It puts older vocabulary and sentence structure into contemporary English, with a stated commitment to preserve the KJV’s textual readings and the force of its warnings, promises, and images. Every sample on this site is shown beside the KJV wording, so you can weigh each choice for yourself.

  • Contemporary vocabulary and syntax

    Words whose meanings have shifted, and sentence patterns that are hard to follow today, are put into current English.

  • Transparent comparisons

    Read KJCE beside the KJV, verse by verse. The comparisons are there to be checked, not taken on trust.

  • Rooted in the KJV text

    KJCE is an English modernization of the KJV, not a translation from a different underlying text.

Psalm 23:1

KJVA Psalm of David. The LORD [is] my shepherd; I shall not want.

KJCEA psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I will lack nothing.

“Want” here carries its older sense of lacking something.

1 Corinthians 13:4

KJVCharity suffereth long, [and] is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

KJCELove is patient and kind. Love does not envy, does not boast, and is not arrogant.

“Suffereth long” becomes “is patient,” and “vaunteth not itself” becomes “does not boast.” KJCE uses “love” for “charity” in this passage.

John 1:5

KJVAnd the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

KJCEThe light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

The verb forms and word order are modernized, while the KJV’s word “comprehend” is kept.

The best test is a passage you know well. Compare it with your KJV, read it aloud, and consider whether it helps the people you teach. The note About this edition explains how KJCE was made. Questions about a passage are welcome: contact James Brown.

About this edition

Historic Scripture.
Generative language tools.
Human editorial direction.

The King James Contemporary Edition is an English modernization of the King James Version. It is not a new translation from Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.

The modernization was developed with generative AI language tools under James Brown’s editorial direction, with particular attention to meaning, nuance, literary force, and passages where more than one interpretation remains possible.

Independent review by qualified scholars, including source-language review, has not yet been completed, and the edition does not claim scholarly certification.

Readers and church leaders are encouraged to compare passages with the KJV and evaluate the edition before choosing it for study or group use.

Read about the KJV source

For readers, pastors & churches

Let’s start with a passage.

Have a question about the edition, or a reading you would like to discuss? Write to James.

Contact James Brown