It was published in 1611. By this point, Queen Elizabeth I was dead and King James VI of Scotland was made King James I of England. To create a sense of unity among the religious factions of his realm, he ordered a translation of the Bible that was to appeal to everyone and be used by all churches. The King James Version proved to be the most popular translation of the Bible for centuries to come.

In 2011, the King James Version had its four-hundredth birthday. To honor the importance of the translation, every public primary and secondary school in England received a free copy of the KJV.