Who Is This For?
Best For:
KJV scholars, those wanting the most accurate KJV text, readers who prefer paragraph format.
Not Ideal For:
Those wanting modern language, casual reading, or traditional verse-by-verse format.
Strengths & Limitations
✓ Strengths of the CPB
- Most accurate KJV text available
- Modernized spelling improves readability
- Paragraph format aids comprehension
- Scholarly documentation
- Public domain - freely available
✗ Limitations to Consider
- Still archaic vocabulary and grammar
- Academic focus may not suit all readers
- Less familiar format for KJV readers
- 17th-century language challenges remain
- Primarily of scholarly interest
Overview
F.H.A. Scrivener's Cambridge Paragraph Bible represents the most careful scholarly restoration of the King James Version text, with modernized spelling and a paragraph format that aids comprehension while preserving the historic translation.
Want to read the CPB Bible online? Use our Bible search tool to find any verse, or start reading from Genesis.
Notable Features of the CPB
- Careful textual restoration
- Modernized spelling
- Paragraph format
- Scholarly apparatus
- Public domain
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Cambridge Paragraph Bible?
F.H.A. Scrivener's Cambridge Paragraph Bible represents the most careful scholarly restoration of the King James Version text, with modernized spelling and a paragraph format that aids comprehension while preserving the historic translation.
How can I read the CPB Bible online?
You can read and search the Cambridge Paragraph Bible online for free at Acts1 Family. Use our Bible search tool to find any verse, chapter, or keyword in the CPB translation.
When was the CPB Bible published?
The Cambridge Paragraph Bible was first published in 1873. It is classified as a Formal Equivalence translation with a 12th Grade reading level.
Who should use the CPB Bible?
KJV scholars, those wanting the most accurate KJV text, readers who prefer paragraph format.
How does the CPB compare to other Bible translations?
The Cambridge Paragraph Bible (CPB) is a Formal Equivalence translation. Compare it with other versions like the KJV, ASV, or NIV using our Bible comparison tools to find the best translation for your needs.
Read the CPB Online
Search any verse, compare with other translations, or start reading from Genesis.
Start ReadingHistory
Complete History of the CPB Translation
Frederick Henry Ambrose Scrivener (1813-1891) was one of the foremost textual scholars of the Victorian era. He spent years comparing early KJV editions to establish the most accurate text, correcting errors that had accumulated through centuries of reprinting.
Scrivener's 1873 edition presented the KJV in paragraph format rather than verse-by-verse, with modernized spelling and punctuation. He documented his textual decisions in detailed notes, providing a scholarly apparatus for the KJV comparable to critical editions of Greek and Hebrew texts.
The Cambridge Paragraph Bible became a standard reference for KJV scholarship and influenced subsequent critical editions.
Translators
Meet the 1 Key Translators and Contributors
F.H.A. Scrivener
Editor
Victorian textual scholar (1813-1891) renowned for his work on New Testament manuscripts and biblical texts. Also served on the Revised Version committee.
Textual Basis
Manuscript Sources and Translation Methodology
Based on careful comparison of early KJV editions to establish the most accurate representation of the original 1611 translators' intent.
Reception
Scholarly Praise
"Scrivener's 1873 Cambridge Paragraph Bible is by far the most substantial and responsible work on the KJV text after the work of the translators themselves."
— David Norton, A Textual History of the King James Bible (2005) [source]
"The Cambridge Paragraph Bible, edited by Dr. Scrivener, is the classic edition of the Authorised Version, and is a monument of minute accuracy and unsparing labour."
— W.F. Moulton, History of the English Bible (1911) [source]
Scholarly Concerns
Although Scrivener's text has been highly regarded since its appearance, it has not had a major influence on current KJV editions, which remain essentially reprints of the 1769 Oxford edition.
— Pure Cambridge Text, The 1873 Cambridge Paragraph Bible (2017) [source]
Revision History
View 1 Major Revisions and Updates
- 1873 Original Scrivener edition published.
Compare Translations
See how the CPB compares to other English Bible translations.
Other Translations
Explore these popular Bible translations: