Ungodly Mistakes - Bibles with Errors

The "Wicked Bible"

In a  15the century edition of the King James Bible, the word "not" was accidentally omitted from the seventh commandment, so that it actually encouraged readers to commit adultery. The printers Robert Barker and Martin Lucas were fined £300 for omitting the word no, and also lost their printer's licence. All copies were ordered to be destroyed by Charles I (dashing the hopes of many).

The "Wicked Bible"

The "Fool's Bible"

A 1632 print-run made a similar boob. They replaced "no" with "a" in Psalm 14 to read: "The Fool hath said in his heart there is a God". The resulting fine put the printing house out of business.

The "Unrighteous Bible"

The word "not" was also omitted in a later 1653 edition, but this time in Corinthians VI to read: "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall inherit the Kingdom of God", much to the consternation of all do-gooders.

The "Printer's Bible"

In a 1702 version, the printing house must have been aware of the ramifications of error. They substituted the word "printers" for "princes" in Psalm 119 to read: "printers have persecuted me".

The "Sinner's Bible"

Ten years later and an Irish edition was commanding the faithful to "sin on more", replacing the "sin no more" that is generally preffered by practicing Christians.

The "Murderer's Bible"

The word "murmurers" was replaced with "murderers" in an 1801 print-run. "Let the children first be killed" (for "filled"), it bloodthirstily continued.

The "He Bible"

A 1923 edition more than stated the obvious when it got the sexes mixed up: "A man may not marry his grandmother's wife", it sternly advised.

“Bug Bible”

Myles Coverdale's 1535 Bible was known as the "Bug Bible" because Psalms 91:5 read: “Thou shall not nede to be afrayed for eny bugges by night”. In Middle English, the word "bugge" meant a "spectre that haunts" or a ghost. The King James Bible used the word "terror". The term was actually first used by George Joye, whose translations of the Psalms were seen through the press by Coverdale before he translated the Old Testament. This use of the word "bug" was repeated in the 1539 Great Bible and in Matthew's Bible, 1551.

"Place-makers' Bible" 

1562 the second edition of the Geneva Bible, Matthew 5:9 reads "Blessed are the placemakers: for they shall be called the children of God"; it should read "peacemakers". In its chapter heading for Luke 21 it has "Christ condemneth the poor widow" rather than "commendeth".

"Manchester edition" 

1793 the heading on Chapter 3 of Leviticus and the first verse has "bees" rather than "beeves" (plural of beef). It reads: "How the pacifique hosts must be of bees, sheep, lambs and goats" ("pacifique hosts" = "peace offerings").

"Judas Bible" 

1611 this Bible has Judas, not Jesus, saying "Sit ye here while I go yonder and pray." (Matthew 26:36)