"David Crystal ... counts 257 phrases from the King James Bible in contemporary English idiom."

No doubt the KJV had a profound effect upon the English language. The KJV shaped English far more than Shakespeare. It had almost as much effect on the English language as Luther’s translation did on the German language.

The KJV does hold a unique and special place among the literature of the English people. No book or alternate Bible translation can lay a claim to such a high literary pedigree. Its language soars to the highest heights and resounds as truly epic.