<P> It was first printed by Robert Barker , the King 's Printer , and was the third translation into English approved by the English Church authorities : The first had been the Great Bible , commissioned in the reign of King Henry VIII ( 1535 ) , and the second had been the Bishops ' Bible , commissioned in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I ( 1568 ) . In January 1604 , King James I convened the Hampton Court Conference , where a new English version was conceived in response to the problems of the earlier translations perceived by the Puritans , a faction of the Church of England . The translation is noted for its `` majesty of style '' , and has been described as one of the most important books in English culture and a driving force in the shaping of the English - speaking world . </P>
why did king james want a new translation of the bible
in response to the problems of the earlier translations perceived by the Puritans