The King James Bible is a treasure-trove of idioms and clichés that have entered everyone's vocabulary-and yet few are aware of the Bible as their source.

Whether your interest is purely linguistic, theological, or devotional, this book assumes no prior familiarity with the scriptures. By providing the context of each book and phrase it becomes a useful guidebook, bringing the Bible alive. With 40 phrases in the first section and 25 in the second, it can even be used through the days of Lent and Advent.

Taking a phrase from each book and exploring its origins and modern usage, Richard Noble gives a fascinating glimpse into this 'inestimable treasure', the first mainstream English translation and still unequalled in linguistic beauty.