The short answer

Yes. Our Black Edition New Testament is printed in the King James Version with white text on black pages (392 pages), and also in the WEB, German and Danish. It is the New Testament only. The NIV, ESV and NKJV are copyrighted, so a black-page edition needs the publisher’s licence; we do not print them.

Search for a “black Bible” and most results are ordinary Bibles with a black cover. In a black-page Bible the pages themselves are dark and the text is light. The next question is the translation: many readers have read the King James Version for decades, others read the NIV or the ESV at church. Here is what exists, and why.

Why the translation decides what exists

Any printer can typeset a text that is free of copyright. A translation that is still under copyright can only be printed with its owner’s permission, usually under a licence that also sets rules for the layout, the notes and the number of copies. That is why unusual formats such as black pages appear first in the free translations.

The translations readers ask about, who holds them, and whether we print them.
TranslationCopyrightOn black pages from us
KJV
King James Version		Public domain in most countries; in the United Kingdom the rights are vested in the Crown.Yes: the Black Edition in the KJV, 392 pages.
WEB
World English Bible		Dedicated to the public domain by its makers.Yes: the Black Edition in the WEB, 432 pages.
Lutherbibel 1912Public domain.Yes, in German, 418 pages.
Danish 1907Public domain.Yes, in Danish, 380 pages.
NIVBiblica (published by Zondervan in the United States).No.
ESVCrossway.No.
NKJVThomas Nelson.No.
NLT, CSBTyndale House; Holman Bible Publishers.No.

We print only the four texts at the top of the table. We are not saying that no black-page NIV, ESV or NKJV can exist anywhere, only that it would have to come through those publishers’ licensing, and that we cannot vouch for an edition we have not seen.

The Black Edition, in twenty-three seconds. With sound.

The King James Version on black pages

The KJV is the most requested text for a black-page Bible, and it suits the format. Its sentences are long and rhythmic, and on a dark page the eye tends to settle on the words rather than on the white around them. Our KJV book uses the standard 1769 text, the text most KJV Bibles print today, set in two columns of EB Garamond with small raised verse numbers. The words the translators printed in italics are set in ordinary roman type, and the words of Jesus are printed in red, as marked in the source. In the King James text of John, 419 of the 879 verses contain words of Jesus, so the red is not a detail; it changes how a Gospel page looks.

Here is a verse that reads well on a black page, in both of the English texts we print:

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn’t overcome it.

KJVAnd the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

John 1:5 · World English Bible, with the King James Version

The KJV’s “comprehended it not” and the WEB’s “hasn’t overcome it” are both possible translations of one Greek verb. If you are unsure which English text to choose, our guide to Bible translations for beginners compares them with the NIV, ESV and others, and What is the World English Bible? explains the modern one.

KJV or WEB?

German and Danish black-page New Testaments

The same Black Edition is printed in German, in the Lutherbibel of 1912 (418 pages), and in Danish, in the authorized New Testament of 1907 (380 pages). The German and Danish books have their own headings, contents and verse numbers, and every cover names its text on the back and at the foot of the spine. They make a natural gift for a German Konfirmation or a Danish konfirmation, and for bilingual families who want the same book in two languages. The German sample and the Danish sample show the pages.

If you need the NIV, ESV or NKJV

If your church reads one of these and you want the same words on black pages, these checks will save you a return:

  1. Find the translation on the listing itself. A title such as “Holy Bible, black” says nothing about the text. Look for the translation’s name and the publisher’s copyright line.
  2. Ask for a photograph of a Scripture page. Many “black Bibles” have black covers and white pages. The page photograph settles it.
  3. Check what is inside. Some black-page editions, ours included, are New Testaments only. Our guide New Testament vs full Bible explains what is and is not included.
  4. Look at the type size. Light text on dark pages needs slightly larger, sturdier type than black on white. Our guide checking a sample at actual size shows how.

Many readers keep their church’s translation in an app and read the KJV or WEB on black pages at home; comparing two translations is a good way to understand a verse anyway.

Printed black, not black paper

Our pages are not paper dyed black: the black is printed onto the page with the text left light. That is how a black-page book can be printed to order, in any of the four texts. Our article on what to check in a black paper Bible covers the differences between a black cover, black paper and printed black pages, and the black-page Bible guide shows the actual interior pages.

Some readers find light text on a dark page more comfortable; others, often people with astigmatism, find it blurs. It is a matter of comfort, not a treatment: see why black pages can be easier on some eyes.

Hardcover, softcover or eBook

Every text costs the same: softcover $60, hardcover $80 or eBook $10. The eBook is a PDF made from the same pages the printer prints, plus an ePub in the same look. Prefer white pages? The White Edition is the same New Testament in black type on white, in the same four texts. Hardcover vs softcover compares the bindings.

Questions readers ask

Is there a KJV Bible printed on black paper?

Yes. The Black Edition New Testament is printed in the King James Version (the standard 1769 text) with white text on black printed pages and the words of Jesus in red: 392 pages, softcover $60, hardcover $80 or eBook $10. It contains the New Testament only.

Is there an NIV Bible with black pages?

The NIV is copyrighted by Biblica, so a black-page NIV can only be printed under the publisher’s licence. We do not print the NIV. If you find one, check that the listing names the NIV and shows a Scripture page, not only a black cover.

Is there an ESV or NKJV Bible with black pages?

The ESV belongs to Crossway and the NKJV to Thomas Nelson, so the same applies: only a licensed edition can print them. We print the KJV, the WEB, the Lutherbibel 1912 and the Danish 1907 text, which are free of copyright.

Does the KJV black-page Bible include the Old Testament?

No. Our Black Edition is the New Testament, Matthew to Revelation, all 27 books. For a complete Bible in the KJV or the WEB, ebible.org offers both free of charge.

Which KJV text do you print?

The King James Version of 1611 in the standard 1769 text, from eBible.org. Its spelling and punctuation are kept as they stand; the italic words are set in roman, and the words of Jesus are in red.

Is there a black-page Bible in German or Danish?

Yes. The Black Edition New Testament is printed in the German Lutherbibel of 1912 and in the Danish New Testament of 1907, at the same prices as the English books.

How we wrote this guide. We typeset and sell the Black Edition, so we have an interest; we have tried to keep it to facts you can check. The page counts and prices are read from our product pages when this guide is built, the copyright owners are those named by the publishers, and the quotations are from the World English Bible and King James texts we print. Published 26 October 2026.

Sources and further reading