The Unrighteous Bible
Preserved but no longer current.
An edition printed at Cambridge in 1653, containing the printer's error, "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall inherit [for shall not inherit] the Kingdom of God?" (1 Cor. vi, 9). The same edition gave Rom. vi, 13, as: " Neither yield ye your members as instruments of righteousness unto sin," in place of "w/zrighteousness." This is also sometimes known as the "Wicked Bible.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “The Unrighteous Bible” mean?
An edition printed at Cambridge in 1653, containing the printer's error, "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall inherit [for shall not inherit] the Kingdom of God?" (1 Cor. vi, 9). The same edition gave Rom. vi, 13, as: " Neither yield ye your members as instruments of righteousness unto sin," in place of "w/zrighteousness." This is also sometimes known as the "Wicked Bible.
Is “The Unrighteous Bible” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.