For Translators > Content

Biblical Content

Listed below are the open-licensed biblical content resources we are creating.
Each resource is made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 4.0 License.

Click the subject areas below to expand and view the content.

Discipleship + Study

Open Bible Stories

unfoldingWord® Open Bible Stories (OBS)

50 key stories of the Bible, from Creation to Revelation, for evangelism & discipleship, in text, audio, and video, on any mobile phone, in any language, for free. It increases understanding of the historical and redemptive narrative of the entire Bible and provides an ideal starting point for Bible translation.

Click here to download the PDF (English)

Click here to view on the web (English)

Click here for OBS in other languages

Status: Released

Find out more

This work is designed by unfoldingWord® and developed by the Door43 World Missions Community; it is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Bible Notes

unfoldingWord® Bible Notes (UBN)

The unfoldingWord Bible Notes project is:

  • Free of copyright and licensing restrictions (CC BY-SA), permitting the entire global Church to use and build on it without hindrance.
  • Based on existing work of excellent pedigree and academic repute.
  • Translated into all the Gateway Languages of the world, and any other language in which the Church desires to have a study Bible notes.

View source

Status: In progress

This work is designed by unfoldingWord® and developed by the Door43 World Missions Community; it is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Creative Commons Attribution CCA

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Bible Maps

unfoldingWord® Bible Maps (UBM)

High-quality Bible maps covering essential biblical geography, designed for ease of translation and use. The maps enable anyone to increase their understanding of the Bible in its historical and geographic context.

Open Bible Maps are open-licensed Bible maps for every language. The objective is to create a set of foundational Bible maps that can be rapidly and accurately translated into thousands of languages.

Status: Not started

Specifications

The Bible maps must…

  • …use industry-standard data formats.
  • …be made available under open licenses (CC BY, or CC BY-SA).
  • …provide optional reusability and flexibility (e.g., print, large screen, small screen, etc.).
  • …be easily translated into thousands of different languages.

A Possible Implementation

The proposed solution is to create the Bible maps using the Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) format, which is an industry-standard XML-based vector image format for two-dimensional graphics with support for interactivity and animation. This format can optionally include base 64-encoded raster backgrounds, which makes it possible to create a map that has both full-color (e.g., relief maps) and plain variants. Using this format, all the text (and formatting) on the map would be encoded as metadata in the SVG file.

Once the maps are created, the specific IDs of each place name label can be identified, and renamed if needed for ease of identification. In the example image below, the text element with id “tspan3129” (line 518) is labeled “Tyre” (line 523). All the other place names in the map have unique IDs and, because of the structure of the SVG file, it is possible to extract a complete list of all the place names on the map.

map

With all the place names identified, it is possible to use a computer script and a dictionary lookup routine to programmatically translate the place names and write the translated names in the map itself. Given a lexicon of all the translations of the place names, the map could be translated automatically. (Such a lexicon could be generated from existing Bible translations with the help of machine learning algorithms or metadata embedded in the translations themselves, e.g. Strong’s Numbers.)

A “Proof of Concept” of this project shows that all of this is possible, and is available here.

Want to Help?

If you are interested in helping complete this project as a gift to the global church, please contact us via the form below.

This work is designed by unfoldingWord® and developed by the Door43 World Missions Community; it is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Bible Handbook

unfoldingWord® Bible Handbook (UBH)

A handbook providing clear and concise information regarding the cultural, religious, historical, and geographic settings in which the story of the Bible occurs.

Status: Not started

This work is designed by unfoldingWord® and developed by the Door43 World Missions Community; it is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Creative Commons Attribution CCA

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Bible Commentary

unfoldingWord® Bible Commentary (UBC)

An open-licensed Bible commentary designed for translation and adaptation. It provides pastors and students of the Bible with access to in-depth explanatory material that greatly increases their understanding of the Bible.

Status: Not started

This work is designed by unfoldingWord® and developed by the Door43 World Missions Community; it is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Creative Commons Attribution CCA

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Greek

unfoldingWord® Greek New Testament (UGNT)

An open-licensed, lexically tagged, morphologically parsed critical Greek New Testament with full apparatus. It enables the global Church to have access to the original texts of the New Testament.

Click here to download the PDF (Whole UGNT)

Click here to download by Bible book

Click here to view on the web

Status: In Progress

This work is designed by unfoldingWord® and developed by the Door43 World Missions Community; it is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. The UGNT is based on the Bunning Heuristic Prototype produced for the Center for New Testament Restoration by Alan Bunning.

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unfoldingWord® Greek Grammar (UGG)

An open-licensed Greek grammar (reference first, eventually for teaching), providing information about Greek grammatical elements. It enables the global Church to gain the best possible understanding of the grammar of the original texts of the New Testament.

Click here to view on the web

Status: In progress

This work is designed by unfoldingWord® and developed by the Door43 World Missions Community; it is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Creative Commons Attribution CCA

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unfoldingWord® Greek Lexicon (UGL)

An open-licensed, lexically tagged Greek lexicon. It enables the global Church to gain the best possible understanding of the words in the original texts of the New Testament.

Click here to view on the web

Status: In progress

This work is designed by unfoldingWord® and developed by the Door43 World Missions Community; it is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Creative Commons Attribution CCA

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Hebrew + Aramaic

unfoldingWord® Hebrew Bible (UHB)

An open-licensed, lexically tagged, morphologically parsed Hebrew Old Testament. It enables the global Church to have access to the original texts of the Old Testament.

Click here to download the PDF (Whole UHB)

Click here to download by Bible book

Click here to view on the web

Status: Complete

This work is designed by unfoldingWord® and developed by the Door43 World Missions Community; it is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. The UHB is based on the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible.

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unfoldingWord® Hebrew Grammar (UHG)

An open-licensed Hebrew grammar (reference first, eventually for teaching), providing information about Hebrew grammatical elements. It enables the global Church to gain the best possible understanding of the grammar of the original texts of the Old Testament.

Click here to view on the web

Status: Version 2.0.1

This work is designed by unfoldingWord® and developed by the Door43 World Missions Community; it is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Creative Commons Attribution CCA

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unfoldingWord® Aramaic Grammar (UAG)

An open-licensed Aramaic grammar (reference first, eventually for teaching), providing information about Aramaic grammatical elements. It enables the global Church to gain the best possible understanding of the grammar of the original texts of the Old Testament.

Click here to view on the web

Status: In Progress

This work is designed by unfoldingWord® and developed by the Door43 World Missions Community; it is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Creative Commons Attribution CCA

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unfoldingWord® Hebrew & Aramaic Lexicon (UHAL)

An open-licensed, lexically tagged Hebrew & Aramaic lexicon. It enables the global Church to gain the best possible understanding of the words in the original texts of the Old Testament.

View source

Status: In Progress

This work is designed by unfoldingWord® and developed by the Door43 World Missions Community; it is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Creative Commons Attribution CCA

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Source Texts

unfoldingWord® Literal Text (ULT)

An open-licensed update of the ASV, intended to provide a ‘form-centric’ understanding of the Bible. It increases the translator’s understanding of the lexical and grammatical composition of the underlying text by adhering closely to the word order and structure of the originals.

The unfoldingWord® Literal Text is intended to be used together with the unfoldingWord® Simplified Text to provide a more robust view of both the form and function of the original texts.

Click here to download the PDF (Whole ULT)

Click here to download by Bible book

Click here to view on the web

Status: In Progress

This work is designed by unfoldingWord® and developed by the Door43 World Missions Community; it is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Creative Commons Attribution CCA

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unfoldingWord® Simplified Text (UST)

An open-licensed translation, intended to provide a ‘functional’ understanding of the Bible. It increases the translator’s understanding of the text by translating theological terms as descriptive phrases.

The unfoldingWord® Simplified Text is intended to be used together with the unfoldingWord® Literal Text to provide a more robust view of both the form and function of the original texts.

Click here to download the PDF (Whole UST)

Click here to download a Bible book's PDF

Click here to view on the web

Status: In Progress

This work is designed by unfoldingWord® and developed by the Door43 World Missions Community; it is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Creative Commons Attribution CCA

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Translation Helps

unfoldingWord® Translation Words (UTW)

A basic Bible lexicon that provides translators with clear, concise definitions and translation suggestions for every important word in the Bible. It provides translators and checkers with essential lexical information to help them make the best possible translation decisions.

Click here to download the PDF

Click here to view on the web

Status: Released

This work is designed by unfoldingWord® and developed by the Door43 World Missions Community; it is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Creative Commons Attribution CCA

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unfoldingWord® Translation Notes (UTN)

Open-licensed exegetical notes that provide historical, cultural, and linguistic information for translators. It provides translators and checkers with pertinent, just-in-time information to help them make the best possible translation decisions.

Click here to download a Bible book's PDF

Click here to view on the web

Status: In Progress

This work is designed by unfoldingWord® and developed by the Door43 World Missions Community; it is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Creative Commons Attribution CCA

[read more]

unfoldingWord® Translation Questions (UTQ)

Comprehension and theological questions for each chapter of the Bible. It enables translators and translation checkers to confirm that the intended meaning of their translations is clearly communicated to the speakers of that language.

Click here to download the PDF (All Bible Books)

Click here to download a Bible book's PDF

Click here to view on the web

Status: In Progress

This work is designed by unfoldingWord® and developed by the Door43 World Missions Community; it is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Creative Commons Attribution CCA

[read more]

The biblical content we are creating is governed by the following principles.

Everyone

Without exception, the Church in every people group will have adequate biblical content in their own language.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all people groups, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” —Matthew 28:19

Excellence

Above all else, we strive for excellence in everything we do.

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. —2 Timothy 2:15

Unstoppable

We believe God will be glorified through a movement of Bible translation in every language that cannot be repressed.

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every people group, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands. —Revelation 7:9

Distinctive Features

The unfoldingWord project is committed to these things:

  • always open — everything we create is made available under a license that irrevocably grants the entire church unrestricted freedom. (Acts 4:32)
  • biblically faithful — we are committed to clear and accurate communication of God’s Word in every culture.
  • quality media — we enable the church to produce media of the best possible quality that meets their needs.
  • accessible — all content is freely available and redistributable in suitable formats.
  • Church-centric — we seek to serve the church in every people group by equipping them for perpetual, self-sufficient translation of biblical content with excellence.

Versioning

unfoldingWord® uses a simple versioning system to help identify each resource we publish. This versioning system will be used for all resources that are published in the Door43 Catalog which in turn populates our apps. The version number consists of one or more digits separated by periods.

Source Language

The first digit will always indicate the source version. Let’s take Open Bible Stories as an example. Since the Open Bible Stories started in English, there is only one digit in the version number for the English OBS:

OBS (en) version 4

If the English OBS gets republished for whatever reason, the new version number will never add a period plus a new number, the same number will increase:

OBS version 4 → OBS version 5 (Not version 4.1)

Translation of Source Language

For any translation of a source text, the version number of the source will remain the same, then a period and a new digit will be used to distinguish the translation. That digit will always begin at 1. For instance, if English OBS version 4 is translated into Arabic:

OBS (en) version 4 → OBS (ar) version 4.1 (Not version 5, Not version 4.0, Not version 4.2)

If a translation is republished for whatever reason, the digit(s) corresponding to the source text remain the same, only the digit referring to the translation increases. In this case, the first digit (4, referring to the English version it was translated from) remains the same. The second digit (1, referring to the revision of the Arabic translation) increases by one.

OBS (ar) version 4.1 → OBS (ar) version 4.2 (Not version 5, Not version 4.1.1, Not version 4.3)

If a translation is made of a translation, the version number of the source will remain the same, then a period and a new digit will be used to distinguish the translation. For instance, if the Arabic OBS version 4.2 is used as a source text for a translation into Sudanese Arabic (apd) it would look like this:

OBS (ar) version 4.2 → OBS (apd) version 4.2.1 (Not version 4.3, Not version 4.2.0)

Updating a Version

If a translation (or source) is updated, all the “downstream” versions are able to see at a glance that one of their source texts has been updated.

In our example above, if English OBS version 4 is updated to version 5, any of the downstream languages (Arabic at version 4.2 or Sudanese Arabic at 4.2.1) will immediately be able to see that English is now at version 5 and all of their translations are based on the English version 4 of OBS and its subsequent translations.

To update their version, Arabic would first have to update their text to match the English OBS version 5.

OBS (en) version 5 → OBS (ar) version 5.1

Note: The digit corresponding to Arabic (the second digit) does not keep increasing (e.g. NOT version 4.2 → version 5.3) but rather “re-sets” when an “upstream” version is updated (e.g. (ar) version 4.2 → (ar) version 5.1).

In this example, Sudanese Arabic would need to update their translation to match the Arabic:

OBS (ar) version 5.1 → OBS (apd) 5.1.1

Technical Details

Published Resources - Versions
  1. All resources published by unfoldingWord follow these guidelines.
  2. All published resources must have a version number. 
  3. Any changes to a published resource results in a new version number.
    -- The only possible exception are typographical errors that will not affect the meaning (e.g. punctuation, misspellings). Typos that inadvertently change the meaning should be included in a new version (e.g. “sin on more” instead of “sin no more”)
  4. Version numbers increase numerically. 
Drafted Resources - Revisions
  1. Resources that are in a state of flux (e.g. being created, revised, or checked) may be given a revision number to facilitate communication. 
  2. Revision numbers are full integers and follow the version number (e.g. ver 2 → rev 3, OR ver 3.3.1 → rev 4). 
  3. Once a resource is published, all revisions must be removed as all of the revisions are now incorporated in the new version number (e.g. when ver 12 rev 3 is published → ver 13). 
  4. If revisions are needed on the re-published version, the revision numbering restarts at 1 (e.g. when ver 2 rev 3 is published → ver 3, the first revision is ver 3 rev 1 (not ver 3 rev 4)). 
Source Language Versioning
  1. All version numbers are based on the source language. 
    -- A notable exception is the Bible, where the source language becomes the language translated from the Greek & Hebrew. The original autographs are stagnant and adding a level to the version number corresponding to these originals only stands to increase the complexity of the versioning system while adding very little benefit. (e.g. the English ULB → ver 1 or ver 8, not ver 1.1 nor ver 1.8)
  2. The version of the source language must be a non-negative integer and should not have a decimal (e.g. ver 13, NOT ver 13.0)
  3. Upon the first publishing, the version number must be greater than zero. (e.g. ver 1)
    -- Conversely, if desired an unpublished draft may be considered ver 0 rev 1 → ver 0 rev 2, etc. 
Translations
  1. All translations must keep the version number of the resource it was translated from and add a decimal to that version 
    -- e.g. English OBS ver 4 is translated into Swahili. The Swahili translation becomes ver 4.1. If the Swahili translation becomes the source text for a Datooga translation, the Datooga translation becomes ver 4.1.1
    -- e.g. Van Dyke version was created in Arabic, thus the Arabic would be ver 1. An English translation would become ver 1.1. 
  2. If a resource is updated, the updated resource must update its version number, all “downstream” translations must not change their version number until their translation is updated to reflect the changes made to the “upstream” resources. 
    -- e.g. In the example above, if the English OBS is updated to ver 5, the Swahili remains ver 4.1 and the Datooga remains 4.1.1. Swahili becomes ver 5.1 only when it has updated its text to match English ver 5. And Datooga will only become ver 5.1.1 after it updates its text to match the Swahili ver 5.1.
    -- e.g. If after updating its text to ver 5.1 the Swahili translators realize that it needs still further revision, then the new published version would become 5.2. If the Datooga updated their translation to match the Swahili ver 5.2, then their translation would be version 5.2.1. 
Recommendations
  1. It is strongly recommended that change logs be kept between each publishing to ensure ease of update for all “downstream” languages.
  2. It is recommended that large resources be divided into smaller sections that each have its own version (e.g. each book of the Bible instead of one version for the whole Bible).
Benefits
  1. This system allows for easy identification of needed update (if an “upstream” language has a higher version, then the text needs to be updated). 
  2. This system shows how far “downstream” a translation is from the source text (the more decimals, the farther away).
  3. This system begins to show the linguistic “genealogy”. 
  4. This system should be simple enough for anyone to understand. 
Drawbacks
  1. This system assumes only one primary source language. 
  2. All minor changes require a complete version change (which runs contrary to normal versioning methodology). 

Stories From the Field

  • Hope in harrowing times

    • February 21, 2024

    As the world worries over the horrific events in Israel and mullahs call for global jihad, a hopeful fact remains. The more Islamists promote jihad, the more average Muslims are open to the gospel. In...

  • Trust God and Get Going

    • September 11, 2023

    “God, this is your journey, your work. Please help us get out of here.” Let’s imagine that your family and close friends have a passing acquaintance with the message of Jesus, and some might even be b...

  • Critical Tools for Courageous Translators

    • August 03, 2023

    The global demand for Bible translation far exceeds the capacity of existing Bible translation agencies. Doing translation in dangerous places makes it doubly difficult. That’s why members of the illu...

  • Meesha's Story

    • July 03, 2023

    In the Republic of Iran, for the church to be planted, discipled, and grown, more than 60 people groups need a Bible translation in their own language. May was Iran’s bloodiest month in the last five...

  • UKRAINE: Bomb Shelter Bible Translation

    • July 03, 2023

    Ukrainian Great Commission partners are translating unfoldingWord’s suite of Bible translation tools to make God’s Word accessible to more than 540 languages spoken across the countries of the former ...

  • All 27 New Testament Book Packages Complete

    • August 08, 2023

    It used to take western experts at least 20 years to translate the New Testament into a Bible-less language. Now, every bilingual church-planting network has access to the open-license English tools t...

  • Making God's Word Accessible to Ordinary People

    • September 11, 2023

    Sofia Ivanov speaks on the impact of unfoldingWord’s Bible Translation tools  Editor’s Note: Sofia Ivanov* is a project manager for unfoldingWord’s Eurasian Whole Bible, Whole Nation partner. Her thou...

  • Saved While Escaping

    • October 02, 2023

    “I was a terrible husband for the first fifteen years of our marriage. Every weekend, I would get drunk, abuse my wife, and ridicule her. We mistreated each other terribly,” said Siroos. “But God amaz...

  • Man on the Run

    • July 03, 2023

    Asim* serves on the Bible translation audio-video team for unfoldingWord’s Whole Bible, Whole Nation partner in Sudan. They use Bible translation as part of their church-planting strategy for 133 unre...

  • Ten Times Faster

    • March 14, 2023

    Imagine you are ordering a new internet connection or cable TV or maybe something new from Amazon and you get the message saying, “Your town is too remote and we can’t serve your area at this time. We...

  • Meet Amy & Priscilla

    • March 14, 2023

    unfoldingWord operates as a catalyst for the Church-Centric Bible Translation movement. We collaborate as part of the body of Christ to develop and implement strategies and unrestricted biblical resou...

  • Jeremiah and the Occult King

    • May 04, 2023

    When Jeremiah* first heard that his Chadian church-planting network needed his help translating unfoldingWord® Open Bible Stories (OBS), he was skeptical. “I thought Bible stories were for children, l...

  • The Exponential Journey

    • April 10, 2023

    Khartoum, Sudan, April 2021. I was sitting in a small hotel conference room with the leaders of Greater Reach Alliance and half a dozen representatives of unreached Sudanese people groups. We were ta...

  • Chad's Unreached Receive the Gospel with Joy!

    • June 05, 2023

    “Giving Jesus to any human being is the best gift you can give to that person. Only the gospel can change the ugliness of man,” says Jeremiah,* one of the Chadian leaders of CCGP,* unfoldingWord’s chu...

  • Iran: Bibles in every language

      ...

    • Escape from Kharkiv

      • June 13, 2022

      BAM! A rocket penetrates a building, shattering windows and shaking foundations. Clatter! Bomb debris splatters cars, building façades, and adjacent roofs. Bang-Bang-Bang! The jackhammer staccato of A...

    • Innovation in Bible Translation

      • March 13, 2023

      unfoldingWord catalyzes innovation in Bible translation. Your gifts and prayers are enabling remarkable new developments! One of those is happening in a state in Asia. It began with translationCore. ...

    • Breakthrough in Chad

      • July 04, 2022

      Three churches were birthed when a local chieftain, who formerly combined Islam and the occult, came to Christ. In the another community, new believers were baptized, and two new churches were planted...

    • OVERCOMING the ODDS for 300,000 PEOPLE

      • April 06, 2022

      The challenge Pastor Manish was facing seemed insurmountable. His 300,000-member South Asian mountain people group desperately needs Scripture in the language they understand best. Pastor Manish, an e...

    • Ruska Roma celebrate first Scripture in their language

      • September 20, 2021

      EASTERN UKRAINE — To Stephen K., holding a Ruska Roma translation of 3 John means more than a chance to celebrate with his Roma friends. It’s the answer to 10 years of prayer.  In April, a team of fou...