A screenshot of the free eSword Bible software for Windows.
Next up in my “I’ve been meaning to blog about this for ages” series comes the excellent eSword bible software. I’ve been using eSword for a couple of years now, and it’s now at the truly holy version 7.7.7. (Stryper would be proud of them!) There is also a version available for Pocket PC (or whatever Microsoft are calling their PDA version of Windows).
What I really like about eSword is its variety of Bible versions available. I regularly use The Message, Contemporary English Version (CEV) and International Standard Versions (ISV), as well as occasionally in Hebrew or Koine Greek. Sadly, the New International Version (NIV) and New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) are not available as their publishers haven’t granted eSword a licence.
The user-interface is really quite simple too: Select the version you want (of those you have installed) in the central section, and in the left-hand pane select the book and chapter you want to view. It couldn’t be more simple than that. If you have any commentaries installed you can access information from those in adjacent panes; or create your own study notes.
eSword also has a Compare function, showing your selected Bible verse in each version you have installed; or a Parallel function, allowing up to four versions to be viewed side-by-side.
Searching for a passage is a simple case of clicking Search and telling the software what you’re looking for, and in which version.
It’s certainly worth checking out. But if you want to download everything then you’ll certainly need a broadband connection as it clocks in at over 336 MB.
Stryper, now there’s a band!
>Sadly, the New International Version (NIV) and New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) are not available
Whilst neither module is available officially, by using The Biblie Import Tool, one can obtain/create an e-Sword module of both.
xn
jonathon
Jonathon, how do I use this Bible Import Tool and where do I get the NIV esword version?
Good question. I’ve not had a good look at this yet. Maybe tomorrow.
I’ve discovered some eSword extra downloads and some more here.
For whoever wanted to know about The Bible Import Tool.
This can be downloaded from the file area of the eSword group on yahoo. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eSword/files/
The current version is 3.3.1.
If that tool doesn’t work, then one can use BeST. This can be downloaded from the file area of the e-Sword_Tools group on yahoo. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/e-Sword_Tools/files/.
This program gets updated frequently.
xan
jonathon
Thanks Jonathon, that’s a great help.
Gareth
BIblia
i need this for study. thanks for your help
For Santi:
Is that “Biblia” a request for that translation of the Bible, of for more material in a specific language? If the latter, http://www.esnips.com/web.eSwordFAQs/ contains documentation on creating modules for e-Sword. If you meant the former, hunt in that folder for a document called _The e-sword Module Database_. I _think_ I listed where it could be downloaded from, there.
xan
jonathon
I like Bible Explorer myself. It is available http://www.bible-explorer.com. I like the ESV and they have it for free, as well as Talking Strongs which is pretty cool. I haven’t downloaded everything but they have well over 100 Bibles and books available http://www.bible-explorer.com/fbe_scripts/free.cgi.
julia
Go Bible is a free Bible viewer for Java enabled mobile phones.
http://go-bible.org/
I hope everyone realizes that 777 is a satanic number in trhe occult? I grew up with Stryper, Bloodgood (names of the two brothers who started the band), Petra, Geoff Moore, Deghamo and Key, Jerusalem, The Altar Boys, Daniel Amos/Swirling Eddies, Larry Norman, The Choir, Servent, Bryan Duncan, Steve Taylor, Randy Styonehill, and U2. what am really trying to say-not trying to be a hater on CCM [That's 'Contemporary Christian Music' - Ed.] but rather sounding the alarm allowing for the ideal — maybe even Stryper did not know this. You can find articles on this in wikipedia, here is the title: 777 and other Qabalistic writings of Aleister Crowley