Although we experienced some glitches with the first couple of our audio-books, these problems have been corrected now and so feel free to re-download a book you may have tried earlier. Also, we have added a number of titles to our audio-book list and you should find that these are all smooth listening. Check out the new titles on our dedicated audio-book page, here. And don’t forget that you can also listen to any of our audio-books on your Android phone using our free app.
There are now a good many websites competing for your online Bible study time. Most publishers of individual translations have a dedicated site for their own Bible version, and there are numerous sites which compare multiple translations and offer other study helps. Which site is best? To some extent, the answer depends on your needs and study preferences, and each site has its own strong points – so comparing the options makes sense. In making our own comparison we found that most of the sites we looked at can be helpful and are providing a valuable service, but we did find that some sites are more useful than others. This article compares five sites (all of them free to use) that we consider to be among the best. There are certainly other good sites – such as the fine Blue Letter Bible – which may be perfect for your needs, but the ones we list have the most translations and features. We look at them in reverse order – saving what we consider the best for last …
#5: Bible Study Tools has a limited number of other-than-English language translations available – but it includes most major English versions and allows side by side comparison of verses or chapters in different versions, which not all sites do. It has a type of “interlinear” Hebrew and Greek text with individual words linked to Strong’s concordance entries, but although the English linkage is word by word, those with no knowledge of the biblical languages may find this feature difficult to use. The site has a selection of devotionals, basic commentaries, Bible dictionaries and other resources, and also has a “My Bible” feature which allows users to add and save notes to scriptures and to highlight, bookmark, and categorize verses with tags. Overall, this is a fine, simple to use site.
#4:StudyLight.org has an excellent selection of translations (though not always listed in alphabetical order), including many in foreign languages and with Aramaic, Hebrew, Greek and Latin texts of the Old and New Testaments. StudyLight claims to have more Bible commentaries, encyclopedias, dictionaries, lexicons and original language tools than any other site on the internet, and the selection is extensive. It also includes the complete text of many important background works such as those of Josephus and the writings of the Early Church Fathers. The site’s “interlinear” version is like that of the Bible Study Tools site with word-by-word translations, but is a little clearer. The site is often excellent for deeper study, but is limited by the inability to compare different translations side by side.
#3: Bible.com (the You Version site) claims over three thousand total versions in well over a thousand languages. We didn’t count to check, but the list has every translation we have ever seen and many more. Even seldom heard of translations such as Cook Islands Maori (in addition to New Zealand Maori!) are included, and some versions are available in audio format. You can save highlighted verses, tabs and notes. The site also offers a good number of reading plans and devotionals ranging from 7 days to a year. A mobile app is offered as well as a way to be involved in live discussions of sermons, Bible studies and questions (you can schedule your own discussion event). These are all good features, though the core aspect of the site – the translation interface – is limited in terms of search and commentary features and only allows side-by-side view for comparison of two versions at one time. The “Recently Used” tab is helpful, however, in allowing the user to go back and forth between versions. We did not find any way to work with the Hebrew or Greek texts on this site.
#2: BibleGatewayis a solid pick. It is not only the most visited Bible site in the world (with astronomical usage statistics), but it also has a great many useful features. The site has hundreds of available translations and while it may not have quite as many as Bible.com, it has more than most of us would ever need in all major languages (for example, seventeen Spanish translations alone). At this time it has limited study tools in the biblical languages available only with paid subscription. It also takes a little extra clicking and scrolling to get to commentaries and some other features compared to some other sites, and the advertising can be a little heavy sometimes. But despite these minor points BibleGateway has many useful features. It has audio capability and is available for desktop use and as a smartphone app, and registered users (free) can insert and save highlights, notes, tabs, etc., as they study. BibleGateway’s search capabilities are unparalleled, and its ability to pull up instances of a given word or phrase from any or all parts of the Bible – in as many translations as one wishes – is also tremendous for deeper comparative study.
#1: Bible Hubis our current top pick for fast and effective study. It has as a quick link bar at the top of the screen for selecting major translations, which some may find more convenient than repeatedly scrolling through drop down menus. The range of translations is relatively limited compared to some other sites, but a major plus of Bible Hub is its fine parallel Bible feature which compares any verse in over thirty major translations. It gives the option to instantly click up to the whole chapter when context is needed. A selection of entries from major commentaries is available for each verse, and like StudyLight.org, Bible Hub has true word-for word interlinear versions of the Hebrew and Greek texts as well as a number of other features, but we think one of its best characteristics is the time-saving ability to see multiple translations of the same verse – and commentaries on it – together on the same page without repetitive menu surfing. Overall, this is an excellent site and combining it with the search capabilities of BibleGateway and the enormous number of translations available on Bible.com when needed provides everything one could normally want for effective online Bible study.
Written by a biblical scholar and professional archaeologist, this new e-book looks at a field that many people find fascinating and that is of especial interest and importance to those who believe that the Bible records many actual historical events. The book is organized chronologically – from the earliest stories of the Bible to the era of the New Testament – and shows what archaeology has or has not found. It dispels many popularly held beliefs about supposed proofs of some of the Bible’s stories, but shows how archaeology has confirmed many of the people, places and events recorded in the Scriptures. The Bible & Archaeology may well amaze and encourage you by the wealth of factual evidence for the Bible that it provides. Download a free copy directly (without registration or email) here.
We are pleased to be adding the audio book format to the available options for the free Christian books we offer! Now you will be able to download and listen to our free books in the .mp3 file format that can be played on any computer, tablet, or smartphone. We plan to release audio book titles each month and to have all our books available in this format as soon as possible. Our first audio offerings are already available – Seven Promises from the Words of Jesus; A Brighter Light: Seven Simple Steps to Help Your Christian Light Shine; and The Centurions – new and already very popular books by R. Herbert. Click on any of these titles to download the free audio book and enjoy it as you commute, relax, or as part of your devotional study.
A New, Free E-Book by R. Herbert – Seven Promises from the Words of Jesus
The promises recorded in the Bible are among the most important words in the Scriptures – and there are literally thousands of them! Even when we look only at the promises made by Jesus during his earthly ministry, there are hundreds of promises that could be considered. Yet many of these promises are prophecies that apply, for example, only to those who reject God, while others are clear promises made to those who submit their lives to him. That type of promise is of particular importance to every believer, and it is on those promises that this new book focuses. There are actually only seven such unconditional and ongoing promises that Jesus made regarding his relationship with his followers – promises for believers in every age – and it is these seven vital promises that this book examines. You can download a free copy of this new e-book to read on your computer, tablet, e-book reader, or smart phone, without registration or having to give an email address. Download a copy here.
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