TIP of the day: How can I read Bibles bilingually? 3 ways

MJ. Smith
MJ. Smith MVP Posts: 55,539
edited November 2024 in English Forum

By bilingual Bible, I mean to support several situations:

  • an individual attending a service not in their mother tongue
  • an individual trying to learn to read the Bible in a second language
  • an individual with limited reading skills using an easier translation than that used by the assembly at large
  • an individual using an archaic translation with irregular spellings together with a more recent (or at least standardized) "crib sheet".

Method 1: Linked panels

1. When resources share an index type, they can be linked together in a linked set which will make them scroll together ("stay in sync").

  • Open 1st resource
  • Open Panel Resource Menu
  • Select a Link Set
  • Open 2nd resource
  • Open Panel Resource Menu
  • Select the same Link Set as for the 1st resource

Note any number of resources may be linked; one is not limited to two resources.

2. This is an example of two Bibles in different languages linked via Link Set.

Method 2: Two resources in a multiview panel

3. This method is similar to a link set except in this situation the first resource serves as a master with subsequent columns serving as slaves.

  • click on the multiview panel icon
  • use the search box to find the resource(s) you wish to add
  • check Show multiple resources
  • check the resource(s) you wish to have shown in the order you wish them to appear.

4. This example shows the same example as used for method 1 linked via method 2 (multiview panel).

Method 3: Text comparison

5. The text comparison works in one mode but not in the other. I don't know whether this is a bug or a shortcoming.

  • Open Tools --> Passages --> Text Comparison
  • Set the translations one wishes to use
  • Set the passage one wishes to use
  • Set mode to verses

This is the same example as shown above but shown via the Text Comparison Tool.

6. Unfortunately, although both resources have a reverse interlinear, the interlinear mode fails. The reason is that the tool is not based on a reverse interlinear as I had assumed. From 8/31/2016:

Andrew Batishko (Faithlife) said:

The current list of supported resources is:

  • NIV84 (LLS:1.0.10)
  • NKJV (LLS:1.0.30)
  • RSV (LLS:1.0.40)
  • NRSV (LLS:1.0.50)
  • NASB95 (LLS:1.0.71)
  • ESV (LLS:1.0.710)
  • KJV1900 (LLS:KJV1900)
  • SBLGNT (LLS:SBLGNT)
  • LEB (LLS:LEB)
  • NIV (LLS:NIV2011)
  • Scrivener 1881 (LLS:SCRMORPH)
  • NA27 (LLS:LOGOSNA27)
  • NA28 (LLS:NA28)
  • NLT (LLS:1.0.171)

We do plan to expand this list, but I don't know the current timetable for that.

Using two English versions, this is what I hoped could be done with the NABRE and RVR60. Note it is aligned via the Greek original.

7. A variant of this method is to use the F7 key to bring up a Text Comparison panel that will use the version you currently have in focus plus your top 4 prioritized Bibles. Note that here I have a trilingual view with Latin, Spanish and English.

Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."

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