One of the things I’ve found frustrating about the free versions of the NET Bible is that they only provide you with limited notes or no notes. In either case, you end up with all these footnotes in the text that can be quite confusing (Is it a verse number or a footnote).
Ideally, free versions should provide all the functionality that the paid versions provide. This isn’t a contradiction. You are talking about two different markets that really don’t overlap. If I want to read the Bible on my iPhone or using Libronix software, I’m going to be willing (and able due to my socioeconomic status) to pay for the full version. But for those who don’t have access to fancy gadgets, there should still be a way to access the richest resources.
I’m a big fan of the CrossWire Bible Society and the free SWORD module versions of the Bible that they provide in many languages. The thorn in my side has been the NET version with its amputated notes section.
However, there is an alternative to using CrossWire. Bible.org provides an HTML only version of the NET Bible that contains all the notes. There are two versions: executible Windows version, and the other version. The other version is the one we want here. It is compatible with any Internet browser. The download is a bit large (9.4 Mb) but I know for a fact that my African friends are regularly downloading large music files off the Internet so if the will is there, you can also download the entire NET Bible with all the footnotes. This is a priceless resource for students of the Bible. It’s only available in English, but Bible.org specifically encourages and allows translations so if you feel like translating anything on there site, including the thousands of notes in their NET Bible, go for it!
Here’s where you go to download the NET Bible in HTML format: HTML Help version zip (direct link)
How to use the download:
- Unzip the file.
- Open the NETBible2009 folder
- Locate the index.htm file and open it by double-clicking (or right-clicking and selecting an option)
Keep this folder on your USB drive or My Documents section of your computer and you’ll always have access to the NET Bible.
See here for many other formats: NET Bible Download.
The purpose of this post is simply to link to information about the Welser Scale for Scripture Engagement and mention some of the online papers available by Wayne Dye on the topic of Scripture Engagement.
These PDFs are all free reprints of articles from the International Journal of Frontier Missions:
Scripture in an Accessible Form: The Most Common Avenue to Increased Scripture Engagement by T. Wayne Dye
The Eight Conditions of Scripture Engagement: Social and Cultural Factors Necessary for Vernacular Translation to Achieve Maximum Effect by T. Wayne Dye
How to Use the Welser Scale by T. Wayne Dye
From the Scripture Engagement website:
Assessing Scripture Use Conditions with the Welser Scale by Marcia Welser
In assessing the future of the Bible in the languages of Southern Africa, the Welser Scale could be an excellent tool for broadly understanding the viability of a language community and whether Scripture Engagement is likely.
For quick reference, here are the eight conditions:
Condition 1. Appropriate Language, Dialect and Orthography
Condition 2. Appropriate Translation
Condition 3. Accessible Forms of Scripture
Condition 4. Background Knowledge of the Hearer
Condition 5. Availability
Condition 6. Spiritual Hunger of Community Members
Condition 7. Freedom to Commit to Christian Faith
Condition 8. Partnership Between Translators and Other Stakeholders
Source: The Eight Conditions of Scripture Engagement: Social and Cultural Factors Necessary for Vernacular Translation to Achieve Maximum Effect by T. Wayne Dye
This is a preliminary count of the languages of Southern Africa.
The total languages spoken in Southern Africa is: 167.
Note that many languages are spoken in more than one country so the total languages for individual countries doesn’t equal the total languages spoken in the region.
These language names are based on the Ethnologue.
Image source: Southern African countries map clipart
- Angola
- Botswana
- Lesotho
- Malawi
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- South Africa
- Swaziland
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
