About this site
The project
This Bible site is part of an open project to make the Bible available with good study tools. Both the website and all the Bible data are open source and freely available.
github.com/flogvit/bible.flogvit.com – the source code for this website
github.com/flogvit/free-bible – Bible data (text, original languages, references and more)
bible.flogvit.com/api/docs – the HTTP API — every endpoint, and a request you can run
Bible translations
Norwegian text (OSNB)
The Norwegian text is an open translation that is freely available for anyone to use.
Hebrew original text (Tanach)
The Hebrew text of the Old Testament is based on the open Tanach text from Tanach.us.
Greek original text (SBLGNT)
The Greek text of the New Testament is the SBL Greek New Testament, published by the Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software.
Versification (KVN)
Bible translations number their verses differently. A verse called Genesis 31:55 in the Norwegian Bible Society’s translation (2024) is called Genesis 32:1 in our source text (osnb), because the Hebrew tradition divides the chapters differently from the European one.
For example in Genesis around chapters 31–32:
| Bible Society 2024 | osnb (Hebrew) | Text |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Mos 31,55 | 1 Mos 32,1 | Tidlig neste morgen kysset Laban... |
| 1 Mos 32,1 | 1 Mos 32,2 | Jakob fortsatte på sin vei... |
| 1 Mos 32,2 | 1 Mos 32,3 | Da Jakob så dem, sa han... |
Such differences occur in more than a thousand verses, especially in the Psalms (where the headings are sometimes counted as a verse of their own), and in several chapters of the Pentateuch, Joel and other prophets where the chapter boundaries are shifted.
To handle this we use KVN (Canonical Verse Number) – a system that gives every verse in the Bible a unique number independent of translation. When you choose a versification under “Settings” or in the study aids panel, KVN is used to show the correct verse numbers for the chosen tradition, even though the underlying text is the same.
KVN currently supports 12 different numbering systems, including the Norwegian Bible Society’s translations (1930, 1978, 2011, 2024), Norsk Bibel (1988, 1994), the King James Version and more.
Study aids
Study tools
- Original text - Show the Hebrew/Greek original text with a word-by-word translation
- References - Cross-references between Bible verses
- Book summaries - An overview of the content of each book
- Chapter summaries - A short description of each chapter
- Key words - Key terms explained
- Bible stories - The Bible’s narratives, collected and retold
- Themes - Thematic overviews with the relevant verses
- Prophecies - Prophecies and their fulfilments
- Parallels - Synoptic parallels between the gospels
- People - Biblical figures with references
- Numbers - The meaning of numbers in the Bible
- Days - Feast days and holy days in the Christian tradition
- Timeline - Biblical events in chronological order
Personal tools
Remembering — storing personal data such as favourites, notes and your own translations, as well as offline download — is part of FLOGVIT.plus.
- Favourites - Save your favourite verses
- Topics - Tag verses with your own topics
- Notes - Write your own notes on verses
- Verse lists - Collect verses in named lists for manuscripts and studies
- Reading plans - Different plans for systematic Bible reading
- Manuscripts - Write devotionals, sermons and Bible studies with verse references
- Translations - Upload and use your own Bible translations
- Statistics - An overview of your reading and use
Help and user guide
Here are some tips for getting the most out of the site:
Navigation
- Use the search field at the top to search for verses or text
- Type a reference such as "Joh 3:16" to go straight to the verse
- Use the arrow keys (← →) to move between chapters
Keyboard shortcuts
Press ? on any page to see all the available shortcuts.
- / or Ctrl+K - Focus the search field
- R - Reading mode on/off
- ← / → - Previous/next chapter
- 1-9 - Jump to verses 1-9
- Alt+Shift+letter - Quick navigation (H=Home, S=Search, L=Reading plan, T=Timeline, P=Prophecies, F=Favourites, E=Topics, N=Notes, K=Well-known verses, O=People, V=Verse lists, A=Parallels, I=Statistics, M=Manuscripts, C=Themes, D=Days, Y=Numbers)
Verse interaction
Click the verse number to open the verse details with the following tabs:
- Original text - Hebrew/Greek original text (click a word for its translation)
- References - Cross-references to other Bible verses
- Prophecies - Prophecies linked to the verse (where relevant)
- Topics - Tag the verse with your own topics
- Notes - Write your own notes on the verse
- Versions - Compare with other Bible translations
Verse lists
Under Verse lists you can collect Bible verses in named lists for manuscripts, Bible classes or study. Enter references such as «Joh 3,16» or «Sal 23,1-6» to add verses. You can reorder them and copy a link that shows all the verses.
Manuscripts
Under Manuscripts you can write devotionals, sermons, Bible classes and other texts. Use [ref:Joh 3,16] to insert verse references. The side panel gives you access to:
- The Bible - Look up and insert verses directly into the text
- Manuscripts - Search your other manuscripts
- Context - Automatic summaries and historical context for the chapters you reference
- Timeline - Timeline events linked to the chapters you reference
The study aids panel
On mobile, tap the gear (⚙) to open the study aids. On desktop they are shown in a side panel.
Offline access
This site also works without an internet connection. Chapters you have read are saved automatically on your device, so you can read them again even when you are offline.
Automatic saving
When you read a chapter it is saved automatically in the browser cache. The next time you visit the same chapter without a connection, the saved version is shown.
Download the whole Bible
You can also download the whole Bible in advance (part of FLOGVIT.plus). Go to the offline page to:
- Download OSEN (English), OSNB (Norwegian bokmål) and/or OSNN (Norwegian nynorsk) — the original text (Hebrew/Greek with word-by-word), cross-references and summaries come with every chapter
- Download the timeline, prophecies, people and reading plans for offline use
- See which chapters are saved and how much storage is used
- Delete saved data
Updates
When the app itself is updated, you get a notice with the option to load the new version straight away. The offline page shows which content version you have downloaded; if new Bible content arrives, you update by deleting the saved data and downloading again.
Contact
FLOGVIT
Email: support@flogvit.com
Bugs and suggestions can also be reported on GitHub: github.com/flogvit/free-bible/issues