The Bible:
King James version in Multilinear Format with Bahá'í References by Verse

compiled by Brett Zamir
n.d. []

You may also wish to visit the Multilinear "Bahá'í" Qur'án

1. Introduction:
   1. Note on translations included
   2. Other online parallel and interlinear Bibles
   3. Summary of differences in formatting between the Multilinear Bible and the Multilinear Qur'án
      (for those familiar with the Multilinear Qur’án instructions)
   4. Complete notes on using the Multilinear Bible
      (for those unfamiliar with the Multilinear Qur’án instructions)
2. Download:
   5. Multilinear Bible (includes Bahá’í References as well) - See also this beta stage database version.
      List of Books of the Bible (also includes links to subsections)
      Versions
      1. HTML (in parts) (recommended for on-line viewing)
         Click on any of the following to visit the various segments of the multilinear Bible:
         

         Books:

         Old Testament

         1-3 (Gen-Lev), 4-9 (Num-1Sam), 10-14 (2Sam-2Chr), 15-19 (Ezr-Ps), 20-25 (Pro-Lam), 26-39 (Eze-Mal)

         New Testament

         40-43 (Mat-Joh), 44-66 (Acts-Rev)

         
         
      2. HTML: bible.html (9 MB) (Beware: Don't access this unless you have a lot of bandwith since it is a large file and may take a very long time to load.)
      3. Excel: bible.xls (6.2 MB)
      4. FilemakerPro: bible.fp5 (6.1 MB) this version includes italics but is missing about 10 entries I could not add in this version - if you know how to insert records in Filemaker in the midst of others (and make it show up in html), please email me at . There are only a few items to add to make the versions equivalent.
      
      
   6. Multilinear Apocrypha (no Bahá’í references known or included)
      List of Apocrypha Books
      Versions
      1. Excel: apocrypha.xls (1.1 MB)
      2. HTML: apocrypha.html (5.9 MB)

(Although there are no Bahá'í references to the Apocrypha of which I am aware, I have included the King James version set up alongside the same columns available in the multilinear Bible in the event someone found some references or wished to comment upon the verses.)

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A. NOTE ON TRANSLATIONS INCLUDED

Currently, only the (Authorized) King James Version is included here (along with translations made of verses by Bahá’í figures and assorted reference fields). Since many Bibles are available on-line for free download, it should not be too difficult to adopt the formatting to add additional translations if desired. Feel free to contact me at if you would be interested in adding this information to the database.

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B. OTHER ON-LINE PARALLEL AND INTERLINEAR BIBLES

Other versions which may be of interest include the following:

Other On-line Parallel Bibles:

Bible Gateway at http://bible.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bible/ (Choose the versions then enter a passage look-up. If the search includes more than 3 versions but you wish to view the results in parallel (rather than the default which will put the versions one after another), you will need to click on "Change Layout" once the results appear. If the search is only for 2 or 3 versions, they will automatically be put in parallel view.)

Crosswalk.com at http://bible.crosswalk.com/ParallelBible/ provides a parallel Bible (only two can be seen at once), but unlike Bible Gateway, it aligns the verses perfectly for easier comparison.


On-line Interlinear Bibles

Crosswalk.com at http://bible.crosswalk.com/InterlinearBible/ provides interlinear ability (translations following one after the other by verse) but only for two additional Bibles (the additional Bible translations are confined to Greek and Hebrew results).

Blue Letter Bible at http://www.blueletterbible.org/index.html offers pseudo-interlinear options for various Bibles (as well as other resources being available by verse). Enter a search or verse; then click on "V" next to the verse you wish to view in other versions (the results will be placed in the midst of the other verses rather than in parallel (i.e., interlinearly), but only for one verse at a time--the verse whose “V” you clicked on).

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C. SUMMARY OF DIFFERENCES IN FORMATTING BETWEEN THE MULTILINEAR BIBLE AND MULTILINEAR QUR’ÁN

The Bible currently only has one translation without notes, while the Qur’ánic version has two translations with corresponding notes for each.

The Qur’án is not separated into different books and its chapters are called Suráhs, so these fields are different.

The Qur’án currently does not have special fields for pilgrim’s notes (nor do I recall finding many (or any) specific interpretations listed in pilgrim’s notes anyhow) or Bahá’í scholars’ writings.

In the Qur’án, writings by the Research Department are included in a separate special column along with semi-authenticated texts such as the Dawn-Breakers, considering that the former might not have the same binding weight as statements made by the Universal House of Justice itself. However, in the Bible, these were included within the Central Figures’ Writings column.

In the Qu’ránic Bahá’í translation column, paraphrases were noted with “cf.” and in the Bible ones, they were noted with the word “paraphrasing”.

In the Bible Bahá’í references columns, for some references, there is a summary of what the passage was about.

The Qur’án currently does not have a column for Biblical references or even Qur’ánic cross-references, while the Bible has the corresponding columns (albeit without much data currently).

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D. COMPLETE NOTES ON USING THE MULTILINEAR BIBLE

This is a multilinear Bible, allowing you to view multiple translations, notes, further reference information, and commentary verse by verse. If you prefer to view the individual translation of the King James Version outside of a database format, there are many websites you can find on the internet. For example, see http://www.hti.umich.edu/k/kjv/ . The on-line copies have been proofread, but of course, there may be an occasional error. Feel free to email me at if you spot any errors, and we may be able to update the on-line copy.

If you have already viewed the notes for using the Multilinear Qur’án, instead of viewing the following information, you may just wish to view the following: Summary of Differences Between the Multilinear Bible and Qur’án. Otherwise, feel free to proceed.


Translations

This multilinear Bible uses the King James Version of the Bible. This version is mentioned in the Bahá’í Writings for its beautiful English, though Bahá’ís are free to use other versions. See a Memorandum from the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice at https://bahai-library.com/uhj/king.james.bible.html for a discussion of this.

Mention is also made at the following letters by or on behalf of the Universal House of Justice: (praising the style and comparing Shoghi Effendi’s style of translation with it)

https://bahai-library.com/uhj/translation.html
https://bahai-library.com/uhj/translation.subsisting.html


Notes to Translations

None have been added, though if someone would like to download and adapt (or add) notes from a Bible which is in the public domain and correlate them to the verses, please feel free to email me at .


Book, Chapter, and Verse Numbering

Chapter and Verse numbers have of course been included. Book numbers were assigned in the typical order for maintaining consistency in sequencing in the event that sorts were performed in other fields which disturbed that order.


Bahá’í References

There are four columns for viewing references made in the Bahá’í Writings or literature to the given verse or chapter. In any of the three columns one may click on the link to go to the referenced quotation. This will allow a viewing of the reference (or quotation) in a fuller context. In many cases, the reference in question is not really a full interpretation of the general meaning of the given verse, but may simply be one specific application of the verse. Nevertheless, it may be of interest to see the example context in which the verse was used.

For any of these reference columns, I have not included verse numbers unless the reference involves multiple verses. In a few cases the reference may extend longer than the length covered by the corresponding translated verse(s) in which case the longer reference is given. I have noted subsequent continguous references as being continued (“cont.”).

One of these columns is dedicated to references made by the Central Figures of the Bahá’í Faith, the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh, or ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, as well as to interpretations of Shoghi Effendi and statements of the Universal House of Justice or on their behalf (note: this grouping is different from the multilinear Qur’án). Another column is dedicated to special sources of information which may provide a somewhat authoritative elucidation of the given verse. The latter category includes references from letters of Bahíyyih Khánum and references made in the Dawn-Breakers, a work which though written by Nabíl-i-Zarandí, was translated by Shoghi Effendi. The Brilliant Proof and Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era were also included as these had been at least in part reviewed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and were recommended by Him or Shoghi Effendi.

There is also a column for pilgrim’s notes. For Bahá’ís, none of these oral statements attributed to our Central Figures can be considered as authoritative, since we are to only rely on the authenticated authoritative texts (or authenticated talks). However, we are told these may be of interest and may be shared. Since they may provide insight on verses which are not elsewhere illuminated in the Writings (at least in published translated material that I have been able to find), I am hopeful that their inclusion might be of interest in sparking further thought about the verses in question, even though we should be careful to note that the interpretation (or translation) given are not in any way authoritative.

I have also added a column with references of articles from Bahá’í scholars. I only have a very few items there, but more could be added in the future.

There should also be a column dedicated to Bulletin Board posts of individual Bahá’ís (also viewable separately by date and/or thread).

It is hoped that with all of this information available, these multilinear texts will help the Bahá’í community to elucidate other references in the Bible or Qur’án to this dispensation, according to the following quotation of Shoghi Effendi:

“The Sacred Books are full of allusions to this new dispensation. In the Book of Íqán, Bahá’u’lláh gives the key-note and explains some of the outstanding passages hoping that the friends will continue to study the Sacred Books by themselves and unfold the mysteries found therein.

“The people, failing to comprehend the meaning of the symbols and the truth of the Sacred Verses, thought them to be myths and unrealizable dreams. It is the duty of the friends who have been endowed by Bahá’u’lláh with the power of discernment to study these Sacred Books, ponder upon their passages and teach the disheartened people of the earth the treasures of knowledge they enclose.” (On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, Pearls of Wisdom, p. 65)


Qur’ánic References

I have begun a column for cross-referencing with the Qur’án (with very few cross-references currently listed). Some information on cross-references is available throughout the notes of Sale and Rodwell in the Qur’án (linking it with the Bible) and this data may in the future be used to allow links to be made both in the Qur’án to the Bible (currently they give only book, chapter and verse numbers), and in the Bible back to the Qur’án.

Bible Cross-References

Links within the Bible are given in a few places, but it would be better to refer to another annotated Bible to find this information. We could perhaps add this information in a separate column if someone wished to input the information and if it were from notes which were in the public domain. Email me at if you’re interested.


Bahá’í Translations

I have also created a column for viewing the translation made in the Bahá’í Writings of the given Bible verse. Unless there is a prefix indicating otherwise, the translation is by Shoghi Effendi. In some cases, the translation in the Bahá’í Writings is only a paraphrasing of the original quotation or is an adaptation of the quotation to fit a different context. I have tried to include either only the segment of the quotation which could be seen as a word-for-word translation, or a prefacing of a quotation with the word “paraphrasing”.

The prefixes include BWC for Bahá’í World Centre (or a translation done with the assistence of a committee at the Bahá’í World Centre), MG for Marzieh Gail, EGB for E.G. Browne, JEE for J.E. Esslemont, and O for Other (the original translator may not be readily determined). I have listed some translations as being from the Bahá’í World Centre, even though Habib Taherzadeh is mentioned as the primary translator (the Bahá’í World Centre assisted him with a committee), since BWC conveys what I perceive to be a certain stamp of approval from the Universal House of Justice.

Multiple translations of the same verse are ordered according to the order in which references are listed in the Bahá’í Central Figures column and then according to the Special References column and finally to pilgrim’s notes.

Please note, though I have included the pilgrim’s note translations (along with the initials of the author), these translations are not only not authenticated translations, but, being pilgrim’s notes, they are not based on an authenticated Persian transcript. Therefore, the translation included in a pilgrim’s note is probably of little interest, but I included it anyhow (perhaps useful in the event that it might indicate indirectly some of the content of the Central Figure’s paraphrasing).


Biblical Cross-References and Cross-References within the Qur’án

If enough data is inputted by others, we could perhaps add a future column or columns at a later date which could refer specifically to such things as Greek or Hebrew text; archaelogical historical, interpretative, and translation information from published or unpublished scholarly works, etc. (allowing links in all cases).