Written Translation
From language assessment and writing system development through to drafting and biblical research — tools for every phase of written Bible translation.
Expert Advice
What experienced translators recommend
Start with Progress.Bible and Ethnologue to confirm a translation is needed before investing resources.
Use COG and SayMore together during language survey — COG maps dialects, SayMore captures recordings.
FieldWorks is essential for language development; pair it with LanguageForge if your team collects dictionary data collaboratively online.
Paratext is the industry standard for drafting — invest time in it early. Switch to Scripture Forge if your project leans heavily on AI assistance.
Special script or keyboard needs? Set up Graphite and Keyman before your team starts typing in the language.
Quickstart Tools
Tools by process stage
Recommended tools grouped by Bible translation process stage.
Evaluate translation need, survey languages in a region, develop writing systems, and set up fonts and keyboards.
ProgressBible
ProgressBible
An analytics service that partners with Great Commission organizations to illuminate the Scripture gap in a way that inspires informed action to meet local language needs.
Paid
Ethnologue: Languages of the World
Ethnologue: Languages of the World
A website with a list of all known languages, continuously updated as new information arrives. Ethnologue maintains a variety of datasets made available to subscribers. Ethnologue is one of the primary sources used to attribute ISO codes to different languages.
Paid
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