bible-data

Schema

This document specifies the data format for every version in this repository. The same shape applies across all 33 versions.

Directory layout

versions/
└── <lang>/                 ISO 639-1 language code (en, pt, es, de, fr, …)
    └── <slug>/             version slug — short, lowercase, dash-separated
        ├── metadata.json
        ├── <slug>.json     whole Bible
        ├── <slug>.sqlite   SQLite database
        └── books/
            ├── Gen.json
            ├── Exod.json
            └── …           one per book, OSIS-coded filename

Book identifiers

Books use OSIS codes, the de facto standard for biblical reference markup.

OSIS	English	book_id
Gen	Genesis	1
Exod	Exodus	2
Lev	Leviticus	3
…	…	…
Matt	Matthew	40
…	…	…
Rev	Revelation	66

The numeric book_id (1–66) is also exposed for convenience.

metadata.json

{
  "slug": "kjv",
  "shortName": "KJV",
  "name": "King James Version",
  "language": "en",
  "year": 1769,
  "license": "public-domain",
  "licenseNote": "Public domain worldwide (1611, Oxford 1769 standard text).",
  "attribution": null,
  "sourceUrl": null,
  "stats": { "books": 66, "chapters": 1189, "verses": 31102 },
  "readerUrl": "https://midvash.com/kjv",
  "schema": "https://github.com/midvash/bible-data/blob/main/SCHEMA.md"
}

<slug>.json (whole Bible)

interface BibleFile {
  version: string;        // slug, e.g. "kjv"
  name: string;           // full name
  language: string;       // ISO 639-1
  license: LicenseTag;
  books: Book[];
}

interface Book {
  book: string;           // OSIS code, e.g. "John"
  bookId: number;         // 1–66
  englishName: string;    // "John"
  testament: 'OT' | 'NT';
  chapters: Chapter[];
}

interface Chapter {
  chapter: number;        // 1-indexed
  verses: Verse[];
}

interface Verse {
  number: number;         // 1-indexed
  text: string;
}

type LicenseTag =
  | 'public-domain'
  | 'cc0'
  | 'cc-by'
  | 'cc-by-sa'
  | 'wlc-license';

books/<OSIS>.json

Same shape as Book above, plus the version slug at the top level:

interface BookFile {
  version: string;
  book: string;           // OSIS
  bookId: number;
  englishName: string;
  testament: 'OT' | 'NT';
  chapters: Chapter[];
}

<slug>.sqlite

A SQLite 3 database with a single table:

CREATE TABLE verses (
  id       INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,
  book_id  INTEGER NOT NULL,
  chapter  INTEGER NOT NULL,
  number   INTEGER NOT NULL,
  text     TEXT    NOT NULL
);

CREATE UNIQUE INDEX idx_unique_verse ON verses (book_id, chapter, number);
CREATE        INDEX idx_chapter      ON verses (book_id, chapter);

book_id matches the 1–66 numbering documented above.

OT-only and NT-only versions

Original-language texts cover only part of the canon. The shape is identical; the books array simply contains fewer entries.

• WLC, Aleppo Codex: book_id 1–39 (Old Testament only)
• Textus Receptus: book_id 40–66 (New Testament only)

Notes

• Verse text is stored as-is from the source, including original punctuation and casing. No editorial normalization is applied beyond Unicode NFC.
• Chapter and verse numbers follow the Protestant/Masoretic numbering. Versification differences across traditions (LXX/Vulgate Psalm numbering, etc.) are not normalized — each version uses its own conventional numbering.
• Some early translations (Geneva 1599, Diodati 1649, etc.) use archaic spelling preserved verbatim.

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