English translations (KJV / WEB / BSB)
ZVBible ships three public-domain (or open) English texts so the app stays freely distributable. English is always a translation layer — never a substitute for Hebrew/Greek originals. See Scripture fidelity.
| Id | Label | Role |
|---|---|---|
kjv | King James Version | Authoritative verse numbers for navigation |
web | World English Bible | Modern public-domain reading |
bsb | Berean Standard Bible | Default reading text; headings/poetry blocks |
Default preference: BSB (lib/bible-translations.ts). Change under Settings → Reading translation (English options; installed optional packs may appear there too).
Rules
- KJV numbers always drive book / chapter / verse navigation and deep links.
- When a WEB or BSB row is missing, the UI falls back to KJV for that verse and appends a visible (KJV fallback) cue so the edition is never silent. The KJV verse body is not rewritten. Optional language packs similarly label missing pack rows (
(no pack text for this verse)). - Copyrighted modern translations (NIV, ESV, NASB, NLT, …) are not bundled — see the distribution mission on Licenses and in Settings.
- Optional French and Arabic packs are downloadable separately (not in the main English trio). On Fellowship, English always shows your English choice; a second language appears only after a pack is installed. See Fellowship.
Missing verses (KJV fallback)
WEB and BSB omit some KJV-navigator verses (often Textus Receptus–only lines such as Matthew 17:21, Acts 8:37, or 3 John 1:15). ZVBible still lists those slots because KJV numbers navigate.
| Situation | What you see |
|---|---|
| WEB/BSB row exists | That edition’s wording, unlabeled |
| WEB/BSB row missing, KJV exists | KJV wording plus (KJV fallback) |
| KJV also missing | “not available” — never invented text |
Silent substitution (WEB/BSB chrome with unlabeled KJV) is a fidelity bug. Display verify treats an unlabeled hole as unexpected; a labeled fallback is expected. Dataset audits use getTranslationTextStrict (no KJV fill) so pipeline holes stay visible.
Chapter formatting
Read (/read) can show BSB-style headings and poetry grouping when BSB is selected (lib/chapter-formatting.ts, data/bsb-chapters.json).
Related
- Licenses page:
/licenses - Search runs against the selected reading translation (Settings)
- Fellowship
- Cultures packs
- Verse mapping (Hebrew alignment still uses KJV refs)