LaParola

LaParola is a free, open-source Bible study tool. It can import a wide range of Bible versions as well as textual criticism, including more than 700 files at the Christian Classics ethereal library. It has an attractive, up-to-date feel, automatic updates, and the sort of uniquely useful touches you get with open-source software projects.

LaParola's user interface is attractive and sophisticated, with well-designed icons and a feature-packed toolbar that gives the program the look and feel of a word processor or Office-style app. Most of the controls involve displaying text, searching text, or using commentaries on text, so we started at the beginning, with a text; in this case, the American Standard Version, which we opened by clicking the View Bible icon on the toolbar. We could toggle the ASV footnotes on and off in the text and open Parallel Texts simply by clicking a button labeled P and adding or removing Bible, Commentary, and Dictionary files. Dragging the window automatically resizes the text. To keep the download manageable, LaParola only includes one Bible and one commentary, the ASV Commentary. But we quickly discovered a mind-boggling array of texts, commentaries, and references we could download and add to LaParola. What's more, LaParola makes it easy to add files with frequent access points and has the ability to import ThML, OSIS, Zefania, and e-Sword files. We could choose from four different Greek texts of the New Testament alone, and nearly every famous (and infamous) edition, not to mention many translations. LaParola has many features that set it apart from more basic Biblical software, such as the Create Concordance tool. This wizard-like tool let us quickly create concordances of words or roots (with the ability to exclude roots) for any passage in any available text; ordered alphabetically, by first appearance, or by number of appearances. LaParola even has a weights and measures converter with minas, talents, shekels, and other Biblical standards.

We have faith in open-source software projects. LaParola is one such tool that's all about faith. We recommend it to all Biblical scholars and readers, whether it's for daily devotions or a doctoral dissertation.