Part of observing the passing of the old year is looking back, sometimes with nostalgia and sometimes with thanksgiving. This year, as I made my writing plans, I looked back to how we used to get our writing done—with a typewriter, paper, and an eraser. A writer had to be truly dedicated to persist with those tools. Today, my job as a writer is so much easier with the technology available to me.

It’s hard to say which of the computer-based tools are the most useful, but for Christian writers, I have to say having numerous online Bible versions has to be near the top of the list. For my writing, I’ve tried to find one online source that offers all popular translations. I submit regularly to publishers who use the New International Version (NIV) or the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). In addition, I like to use The Message on my devotional blog.

All sites below offer numerous translations as well as search by keyword or by Bible passage. Let’s take a look at the details.

Blue Letter Bible

  • No NRSV or The Message,
  • Several commentaries including John Calvin, Martin Luther, Matthew Henry, and Charles Spurgeon,
  • Study tools page features charts, outlines, encyclopedias, and dictionaries.
  • Images link takes you to several maps.

Bible Gateway

  • In addition to search, there’s a topical index,
  • Features a number of English translations, including The Message,
  • Does not have NRSV,
  • Allows you to put the verse of the day on your site,
  • Commentary and dictionaries available under Additional Resources.

Bible Study Tools

  • Has more English translations than the others, including NRSV, NIV, and The Message,
  • Parallel Bible lets you compare two versions on one search,
  • Numerous resources including commentaries, dictionaries, encyclopedia, and interlinear Bible.

It can be overwhelming when you try to absorb what’s offered on these sites, so I suggest choosing one and exploring it before going to another. I like Bible Gateway, but, since it doesn’t have the NRSV, I often go to Bible Study Tools instead. Most of the time I don’t need all the stuff that’s on BST, but it does come in handy when research is needed.

I invite readers to comment on these Bible study sites and to offer suggestions on other resources not mentioned here.