Embracing technology as the pastor: Use Bibleworks to compare versions

One of the privileges for the pastor living in the computer technology age is the fantastic wealth of resources available for working with the Bible's original languages.

There are basically three big software packages on the market for working with Greek and Hebrew:
(i) Logos;
(ii) Accordance;
(iii) Bibleworks.

I was introduced to Bibleworks at college and have been in love with it ever since.  It's always running in the background on my computer ready to be used throughout the day.

So as we wind up this series on 'Embracing technology', I'm going to give a mini series of posts explaining some of the primary things I use Bibleworks for. 

Now most of what I do with Bibleworks I'm sure can be done with other Bible software, but as I only know Bibleworks, that's all I'm going to talk about.

The first and most obvious thing you can do with Bibleworks is compare Bible texts and versions in the browse window.

No longer is there a need for a massive Bible with multiple translations, or multiple Bibles in hardcopy, or an interlinear Greek or Hebrew Bible.  You can have pretty much every major translation right in front of you at any given time.

For example, the versions I usually have open in my browse window screen and in order of preference are:
(i) GNT (Greek New Testament, 4th edition, eds Aland et al);
(ii) WTT (Codex Leningradensis Hebrew Text);
(iii) LXT (LXX Septuaginta edited by Alfred Rahlfs);
(iv) LXE (The English Translation of The Septuagint Version of the Old Testament by Sir Lancelot C. L. Brenton);
(v) CSB (Holman Christian Standard Bible);
(vi) NIVO (New International Version 1984);
(vii) NIV (New International Version 2011);
(viii) ESV (English Standard Version);
(ix) NET (New English Translation);
(x) NAU (The New American Standard Bible 1995);
(xi) KJV (King James Version);
(xii) YLT (Young's Literal Translation);
(xiii) SCR (New Testament in the Original Greek According to the Text Followed in The Authorized Version, F.H.A. Scrivener; The Textus Receptus).

Occasionally I'll add to the mix the:
(i) RSV (Revised Standard Version);
(ii) NJB (New Jerusalem Bible);
(iii) NKJ (New King James).

I also use the following versions when I'm studying Latin for the day:
(i) VULM (Vulgate Latin Bible with morphology);
(ii) DRA (The Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition; Very literal translation of the Latin Vulgate).

So if you need to compare a verse in various versions, there's nothing like bringing all those versions up in one place on a computer screen.  The alternative of looking them up in hard copies would be most time consuming.