The Holy Bible: Open English Bible — History & Bibliography
Public Domain • CC0
The Open English Bible (OEB) is a modern-English translation released under a Creative Commons Zero (CC0) public-domain dedication. It began with the New Testament and has expanded to Psalms and selected Old Testament books, with regular release builds in both US and Commonwealth spelling.
Annotated History
- 2010 — First OEB publication (NT), developed as a freely redistributable, “open” translation derived from the early-20th-century Twentieth Century New Testament (TCNT). Project site · overview
- 2011 — Project formally moves to CC0 (public domain), removing attribution requirements. blog note
- 2011 — OEB available in US and Commonwealth English spellings. announcement
- 2016 — Consolidated revision released. overview
- 2022 → 2025 — Ongoing tagged releases (e.g., 2022.1, 2025.5) with downloadable text, ePub/Kindle, and HTML reading editions. downloads · 2025.5 US · 2025.5 Cth
Translation & Textual Basis
- NT foundation: edited from the public-domain Twentieth Century New Testament (TCNT), translated from the Greek text of Westcott & Hort. FAQ · TCNT (1904)
- OT approach: based on public-domain work by J. E. McFadyen and Charles F. Kent, aligned to the Leningrad Codex (Westminster Leningrad electronic text). FAQ
- Goal & style: “scholarly defensible mainstream translation,” modern English register, neutral with respect to doctrinal lines. overview
- Dialects: parallel US and Commonwealth editions (e.g., color/colour), selectable in release downloads. announcement · downloads
Licensing
The OEB text is dedicated to the public domain under Creative Commons Zero (CC0). You may copy, adapt, remix, publish, print, and redistribute without permission or royalties. project blog · GitHub
Technical & Formats
- Source format: USFM source with build scripts; release artifacts published as HTML, TXT, PDF, ePub, Kindle, and software modules. repo README · downloads
- Project flow: books progress through development stages; only released books are considered stable for general use. development notes
Selected Bibliography
- Open English Bible — official site & downloads.
- Open English Bible — GitHub repository (CC0).
- “The OEB moves to CC0.” Project blog (2011).
- “OEB now in both US and Commonwealth English.” Project blog (2011).
- Twentieth Century New Testament (1904). Public-domain base text for NT. Internet Archive.
- OEB 2025.5 Reading Editions: US · Commonwealth.