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The Bible App for iPad: Now with Audio Bibles, YouVersion Live, and More

Although version 3.1 of the Bible App™ for iPad has lots to offer, many people will probably be most excited about audio Bibles, now available on iPad for the first time! Of course, before you can take advantage of these new audio features, you’ll first need to get the update, available immediately from the iTunes App Store.

With this update, we’re exploring some new ways to interact with the audio Bible component while reading Scripture. When you select a Bible to read that has audio, you’ll see a new small tab in the bottom right corner of the screen. Tap that tab to reveal the audio Bible player like the screenshot below. From there, you can play, pause, and move forward and backward within the chapter.

To see which translations support audio on your iPad, just look for the speaker icon [] next to the list of versions inside the app. Here are just a few examples you’ll find:

  • New International Version (NIV)
  • English Standard Version (ESV)
  • New Living Translation (NLT)
  • King James Version (KJV) Listener’s Bible
  • Douay-Rheims (DRA) New Testament Audio Bible
  • Chinese Standard Bible (CSB)
  • American Standard Version (ASV) New Testament
  • La Biblia de las Américas (LBLA), and
  • World English Bible (WEB)

Be sure to keep checking your Versions list, because we’ll be adding even more audio Bibles (and in more languages) in the coming months.

More for iPad. Also in this release, iPad adds full access to YouVersion Live Events for the first time, just like you’ve already been enjoying on iPhone. Lastly, one awesome new feature exclusive to iPad is that, as you begin typing Bible book names in Search, the Bible App will auto complete them for you—a huge time-saver!

iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. There’s so much to love in this release. No matter which portable Apple device you use to engage with the Bible, you should notice that chapters you’ve visited recently will load faster. And thanks once again to YouVersion’s awesome community of volunteers, if your device’s default language is set to Italian, you’ll discover that the Bible App’s interface is now much more intuitive for you.

Here’s how you can get yours right now:

If you already have the Bible App installed:

  1. On your Apple device, tap the App Store icon.
  2. When the App Store opens, tap the Updates icon.
  3. Tap Update for the Bible App
    OR
    Tap Update All.

If this is your first time installing the Bible App:

  1. On your Apple device, tap the App Store icon.
  2. When the App Store opens, tap the Search icon.
  3. Search for “Bible”.
  4. Tap the Bible App from LifeChurch.tv.
  5. Tap the FREE button.
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Reminder: Webcast TOMORROW, May 26!

Be sure to mark your calendar and join us for a very special webcast, as together we celebrate all that God has done through YouVersion and what’s to come in the near future:

TOMORROW, MAY 26, at 11:00 AM CDT

We’ll be sharing the latest news and taking an inside look at what’s ahead for the Bible App. Don’t forget to let your friends know about it on Facebook and Twitter. When you do, you’ll be entered to win an iPad 2! Use the following phrase to be eligible:

Join me for the @YouVersion Webcast Thurs, May 26, 11am CT. RT to enter to win an iPad2!

We’re excited about this opportunity to come together as the YouVersion community and we can’t wait to hear from you. Get your questions ready, because we’ll be awarding a couple of iPad 2s to people who ask questions during the event (just be sure to use #youversion in your tweets/posts).

It’s going to be fun! We’re looking forward to seeing you there: http://www.youversion.com/webcast.

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New Version: The Greek New Testament SBL Edition

The YouVersion community now has access to another version of the Greek New Testament! The Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software have partnered to produce The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition—SBLGNT for short.

What is the SBLGNT? A brand-new edition of the Greek New Testament, edited by Michael W. Holmes, well-known for his work on early Christian literature. To establish the text, Holmes referred to a wide range of printed editions of the Greek New Testament and consulted the latest technical resources and manuscript discoveries. What resulted is the latest, most up-to-date edition of the Greek New Testament available anywhere. You can read more about the SBLGNT at SBLGNT.com, including why and how it was created.

Get yours. Besides in the Bible App™ and at YouVersion.com, you can also download the SBLGNT directly to your desktop or download an Acrobat (PDF) file of the print version. Logos has also made this version available as a free download in their free mobile Bible app. But no matter where you read it electronically…it’s free. You can even order a print copy directly from the Society of Biblical Literature.

The YouVersion community has made it clear that you enjoy engaging with different versions of the Bible to increase your understanding of Scripture. We’re excited to be able to offer the SBLGNT. Thanks to Logos Bible Software and the Society of Biblical Literature for making it possible!

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The Bible App and YouVersion: New Reading Plans…in More Languages

YouVersion now has more than 150 unique reading plans, with some available in as many as 10 different languages! If you haven’t already tried one, a reading plan is a terrific tool to help you engage with the Bible, as each day you learn what it says by reading a manageable, carefully selected portion.

Explore a whole new category of topical reading plans through the Uncover the Word series, with plans generously provided by the American Bible Society in both English and Spanish. Some of these plans last 7 days and some 40, with two plans even offering unique passages every day for an entire year! These clear, practical plans reveal what the Scriptures have to say about such various real-life concerns as losing a job, parenting, loneliness, dating and forgiveness (to name just a few).

Another new individual reading plan you’ll discover is the Discipleship Journal Reading Plan from NavPress, a one-year reading plan designed to help you see the continuity in the Bible by leading you through passages from four separate places in the Bible each day.

Finally, The Stewardship Council brings our YouVersion community three studies tailored specifically to helping us manage well the resources that God provides us: Undying Commitment, Unquestionable Character, and Unwavering Conformity.

If you’re looking for your next plan to read, or if you haven’t tried one yet, any of these would be a great place to start!

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YouVersion Plans Webcast to Celebrate 20 Million Installs

It’s time for the YouVersion community to get together! Let’s meet for a live webcast on May 26, 11:00am CDT. You’ll be able to hear the latest news about the Bible App™, get an inside look at what’s coming up, ask your questions, and see if you win an iPad2.

In the meantime, there’s one number we just can’t wait to celebrate with you:

Together we’ve installed the Bible App on more than 20 million unique devices.

But what does it mean? Without context, even huge numbers like this one are just…well, numbers. What’s genuinely thrilling about this milestone is that it shows more and more people – literally all over the world – are making God’s Word an important part of their everyday lives.

As just one example, a woman named Carmen wrote us recently to share her story. Carmen has been a believer for 36 years, but she’d never been able to read her Bible consistently. She wrote, “Then I got an Android phone… My life has changed forever. I read (the Bible) every day, sometimes several times a day because it’s with me everywhere I go.” For the first time in her life, Carmen has even been reading all the way through the Bible – using a reading plan. And Carmen’s husband is reading every day on his phone, too. She writes, “It has really impacted our lives in such an amazing way!”

Reading the Bible anytime, anyplace is just one way the YouVersion community is using the Bible App to engage with God’s Word. Carmen’s is one of thousands of stories that shows how, together, we’re thinking about what we’ve read, working out how to apply Scripture in our lives, and sharing with others our journey toward a deeper relationship with God.

And those are things worth celebrating!