Sharing and Copyright
Everyone is welcome to use and share our content under a Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 license.
This applies to translated texts, articles, artwork, audiobooks, concordance entries, interlinear translations, and translator notes.
This license permits you to copy, play, quote, and share, as long as:
- You give attribution to the 2001 Translation
- You don’t use it for commercial purposes
- No derivative works* are created from it
As long as you stick to these rules, you don’t need to ask permission!
* Derivative works are things like new versions of our texts or artwork, such as if you created a translation into another language, or a new translation using our text as a starting point. These can only be made with special permission.
Older content is public domain
Some of our older Bible texts are completely without copyright. Look at the notice at the bottom of each book text to see if it’s public domain or under our Creative Commons license.
Other content
Our website design, scripts, layout, etc., is fully copyrighted to the 2001 Translation and cannot be copied.
The commentaries are copyrighted to their various respective authors.
Copyright Frequently Asked Questions
Quoting Our Translation
Can I quote the 2001 Translation in my commercially sold book? Or on my blog? Or website? Or in my monetized video?
If you’re quoting verses in the normal way that most people do, then go for it! Absolutely!
You’re entirely welcome to quote them as part of an article, blog entry, podcast, social media post, or when writing a Bible commentary. And there are no limits to how many times you can quote verses in this way.
You only need to give attribution, by saying that it’s from our translation (which you were probably going to do anyway).
The only thing the license doesn’t allow is copying our material as-is, without any of your own content, commentary or work around it. The text would have to be transformed somehow, such as by being interspersed with your own critique or commentary.
Contact us if you want clarification or to seek special permission.
Can I use a quote from the 2001 Translation on my commercially sold t-shirt/mug/poster/etc.?
You will need to contact us to seek special permission.
Translated Texts
Can I publish the 2001 Translation text in my phone app?
If your app is non-commercial (e.g. free to download and contains no advertisements), then yes. It’s fine if your app is supported by donations.
However, we would prefer that you don’t use our text as a basis for your app, as our text is updated regularly, and typically app publishers don’t want to keep up with that and end up serving users old and out-of-date versions.
Can I use the 2001 Translation English text as a basis for creating my own translation?
Derivative works are not allowed without special permission. You are, however, very welcome to use our interlinears and concordance entries as tools for your own translating work.
Can I host copies or extracts of the 2001 Translation text on my own website?
This is a question about more than merely quoting verses (which is allowed); it’s about hosting copies or large extracts of entire books.
This is allowed, but only if it’s distributed non-commercially and not a derivative work.
Non-commercial means it’s freely available to access without charge, that there are no advertisements or other monetization methods. It’s fine if your site or project is supported by donations.
Not a derivative work means that it’s not, for example, used to create your own version of our translation.
However, we would prefer that you don’t host entire books or large extracts of our text, as our translations are updated regularly, and typically website owners don’t want to keep up with that and end up serving users old and out-of-date versions.
Can I create and sell printed copies of the 2001 Translation?
Sorry, no. Commercial use is not allowed.
Can I create and sell e-books or audio recordings of the 2001 Translation?
Sorry, no. Commercial use is not allowed.
Can I create translations of the 2001 Translation into another language?
Sorry, no. That would be a derivative work. We are very hopeful about emerging AI tools that will allow us to create translations into other languages in the near future.
Artwork
Can I share your artwork with others?
Yes. Our artwork is available under the same license as our texts. Just make sure to give attribution to the 2001 Translation, use it non-commercially, and not as part of a derivative work.
Can I use your artwork to create a meme?
The license does not allow derivative works. However, some countries may interpret a meme as a transformative work rather than a derivative work, in which case it would be allowed. Check your local laws.
Can I use your artwork on my website? Or in my YouTube video?
Yes, as long as your website or video is not a commercial operation and you give attribution to the 2001 Translation (in the website footer or video description is fine). Your website or YouTube channel being supported by donations doesn’t count as being commercial.
Can I use your artwork in my commercially sold book? Or on my t-shirt/mug/keyring/etc.?
You will need to contact us to seek special permission.
Audiobooks
Can I play your audiobooks in my church? Or in an online worship meeting?
Yes!
Can I play your audiobooks on my commercial or monetized video? Or in my podcast?
You will need to contact us to seek special permission.
Other
Didn’t the text used to be public domain?
The legacy version of our texts are public domain. Only our new revised text from 2025 is protected by a Creative Commons license.
Check the bottom of the book text to see if it’s public domain or under our Creative Commons license.
Our older, legacy Bible text will always be public domain, and it’s available on our old website.