Paratext is completely free! It does require an activation code that must be obtained through the process of registration. If you leave the organization field blank on your user registration, you will immediately receive a code for the Basic Tier of Paratext. With it, you can do Bible study, research, or a personal translation project using any of the open-access resources.
Just follow these steps to get started using Paratext.
If you would like to be involved in Bible translation for one of the remaining languages, we have a host of additional translation resources for you if you can commit to doing so in a way that is clear, accurate, and natural. These resources are part of the Translator Tier, and you must indicate the organization you are with on your registration, or register a new organization or group. The information below explains how to proceed.
Paratext is free for all. If you register at registry.paratext.org and leave the organization field blank, you will receive a registration code immediately to activate Paratext. You will have access to all the tools and resources that are available on the Basic Tier (including over 800 publicly available resource texts). But if you plan to translate the Bible into a language that needs it, we would expect you to be on the Translator Tier with the ability to:
These Translator Tier features are available when you select your organization during registration, or by registering a new organization in the Register an Organization section below.
Choosing the right organization: When you register, select your local organization if it exists in the Registry, rather than a regional or global organization.
If you are not working with an organization that can qualify to use Paratext, and you wish to register a project that you will manage and publish, then you can apply to be considered as an Independent Translator. If accepted, you will be able to use the Translator Tier.
Before you request to be an Independent Translator, you MUST first register as a user above.
Organization registration enables the following benefits:
Any organization or group that wishes to translate the Bible into languages that need the Scriptures may request to be added to the Translator Tier of Paratext, provided they agree to follow internationally accepted standards for accuracy and naturalness. The details are explained in Paratext’s terms of use. To complete a registration below, you will first need to register for Paratext above, and then you may complete the new organization registration below. Once the account is set up, the organization will be able to manage their own users independently. We look forward to your registration!
Select this option only if you need to attribute copyright of a project to an organization that does not yet exist in the Registry. Copyright organizations may not register any users or projects.
Project registration is done in Paratext and enables projects to benefit from online backup and collaboration features. Registered projects are visible to other organizations, unless they are marked as confidential. This visibility provides an opportunity for collaboration if more than one group plans to translate into the same language.
Registered projects get access to Translator Tier right away. Then, after a couple weeks for internal review by your organization, they are visible to reviewers in other organizations. Assuming the projects are in good standing, their status updates to Publisher Tier. The process is community driven, with arbitration by the Paratext board of governors in the case of any disputes.
Note: You can only register a project if you are a member of a registered organization, or an approved independent translator.
The table below compares the three project tiers.
| Tiers of Use | Basic Tier | Translator Tier | Publisher Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
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Tier Qualifications |
None |
Agrees to follow FOBAI translation standards. |
Agrees to follow FOBAI translation standards. 30 day external review |
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Registered Online |
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Send/Receive Online |
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Printing and Exporting |
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Glossing tools, Guess translations, Interlinearizer |
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Email Support* |
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Concordance Builder, Names Index Builder |
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*Support for the Basic Tier is available through Support.Bible.
See also: Paratext Registry Website, and Paratext Registry Help
