bcv-kemal

Bible search and display web app

Built using Crystal (programming language), Kemal (web framework), SQLite (database)

Features

• Interlinear search results
• Full text search: English, Hebrew, and Greek
• Provide your own Bible content
• No server required - uses sqlite database (local)
• Good performance - compiled code
• Query Greek and Hebrew by root/lemma
• Search for works with specific part of speech
• Strong's definitions - both popup and inline
• See difference, union, and intersection across prior search results
• Uses Bootstrap 5

Installation

1. Install Crystal - https://crystal-lang.org
2. Install Kemal - https://kemalcr.com
3. Clone this repo
4. Rename .env-example to .env & update values to match your environment
5. Install dependencies - shards install
6. Install just - https://github.com/casey/just (optional)
7. Install watchexec - XYZ (optional)
8. Set up the database - instructions pending

Dependencies

Crystal - required

• dotenv - https://github.com/drum445/dotenv
• sqlite3
• kemal

Optional

• just
• watchexec

Usage

Debug - Run

1. Run just watch (or crystal run src/bcv-kemal.cr)

Production - Run

1. Run just prod (or KEMAL_ENV=production crystal run src/bcv-kemal.cr --release -O3)

Production - Build

1. Run just build-prod (or KEMAL_ENV=production crystal build src/bcv-kemal.cr -o bcv-kemal --release -O3)

TODO

• [ ] Document database schema
• [ ] Document .env fields
• [ ] Document content ETL
• [ ] Capture performance metrics

Data Sources

Text

• English Bibles: https://openbible.com/texts.htm - several translations available
• Greek New Testament:
  • https://github.com/LogosBible/SBLGNT
  • https://github.com/STEPBible/STEPBible-Data
  • https://www.mrgreekgeek.com/2023/03/08/free-digital-greek-new-testaments/
  • https://codexsinaiticus.org/en/project/transcription_download.aspx
• Hebrew Bible:
  • https://archive.org/details/original-hebrew-bible-a-free-paleo-hebrew-bible-including-all-books-of-the-old-t
  • https://tanach.us/Pages/About.html
• Strongs: https://github.com/STEPBible/STEPBible-Data/tree/master/Lexicons

Converting USFX XML Files

Converter

• https://github.com/balain/usfx_to_tsv

Format

• https://github.com/biblenerd/awesome-bible-developer-resources?tab=readme-ov-file#usfx

Development

TODO: Write development instructions here

Contributing

1. Fork it (https://github.com/balain/bcv-kemal/fork)
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b my-new-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -am 'Add some feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin my-new-feature)
5. Create a new Pull Request

License

MIT

Copyright © 2025

See LICENSE for full license content.

Contributors

• John - creator and maintainer