If you're a developer building a Bible app, website, or any tool that needs Scripture text, fetch(bible) gives you unrestricted access to freely available Bible translations — no API keys, no rate limits, no registration required.^1
Built by Gracious Tech, a non-profit Christian organization, fetch(bible) is more than just an API. It's a complete digital Bible platform: a curated collection of all publicly available translations (now numbering over 1,404 across 1,116 languages), a CDN-based delivery service, and a set of tools for integrating Scripture into any project.^1 The platform includes a TypeScript client library for API-like access, an embeddable web app for Bible reading, and a web enhancer that automatically turns Bible references on any webpage into clickable, hover-to-preview links.^3 Everything is open source under the MIT No Attribution license — meaning you can use, fork, or self-host without restriction.^4
Gracious Tech was founded by Jon Walsh, a developer with degrees in both IT and theology who created the platform after serving on the mission field in south-east Asia. The organization believes "All Scripture is God-breathed" (2 Timothy 3:16) and that everyone should have unrestricted access to it.^2 Every app Gracious Tech makes is completely free — no cost, no ads, no signup, no tracking.^5
fetch(bible) deliberately excludes copyrighted commercial translations (ESV, NIV, etc.) but provides a way for organizations with proper licensing to create custom collections and merge them with the public one.^6 The platform also filters out translations known to be inaccurate and limits content to the 66 books of the Protestant canon. About half of the included translations come from Wycliffe Bible Translators and its partner organizations, with the remainder sourced from translation societies and public-domain works worldwide.^8
Notable- Powers several other apps including Paper Bible, Track Bible, TheWay by Church Renewal International, and Manna — a daily Bible reading app by Croft Media^2
- 812 commits, 47 stars, and 13 forks on GitHub; master branch last updated March 27, 2026 (maintenance phase)^4
- Includes 1,404+ Bible translations across 1,116 languages with compressed CDN delivery for low-latency access worldwide; translation growth has held steady since mid-2026 after rapid prior expansion^1
- Published as npm packages (@gracious.tech/fetch-client v2.2.0, @gracious.tech/fetch-enhancer v1.1.0) for easy integration^3
- Advocates for freely giving ministry resources, linking to copy.church and sellingjesus.org as part of its mission^5
- Founder Jon Walsh spoke at Catalyst Conference about technology and Christian mission^7
- Largest translation sources: Wycliffe Bible Translators (640), Word for the World International (144), public domain (89), and Seed Company (73)^8
