Open English Translation (OET) MCP Server

An official Model Context Protocol (MCP) server providing Large Language Models (LLMs) with high-speed, structured access to the Open English Translation (OET) of the Bible.

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What Makes the OET Different?

1. Dual-Stream Parallel Translation:
   • Readers' Version (OET-RV): Natural, idiomatic, thought-for-thought modern English designed for macro-level discourse comprehension and fluency.
   • Literal Version (OET-LV): Transparent, hyper-literal formal equivalence showing every added copula, article, transitive direct object, and untranslated particle.
2. Word-Level Lexical Graph & Interlinear:
   • Every word token is cross-linked via TSV datasets to Hebrew/Aramaic (UHB) and Greek (SR-GNT) dictionary entries, lemmas, Strong's numbers, morphological tags, and canonical gloss distributions.
3. Explicit Translation Decision Tags (\add):
   • Encodes the exact reason for every addition or divergence (@ for referent replacements, ≈ for rewordings, # for number changes, % for speech shifts, ^ for opposite phrasing, ? for uncertainty, ≈/^/→ for Hebrew poetic parallelism, and ⇔ for clause re-ordering).

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Quick Start

Running via uvx

uvx oet-mcp-server

Installation from Source

git clone https://github.com/Freely-Given-org/open-english-translation-mcp-server.git
cd open-english-translation-mcp-server
uv sync
uv run oet-mcp-server

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AI Client Configuration

1. Claude Desktop / Antigravity / Cursor

Add to your claude_desktop_config.json or MCP settings:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "oet-bible": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["oet-mcp-server"]
    }
  }
}

Or for local development:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "oet-bible": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": [
        "--directory",
        "/srv/FreelyGiven/open-english-translation-mcp-server",
        "run",
        "oet-mcp-server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

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MCP Server Capabilities

1. Resources & Resource Templates

URI Pattern	Description
oet://catalog	Lists all 66+ biblical books, chapter counts, testaments, and translation status.
oet://metadata/rv	Translation philosophy and \add decision encoding guide for OET-RV.
oet://metadata/lv	Markup guide for OET-LV (added copulas, untranslated particles, direct objects).
oet://formats	Complete specification of OET encoding formats and special character codes.
oet://passage/{version}/{reference}	Direct reading URI for any passage (parallel, rv, lv, interlinear).
oet://word/{word_id}	Lookup a specific word link token (e.g. JHNc1v1w5, MAT_1:1w1).
oet://lexicon/{lang}/{query}	Dictionary definition and canonical gloss distribution for a lemma or Strong's ID.

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2. Tools

get_passage

Retrieve scripture in parallel side-by-side, readers, literal, or interlinear table view.

• Arguments:
  • reference (string, required): e.g. "John 1:1-5", "Rom 8:28", "Gen 1:1".
  • version (string): "parallel", "rv", "lv", or "interlinear".
  • include_notes (bool): Attach translator footnotes (TD:, TC:) and cross-references.
  • format (string): "markdown" or "json".
  • show_decision_codes (bool): Reveal inline decision tags ([@referent], [≈rewording]).

compare_translations

Calculates a granular comparative breakdown between OET-RV and OET-LV for a passage.

• Arguments:
  • reference (string, required): e.g. "John 1:1-3", "Romans 1:16-17".

search_text

High-speed full-text search across RV and LV using SQLite FTS5.

• Arguments:
  • query (string, required): e.g. "true light", "covenant".
  • version (string): "both", "rv", or "lv".
  • testament (string): "all", "OT", or "NT".
  • limit (int): Max results (default 20).

search_lemma

Concordance lookup showing how an original Hebrew/Greek root or Strong's ID is translated across the entire Bible.

• Arguments:
  • lemma_or_strongs (string, required): e.g. "logos", "G3056", "bereshit", "H7225".
  • testament (string): "all", "OT", "NT".
  • limit (int): Max sample occurrences.

lookup_word

Drill down into a specific original word link token with complete grammatical parsing and manuscript collations.

• Arguments:
  • word_id (string, required): e.g. "JHNc1v1w5", "MAT_1:1w1".

get_lexicon_entry

Retrieve dictionary definition, semantic domain, and canonical distribution for a lemma or Strong's ID.

• Arguments:
  • query (string, required): Lemma or Strong's ID.
  • lang (string): "auto", "greek", "hebrew".

get_translation_decisions

Isolates all explicit \add decision codes in a passage.

• Arguments:
  • reference (string, required): e.g. "John 1:1-18".

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3. MCP Prompts

• comparative_exegesis: Guided prompt leading an AI through rigorous exegesis (macro discourse in RV, micro syntax in LV, and root word studies).
• biblical_word_study: Guided prompt performing a complete biblical word study across genres and testaments.
• translation_critique: Guided prompt analyzing why modern dynamic translations diverge from literal syntax in difficult verses.

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OET Translation Decision Codes Reference

Code	Category	Meaning	Example
@	Referent Replacement	Pronoun changed to explicit name	\add @David\add*
≈	Rewording	Rephrased for modern clarity	\add ≈answered\add*
#	Number Change	Singular generalized to plural	\add #people\add*
%	Person Shift	Direct speech flattened to indirect	\add %that he will\add*
^	Opposite Phrasing	Saying phrased positively	\add ^always open\add*
+	Added Article	Article added for English grammar	\add +the\add*
=	Added Copula	Helping verb ('is', 'was') added	\add =is\add*
<	Added Direct Object	Object added for transitive verb	\add <it\add*
>	Added Implied Object	Implied entity ('thing', 'person')	\add >things\add*
≡	Elided Repetition	Repeated elided word for clarity	\add ≡pursued\add*
&	Added Owner	Possessive added for naturalness	\add &his\add*
?	Uncertainty Marker	Translator doubt regarding intent	\add ?in the clouds\add*
≈ (line)	Synonymous Parallelism	Second poetic line reiterates first	\q1 ≈Yahweh gives comfort
^ (line)	Antithetic Parallelism	Second poetic line states contrast	\q1 ^but Israel will fall
→ (line)	Synthetic Parallelism	Second poetic line reaches result	\q1 →and he answered
⇔ (verse)	Order Swapped	Clauses inverted for English flow	\v 10 ⇔The girls did...

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License

• Code: Open Source under the MIT / GPL-3.0 License.
• OET Text & Datasets: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC-BY-SA 4.0) by Freely-Given.org.