Importing EPUB Bibles

What is EPUB?

EPUB is an open, industry-standard format for digital publications. It was designed so that content can be accessed across a wide variety of applications and devices — not locked to any single tool or platform.

When a publisher makes content available in EPUB format, it is with the understanding that users will access that content through the reading tool of their choice. This is the purpose of the format.

EPUB readers in common use

Millions of people use EPUB files with tools like these every day:

• Apple Books — built into every iPhone, iPad, and Mac
• Google Play Books — built into Android devices
• Calibre — the most widely used open-source e-book manager
• Adobe Digital Editions — Adobe's official EPUB reader
• Kobo Books — Rakuten's reading platform
• Moon+ Reader — popular Android reading app
• EPUBReader — browser extension for Chrome and Firefox

Bible study tools also support EPUB imports. For example, Equipd Bible is an iOS app specifically designed for Bible study that supports importing EPUB Bible files — including those from jw.org — for personal use. Equipd has been available on the Apple App Store for years, following the same approach: no publisher content is bundled in the app; users download files themselves from the publisher's website.

Comment Coach follows this same established pattern.

How Comment Coach handles EPUB Bibles

When you import a Bible EPUB into Comment Coach, the app reads the verse text and stores it on your device so you can look up scriptures during personal study. Here is exactly what happens:

1. You download the file — directly from the publisher's website (e.g., jw.org), using your own browser, to your own device.
2. You import it — you choose to bring the file into Comment Coach using the app's import function.
3. The text is stored locally — verse content is saved in your browser's local storage (IndexedDB) on your device. It is never uploaded to any server, never shared with other users, and never accessible to anyone but you.
4. You use it for study — scripture references resolve instantly from your local copy, without network calls, without AI credits, and without the text ever leaving your device.

For users of jw.org publications

We recognize that Jehovah's Witnesses care deeply about how Bible publications are used and shared. We share that respect. Here is how Comment Coach honors those concerns:

What we do

• We direct users to download files from jw.org — the official source — rather than bundling or redistributing any content ourselves.
• We store imported content exclusively on the user's own device.
• We use the content solely for its intended purpose: personal Bible study.
• We clearly present jw.org's Terms of Use and ask users to review and accept them before proceeding.

What we do not do

• We do not bundle, host, or redistribute any jw.org publication.
• We do not upload imported content to our servers or any third party.
• We do not make imported content available to other users.
• We do not use jw.org trademarks, logos, or branding.
• We do not claim any affiliation with the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society or Jehovah's Witnesses.

jw.org Terms of Use

JW.org's Terms of Use state that users may "view, download, and print copyrighted materials from this site for personal and non-commercial purposes." The terms also note that the restriction on software applications "does not prohibit the distribution of free, non-commercial applications designed to download electronic files such as EPUB, PDF, MP3, and MP4 files from public areas of this site."

Comment Coach does not download files from jw.org on the user's behalf. Users download files themselves, directly from jw.org, and then choose to import those files into the app for personal study.

Your content, your device

Every Bible you import into Comment Coach belongs to you on your device. You can remove it at any time. No trace is left on any server because no trace was ever sent to one.

If you have questions or concerns about how Comment Coach handles imported content, please contact us at support@comment.coach.