Comprehensive Ethiopian Orthodox Amharic Bible with 81 books, English KJV support, and integrated radio
Comprehensive Ethiopian Orthodox Amharic Bible with 81 books, English KJV support, and integrated radio
Vote (3 votes)
Program license Free
Developer ETHIOPIANAPPS
Version 6.0.1
Works under Android
Also known as Amharic Orthodox Bible 81
Vote
(3 votes)
Developer
ETHIOPIANAPPS
Works under
Android
Program license
Free
Version
6.0.1
Also known as
Amharic Orthodox Bible 81
Pros
- Includes the full 81-book Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo canon in Amharic, including keno books
- Provides an English Bible KJV alongside the Amharic text
- 3D style interface tailored to Amharic Bible study
- Can open four different books at the same time for comparison
- Offers different font styles for a more comfortable reading experience
- Built-in radio feature adds an audio component
Cons
- App can take a long time to open
- Old and New Testaments are not clearly separated in navigation, which can slow down access to specific books
- Highlights on verses are difficult to change or remove once applied
Amharic Orthodox Bible 81 is an Android app that brings the complete Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo canon to Amharic readers, including all 81 books from the Old and New Testaments along with the keno books. It also includes an English King James Version and a built-in radio feature, creating a combined reading and listening experience. This app suits Ethiopian Orthodox believers and anyone who wants to study Scripture in Amharic with access to the broader 81-book collection.
Full 81-Book Ethiopian Orthodox Canon
One of the strongest points of Amharic Orthodox Bible 81 is its scope. Instead of limiting itself to the 66-book Protestant canon, it follows the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Bible, which uses 81 books. That includes both Old and New Testaments as well as the keno books, making the app especially valuable for readers who want the canon used in Ethiopian Orthodox tradition, not just a shortened version.
For those who already read the Bible in Amharic, this gives a single place to consult the full set of texts that they know from church life and study. It is also useful for readers who are curious about the distinctive Ethiopian Orthodox collection and want to see those additional books alongside the more widely known ones.
3D Presentation and General Layout
The app is built around what the developer describes as a full 3D featured interface. This gives the Bible a more visual, book-like presentation and turns the app into a dedicated Amharic Bible study environment rather than a simple text viewer. The design is intended for quick movement through chapters and books, and for the most part the structure supports focused reading.
However, navigation is not perfect. The Old and New Testaments are not separated in the interface, which can make locating a specific book less direct than it could be. Having these sections grouped more clearly would reduce scrolling and make it easier to jump to a particular part of Scripture, especially for users who open the app frequently.
Study Features: Multiple Books, Fonts, and Highlighting
Amharic Orthodox Bible 81 includes several tools that go beyond basic reading. You can open up to four different books at the same time, which is very helpful for comparing passages or keeping a few sections in view while studying. This multi-book feature stands out, since it encourages more in-depth reading and cross-referencing without needing to constantly switch back and forth.
The app also offers a choice of font styles. That gives users some control over how the text looks, which can make long reading sessions more comfortable and helps adapt the display to personal preference.
Highlighting is available too, so you can mark specific verses that are meaningful or that you want to revisit later. The downside is that once a verse is highlighted, the app does not provide a clear, intuitive way to remove or adjust the highlight. For people who like to refine their notes or clean up earlier markings, this limitation can be frustrating and reduces the usefulness of the highlighting feature.
Performance and Responsiveness
While the app’s feature set is rich, performance can be a weak spot. Opening the app may take a relatively long time, which can interrupt quick reference use or short reading breaks. When combined with the less structured separation of Old and New Testaments, the slower launch time makes the overall experience feel heavier than it needs to be.
That said, once inside the app, its range of tools and the completeness of the canon help compensate for the slower start. Users who value content depth over speed may find this trade-off acceptable, but those who want instant access might feel impatient with the loading behavior.
Radio and English KJV Integration
Alongside the Amharic Bible text, the app includes an English King James Version and a radio feature. Having the KJV built in gives bilingual readers the option to compare Amharic passages with a well-known English translation, which can support both language learning and deeper comprehension of complex verses.
The radio component adds an audio element next to the reading tools. This combination of text and radio inside one app can create a more varied devotional or study routine, especially for users who like to listen while they read or who want Scripture-related audio within the same environment as their Bible text.
Overall Impression
Amharic Orthodox Bible 81 offers a thoughtful package for Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church members and Amharic-speaking Bible readers. Its most distinctive strengths are the full 81-book canon in Amharic, the inclusion of the English KJV, and study-friendly tools such as opening four books at once, font customization, and verse highlighting.
The app would benefit from refinements in two main areas: faster startup and more intuitive navigation and annotation controls. Clear separation between Old and New Testaments and a straightforward way to edit or remove highlights would significantly improve usability.
For readers who prioritize having the complete Ethiopian Orthodox canon in their pocket, along with both Amharic and English texts and a radio feature, this app remains a compelling choice, provided they can accept its slower launch time and a few rough edges in the interface.
Pros
- Includes the full 81-book Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo canon in Amharic, including keno books
- Provides an English Bible KJV alongside the Amharic text
- 3D style interface tailored to Amharic Bible study
- Can open four different books at the same time for comparison
- Offers different font styles for a more comfortable reading experience
- Built-in radio feature adds an audio component
Cons
- App can take a long time to open
- Old and New Testaments are not clearly separated in navigation, which can slow down access to specific books
- Highlights on verses are difficult to change or remove once applied