How can I register copyright of Bible? [closed]

Question

I added minor changes from a Bible with public domain and made a new Bible version. How can I register copyright for the new Bible version? Is it true that Publishing a Bible with ISBN already implies that I have registered for the Bible?

Answer 1

I'm presenting a framing challenge here, and my answer will likely represent the position of most contributors to this SE.

Bibles fit into two categories, translations and paraphrases. Translations are exactly as they sound - translations from the original languages, Ancient Hebrew and Koine Greek (and often with some consultation of minor languages for which we have ancient manuscripts). The goal of a translation is to capture exactly what the authors wrote, as, after all, "all Scripture is breathed out by God" (2 Tim. 3:16). The objective of nearly every flavor of Christianity is to a have biblical text that is faithful to the manuscript tradition.

Paraphrases serve another purpose - as supplemental to a faithful translation. They can be viewed as the author's (or team thereof) interpretation of the biblical text. The goal here is usually to communicate still what Scripture says and teaches, while also reflecting some secondary purpose, either to represent it in a particular vernacular or to imbue some tradition's slant along with it. But the important thing to note here is that they honest about what they are doing. There's nothing wrong with presenting Scripture as you understand it, as long as you are transparent about what you are doing.

With what little you have given in your question, it seems you are doing neither of these things. You claim to have added and/or taken away from Scripture, and are calling it a "new Bible version". You have not made a new Bible version. You have changed the Scripture into something that is not Scripture.

Legal considerations notwithstanding, I would warn you against this practice, as the Apostle John declared in Revelation 22:18-19,

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

If you don't want to appear guilty of the terrible condemnation found here, you must be sure you are not presenting your work as Scripture, rather present it as your own understanding of it.