Close to Jehovah Bk.
(Simp.-Pīnyīn-Eng., Scriptures, Web)

Updated 2023-12-19

Related Links

• Short link: tiandi.info/cl
• Close to Jehovah Bk.
  (Simp.-Pīnyīn-Eng., Scriptures, EPUB)
  (support for offline use & annotation)
  (Ch. 10 to the last ch.)
• Close to Jehovah Bk.
  (3-Line, XLP-iPhone-A5, LN-A, Scriptures, Revised Text PDFs)
  (Ch. 1 to Ch. 9)

Contents

• Introduction
• Advantages of the Web Format
• Disclaimer
• Offline Viewing and Printing
• Updates and Other Information
• *** Chapter Links ***

Introduction

The web pages linked to below complement the Simplified Chinese text of the Close to Jehovah book by adding Pīnyīn and English, both to the main text and to the full text of the cited scriptures.

[Note: The material in these linked-to web pages was based on an older printing of the Mandarin Close to Jehovah book.]

The material is converted from the corresponding material in the PDF files that used to be at 3lines.org, and the Pīnyīn, English, formatting, etc. are enhanced as time allows.

Starting with the Chapter 20 material, in the fully edited sections the Pīnyīn line is treated not just as a pronunciation aid, but as being of a full writing system, with the capitalization, punctuation, numbers, etc. rendered accordingly. Thus, you can just read the Pīnyīn line without your eyes having to bounce back and forth between it and the Chinese characters line.

Advantages of the Web Format

Being in web format allows this material to benefit from the advantages of this format, including:

• Exceptionally broad hardware and software support
• Easy enlarging and automatic reflowing of the text to accommodate displays of various shapes and sizes, including those of many mobile devices
  • This is especially an advantage compared to the situation with PDF files, which have preset page sizes and line endings baked in. As a result, PDF files are often cumbersome and difficult to read on smaller mobile devices.
• Familiarity and ease of use
  • Once one of the web pages is loaded in a supporting web browser, no further downloading or switching to another app is required.
• Hyperlinking that is familiar and expected, and that thus will get used and benefitted from
  • Taking advantage of this, scripture references in the main text are links to the full text of the cited scriptures. There, links are provided for returning to the referring citations in the main text.
  • Links are also provided for “teleporting” to specific paragraphs.
  • As well, links are provided as necessary for going to any footnotes, etc., and for returning from them to the main text.
• Producibility and editability with simpler, more accessible, more mobile tools
  • Whereas at this time Microsoft Word running on a desktop or laptop PC is needed to produce satisfactory 3-line PDF files, this plain text-based web material can be satisfactorily produced and edited with even an app running on a mobile device like an iPad.

Disclaimer

This is not a publication of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, and if a Close to Jehovah book is available, this material should be used along with it, not instead of it. This material is only meant to help publishers working in the Mandarin field, so that they can more quickly become more effective at preaching and teaching the good news to Mandarin-speaking people without being unnecessarily obstructed and delayed by the complex and difficult-to-learn-and-remember Chinese characters.

IMPORTANT: Please do not use this material as an excuse or as a crutch to just “get by” or “muddle through” at Chinese meetings or Bible discussions. By all means, make good use of this material in such settings, but most importantly, use this material to help you really improve your knowledge and understanding of Mandarin, so that you can 1) listen with more understanding and 2) speak more effectively from your heart while praising Jehovah and preaching and teaching the good news in the Mandarin field.

Offline Viewing and Printing

The recommended way to view the material offline is with the corresponding EPUB files.

Updates and Other Information

Check the Links News blog (news feed, Twitter) for news regarding updates to this resource, and also for news regarding other resources prepared by our fellow workers in the Chinese fields. You may also find it interesting to check out the tiandi.info blog (news feed, Twitter), which is about various things related to the Chinese fields. (Email me if you need login information, and include information on who referred you and/or what group/cong. you are in.)

To follow the Twitter account for the Links News and tiandi.info blogs, click or tap this button:

Follow @TiandiLinksNews

If you have any questions or comments, email them to me. I am often very busy, but I will try my best to answer your emails.

Enjoy using the material. May it help you to serve more effectively and joyfully in the Mandarin field.