How Parallel Should Parallel Passages Be?

The Parallel Passages tool in the Bible translation software Paratext is a powerful tool. As with all powerful tools, it can have both positive and negative impacts on a project. Consultants need to be aware of some of the known “issues” that will sometimes result in false positives or false negatives in the highlighting of which parts of the vernacular verse are parallel. Correct usage of the tool will help a team improve the quality of the translation, but incorrectly used it can lead to a lack of naturalness and accuracy because the grammatical features of the vernacular will not allow perfect parallels in certain contexts. In this article, the positive and negative features of the tool will be illustrated with examples from the Apal language in Papua New Guinea. The article will conclude with a list of suggestions for consultants with respect to the Parallel Passages tool.