JW

You can run an MCP server that provides a suite of JW.org tools, including Bible scripture access, workbook and Watchtower study content, and video captions. This server is designed to fetch fresh scripture data, convert embedded RTF into readable text, and expose a set of practical capabilities for building study guides and markdown content with linked scriptures.

How to use

You interact with the JW MCP Server through an MCP client. The server exposes tools that let you search Bible books, fetch verse text, retrieve study content, generate JW.org URLs for verses, and access workbook, Watchtower, and video caption data. Use the client to request specific data, then integrate the results into your notes, study guides, or markdown documents. The tools fetch live content from JW sources, so you always get up-to-date materials without maintaining a local copy.

How to install

Prerequisites: ensure you have Node.js and a working development environment. You will also need npm to install dependencies.

Step 1: Install dependencies locally

npm install

Step 2: Run the server locally (use the commands your setup requires). If you are using the manual local setup, you may run the server start script as shown in the configuration example.

# Start command will depend on your project setup
# Example (if you have a start script):
npm run start

Claude Desktop setup

If you are wiring this MCP server into Claude Desktop, update the Claude Desktop configuration to point to the local MCP server entry. Use the following example configuration.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "jw_mcp": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/Users/<username>/jw-mcp/src/index.js"]
    }
  }
}

Notes on configuration and usage

If you use the local server configuration, ensure the path in the args matches your actual project location. Replace /Users/<username>/jw-mcp with your real path before starting the server. All tools described in the server include Bible scripture tools, workbook and Watchtower content access, and video caption retrieval. The server also normalizes RTF inputs to clean, readable text for easier consumption.

Troubleshooting and tips

Common issues include missing package.json, network timeouts when fetching live JW.org content, or permission errors when starting the server. Ensure Node.js is installed, dependencies are available (npm install), and the start command is executed with the correct working directory. If you encounter a permission issue, make the startup script executable or run with appropriate permissions.

Additional notes

Date handling for the workbook and Watchtower tools is automatic: workbook content uses the current month, while Watchtower content uses the issue from two months prior to the current month. RTF content is parsed into clean text with a 70% reduction in token usage for downstream processing. Tools fetch live data directly from JW.org via web scraping, so there is no local database requirement.

Available tools

search_bible_books

Search for Bible books by name, abbreviation, or number to identify the correct book number for use with other scripture tools.

get_bible_verse

Return plain Bible verse text from wol.jw.org, without study notes.

get_bible_verse_url

Generate JW.org URLs for Bible verses, verse ranges, or entire chapters for easy linking in markdown.

get_verse_with_study

Fetch comprehensive study content for verses, including verses, study notes, cross-references, and related articles; supports single verses and ranges.

getWorkbookLinks

Retrieve available workbook weeks for the current or specified issue.

getWorkbookContent

Download and parse RTF workbook content into clean plain text.

getWatchtowerLinks

Retrieve available Watchtower articles for the current or specified issue.

getWatchtowerContent

Download and parse Watchtower content from RTF to clean plain text.

get_jw_captions

Fetch video captions and metadata from JW.org by video ID.