DAVID ADAMS reports…
Bibles were published in 18 new translations around the world last year, giving 15 million people access to the Word in their own language – more than four million for the first time.
The United Bible Societies’ Global Scripture Access Report, released earlier this month, shows that of the 18 new translations, 10 were first-time translations. Of those 10, seven were complete translations of a full Bible, one was a New Testament and two other portions. The remaining eight translations completed in 2013 related to revisions of existing Bible translations or new translations in a language into which some Scripture has already been translated.
“(T)here is now a complete Bible in 511 different languages. The New Testament has been published in almost 1,300 languages while another 844 have some portion of the Scripture.But the report also shows that speakers of more than 4,400 languages still have no access to Scripture in their native tongue while almost 6,600 languages don’t have a complete Bible.“ |
Other data from the United Bible Societies shows that there is now a complete Bible in 511 different languages. The New Testament has been published in almost 1,300 languages while some portion of Scripture has been translated into another 844 languages.
But the report also shows that speakers of more than 4,400 languages still have no access to Scripture in their native tongue while almost 6,600 languages don’t have a complete Bible.
Alexander Schweitzer, head of United Bible Societies Global Bible Translation, said it was “so encouraging” to see the “great strides” being made in translating Scripture into more languages.
“Bible societies, in partnership with other Bible agencies, are working hard to complete over 500 translation projects to give more people the opportunity to encounter the life-changing power of God’s Word,” he said.
The United Bible Societies is made up of 146 Bible societies operating in more than 200 nations and territories.
In 2013, it initiated the ‘100 Bibles in 1000 days’ campaign with the aim of seeing 100 translations completed by the end of 2015, reaching a potential audience of 500 million. More than half of the 100 translations have already completed the translation stage, 15 are already published and 43 are in printing or pre-production.
Bible Society Australia recently celebrated the completion of a 27 year project to translate the New Testament into the Yumplatok creole language. The language is spoken by more than 30,000 people in the Torres Strait Islands, representing one of Australia’s largest indigenous language groups.
Bible Society Australia has published 3,000 New Testaments in the language along with the Old Testament books of Genesis, Ruth and Jonah. The new translation was blessed at a special service in Townsville earlier this month.
~ www.unitedbiblesocieties.org
~ www.biblesociety.org.au
Infographic from the United Bible Societies’ Global Scripture Access Report showing the reach of the Bible around the world…
