During some of the most challenging times we’ve ever faced, generous friends like you never gave up on the vision of giving God’s Word to every person on earth in a language and format they can truly understand. And through your steady support, five new translations released in 2021 will give 89.7 million more people the opportunity to hear God speak in the language they understand best. Here’s a quick look at how God has used your generosity!
Language: Luo | Location: Kenya | Speakers: 5.3 million
Churches and ministries in Kenya have been eager for a translation that will help reach Luo-speaking young people, because 60% of the population there is under the age of 25. Your support for the new contemporary Luo Bible, which launched in February, means the next generation can have God’s Word in the language they think and dream in. Soon, thanks to you, they’ll also have an audio version—crucial for outreach to the older generation, many of whom are oral learners.
Language: Ewe | Location: Ghana | Speakers: 5.5 million
Years of hard work have brought the updated contemporary printed Bible to Ewe speakers in Ghana in 2021, but we couldn’t stop there! More than half of all Ewe speakers come from an oral-learning tradition and can’t read a printed page. With the help of caring people like you, we were able to launch an audio version alongside the print version in July. Ewe is the second most widely spoken language in Ghana, making this new translation critical for church discipleship and growth.
Language: Lingala | Location: Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) | Speakers: 12 million
In 2004, Biblica launched the New Testament in Lingala, one of the most commonly spoken languages in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The path to a full Bible has been challenging as the DRC struggles with ongoing political violence and more than 100 armed groups spreading terror. But the Congolese church is standing strong, and because you stand with them, this year they will have their full Bible to deepen their understanding of God’s love for them!
Language: Malayalam | Location: India and Middle East | Speakers: 37.9 million
Our partners in the state of Kerala, India, are worried about the number of Christian youth who are leaving their churches and the faith to join radical groups. The tragedy and long-term upheaval of COVID-19 only increase the risk that they’ll be led astray. Your support is giving churches and ministries a new tool to reach young people—the Malayalam Contemporary Bible. This Bible speaks the language of youth and will connect them with the Gospel at the heart level. It is also an important outreach tool in an area where 82% of people are either Hindu or Muslim.
Language: Igbo | Location: Nigeria | Speakers: 29 million
The Ibibio people are considered one of the most ancient ethnic groups in Nigeria. For years, even Ibibio pastors have struggled to understand the outdated Igbo Bible that was all they had, and discipling young people was very difficult. In 2019, just in time for Christmas, the support of friends like you gave them a contemporary New Testament. And less than two years later, you’ve helped give them a complete Old Testament as well. Youth pastor Joseph Okoire Agu says, “It will make it easy for us pastors to be able to read and understand, and therefore able to also share the message of God’s love with our people.”
Thank you for continuing to let God work through you so that even more people will be able to read or hear God’s Word and truly take it to heart!
