A friend introduces you to a young woman from another country. As you get to know one another, you mention your faith. She has questions, so you show her the Bible on your phone. When you switch to a version that’s easier to read, she asks if the Bible comes in other languages, too. You know the Bible App offers over 1,200 languages, so you’re excited to look for one for her. But then, you discover a terrible truth:
I’m sorry… the Bible doesn’t exist in your language.
“Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone…”
Mark 16:15
These were some of the last words Jesus said before He ascended into Heaven. And yet today, two thousand years later, more than a billion people still don’t have a complete Bible in their language. Most languages don’t have a complete New Testament. And more than 165 million people don’t have even one Bible verse in their language.
Today, we’re inviting you to join us: Let’s fulfill that mission.
Smartphones can give us turn-by-turn directions, help us take amazing pictures, and (of course) even read the Bible to us. Now, just as YouVersion uses technology to help you connect with God in His Word, our Bible translation partners are leveraging technology to offer that same opportunity to everyone else.
…before people can pray to the Lord for help, they must believe in him. And before they can believe in the Lord, they must hear about him.…
Romans 10:14
The plan is set.
Translating the Bible into another language used to take decades. But visionary organizations that make up the illumiNations movement now project that with enough funding, they could have the New Testament translated for 99.9 percent of the world’s population by the year 2033. Incredibly, they should also be able to get the rest of the Bible translated for 95 percent of the world within that same timeframe (and at least some portion of Scripture for everyone else).1
We’re all in.
Last year YouVersion created #BibleForEveryone, a translation initiative where we work with partners to identify strategic projects that could, with modest additional funding, rapidly provide Scripture to huge numbers of people. In addition, Life.Church committed to match any contributions the global YouVersion Community makes toward Bible translation, up to $1 million.2
It’s already working.
During 2017, Life.Church and YouVersion’s generous community together contributed more than $640,000. The three projects they funded provided Scripture to more than 1.17 million people, in Zambia, Tanzania, and Southeast Asia!3
Now, this is your chance.
Click below to help churches in Gabon, Africa translate the Gospel of Luke into three languages (Kota, Obamba, and Teke). To get Scripture circulating in their communities as quickly as possible, each time a new chapter is translated, local churches plan to share it as audio recordings and print booklets. When this project is complete, they’ll compile it into a book — and of course we’ll offer it in the Bible App — and 280,000 Gabonese people will have the opportunity to recognize themselves in these words of Jesus:
…the father said to his servants, “Hurry! Bring the best clothes and put them on him. Also, put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.… My son was…lost, but now he is found!”
Luke 15:22-24
Don’t miss it.
This isn’t just some vision for a distant future. It’s Bible history, happening right now, within your lifetime. What will happen when every person on earth finally has the opportunity to experience the life-changing power of God’s Word? Join us, and let’s find out, together.
Get in now on this worldwide move of God.
Pray, and ask God to continue accelerating the process of releasing His Word into every language. Ask Him to prepare the hearts of those who will be hearing about Him for the first time. And give. Then one day, you’ll have the great joy of standing before God’s throne and seeing people that your gift helped bring there:
After this I looked, and there in front of me was a multitude that no one could count, people from every tribe and every nation.
Revelation 7:9
Notes
1 See illumiNations’ website for details.
2 All contributions received through the #BibleForEveryone campaign will be used exclusively for the purpose of Bible translation. Life.Church is contributing $1 million over the four-year period from 2017-2020. During each calendar year, Life.Church is contributing $250,000, spread across different, high-impact translation projects. As each project is completed, any remaining funds are then applied toward the next translation project, as selected by YouVersion and its partners. (See original blog post for full details.)
3 Original blog posts: Zambia, Tanzania, Southeast Asia.