YouVersion in German: Publishers Contribute Bibles, Volunteers Translate

At YouVersion, we’re convinced that experiencing the Bible in your own language is the most powerful way you can engage with what God wants to say to your heart. Translating the Bible into the many languages that people ask for is not something we would be able to do ourselves. Fortunately, partners from Bible publishing societies around the world generously join with YouVersion to make sure that as many people as possible have access to God’s Word. Another thing we could never do on our own is translate the many tools YouVersion provides—interfaces, menus, websites, blogs, tech support, etc.—into every language. And that’s where you come in. The same passionate commitment of an extraordinary, worldwide community of volunteers has already brought YouVersion to you in English, Norwegian, Spanish, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Russian, Korean, and Brazilian Portuguese, and now—in German. We are honored to serve in God’s kingdom with you.

Bible Publishing Societies

Our partners have graciously provided the YouVersion community with several options that allow us to together enjoy the Bible in German:

  • Neue Genfer Übersetzung (NGÜ2011). Offered by the Geneva Bible Society, the New Geneva version of the Bible includes the New Testament and Psalms. This translation is well-regarded both for its accuracy and for its writing style: easy-to-understand, contemporary German.
  • Schlachter 2000 (SCH2000). Franz Eugen Schlachter, the son of Franz Joseph Butcher, was a Protestant theologian and pastor who translated the entire Bible into populist German from the original Hebrew and Greek. First published in 1905, his “Butcher’s Bible” grew in popularity throughout the 20th century, largely because he had managed to keep its concepts accessible through simple language, even as he maintained exceptional accuracy to the original source texts he used. Because of its popularity and historical significance, the Geneva Bible Society republished it as an updated version in 2000.
  • Hoffnung für Alle (HFA). Provided by Biblica, the HFA is a very popular German version of the entire Bible, striving more for smooth and comfortable reading in conversational German than for a strict, literal, word-for-word interpretation.

In addition to these more contemporary translations from publishing partners, YouVersion also offers “classic” versions available in the public domain, including Albrecht New Testament and Psalms (GANTP), Elberfelder 1871 (ELB), and of course the timeless Luther Bible 1912 (DELUT).

Volunteers

While great German translations are absolutely necessary for German readers and speakers to engage in the Scriptures, YouVersion has several other important pieces. The Bible App™ is only useful if its users can actually read its controls, buttons, and menus. Volunteers from all over the world united their ability to translate with their love of God’s Word, to make these tools as easy as possible for German users. And while YouVersion’s German-speaking community is already awesome, certainly we can always use more help. We never stop working on growing and improving the Bible App, not to mention all our other tools. We also now offer assistance and technical support in German, whether requests come in through email, Facebook, or Twitter. If you can help with German translation in any of these areas, please let us know.

So what’s it like to translate for YouVersion? Here’s what just a few amazing German language volunteers recently had to say about their own experiences serving the YouVersion community all around the world:

German Language Volunteer Manuel W.

“It’s my deep desire to read God’s Word. Unfortunately, I’m not always getting down to it very regular. I’m studying Computer Science so I’m naturally using my computer and smartphone a lot. This is how I first stumbled upon YouVersion’s Bible App. It made my daily reading a lot easier. At first, when I used it, the App was kind of unstable, and I thought about joining the dev team to improve it. Then I heard about helping as translator. Immediately I volunteered. During recent months the developers put great work in the App, and I was thankful helping out by translating. May the YouVersion community reach a lot of German people, and may everyone be blessed as I got blessed.”
—Manuel W., Darmstadt, Germany

German Language Volunteer Barbara S.

 

“I find the YouVersion Bible App very useful, and I like to help make it available to as many people as possible. For several years, I have been doing volunteer work as a translator and proofreader for various Christian projects. I know this is a special task God wants me to fulfill.”
—Barbara S., Stetten am kalten Markt, Germany

 

German Language Volunteer Steffen B.

“One year ago I first discovered YouVersion while I was looking for Japanese and Korean translations of the Bible. I’m studying these languages and wanted to combine reading the Bible with my study of these two languages. Later that year I read about a need for German volunteers at YouVersion, and I thought about getting more involved. At first I translated into my mother tongue, and now I’m a member of the German support team. It really helps me to improve my translation skills and is a great service for God.”
—Steffen B., Germany

 

German Language Volunteer Tobias K.

“I always had difficulty getting myself to read the Bible every day. I’m an engineer, and I have a smartphone, and one day I found the Bible App from YouVersion. It took me a little while, but once I had spent some time exploring the Bible App, I actually found myself reading God’s Word more consistently. While I don’t mind using an app that’s in English, I know that deters many other people. Then, when I saw that YouVersion was asking for help translating their interface, I realized that I had the chance not just to be a part of the YouVersion community, but to actually help other people use God’s Word more. Now I’m very excited about what God is bringing to our work at YouVersion.”
—Tobias K., Leipzig, Germany

YouVersion Now Available to German Readers, Speakers All Over the World

The Bible App™ Now Available in DeutschIf you read or speak German, no matter where you live in the world, the YouVersion community is excited to welcome you to the Bible App™ and to YouVersion.com! Thanks to partnerships with generous publishers of Bibles in German, the rapidly growing global community of YouVersion users now has access to popular German versions like Hoffnung für Alle (HFA), easy-reading translations like Neue Genfer Übersetzung (NGU2011) and Schlachter 2000 (SCH2000), and even beloved classics like the Luther Bible 1912 (DELUT) and Elberfelder 1871 (ELB).

Although everything at YouVersion is centered around the Bible, that’s just one aspect of what we do. YouVersion also has an extraordinary community of volunteers who have recently devoted themselves to bringing everything YouVersion has to offer to readers and speakers of German. And that doesn’t only mean the interface (menus and buttons), but also exchanges on social networks like Facebook and Twitter, conversations in email, reading plans—even comprehensive technical support!

  • German Speakers in Germany. According to Wikipedia, German is the most commonly spoken first language in the European Union, with close to 100 million native speakers. Just in Germany alone, The World Factbook says there more than 81 million people, making Germany the sixteenth most populous nation in the world, uniquely equipping our German brothers and sisters to reach out to their neighbors in the EU in ways the rest of the YouVersion community simply cannot.
  • German Speakers Worldwide. Of course, Germans are spread throughout the rest of the world, well beyond Germany’s borders. While millions live in places as far away as the United States or Russia, millions also live closer to home, like the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Luxembourg, and the United Kingdom. But a lot more people speak German than just Germans. In fact, German is the most widely spoken language of Austria, Switzerland, and Lichtenstein. And some other nationalities who speak German as a second or third language include Luxembourgers, Dutch, Danes, and Slovenians—to name just a few—raising the popularity of the German language up to something more like 200 million speakers.

Now, for the first time ever, if German is your preferred language, no matter where you live, you can find the Bible App on all major mobile device platforms. Right in your pocket, you have instant access to the Bible translations of your choice, as well as to a whole host of tools designed to help you connect with God’s inspired Word every day—all in easy-to-understand German.

Welcome to our global YouVersion family! Even when we speak different languages, still we share the bonds of unity in Christ’s transforming love. We’re glad to join with you, and we can’t wait to hear your stories about how God’s Word is reshaping your heart, your life, and your world.

Bible App for iPad Gets Highlights and Advanced Bookmarks, Plus More Great New Features for All iOS Devices

You can get Version 3.6 of the Bible App™ for iOS (iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch) right now at the iTunes App Store. Here’s what you’ll find new in this latest release:

  • The Bible App™ for iPad v. 3.6 Advanced HighlightsHighlights and Updated Bookmarks Now on iPad. The advanced highlighting and bookmarking features from iPhone and iPod touch are now available for your iPad! Select individual verses or entire passages, then highlight them in a variety of default colors, or mix your own custom colors. Sync your highlights between YouVersion and other compatible Bible applications. Select one verse or several to bookmark them. You can give your bookmark a name, add a label—even apply a color to it.
  • Reading Plan Search. With more than 190 Bible reading plans to choose from, now, for the first time ever, you can search for specific keywords across all of them. Want a plan about fasting? Search “fast.” Which plans cover “faith,” or “wisdom,” or “prayer”? Find just the right plan for you, faster than ever before.
  • Reading plan daily reminders. When you start a new Bible reading plan, the Bible App will ask if you’d like to set a daily reading reminder on your calendar. It’s a quick, easy way to help yourself remember to spend time with God’s Word every day!
  • Change the Bible App Language. For supported languages, the Bible App has always used your mobile device’s default language. But now, for the first time ever, you can leave your device’s default language as it is, and change just the language used by the Bible App’s interface, menus and buttons. Simply tap Settings (the gear icon), General, Language, and select from Indonesian, Czech, German, English, Spanish, French, Italian, Norwegian, Netherlands, Polish, Russian, Romanian, Slovak, Swedish, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, Simplified or Traditional Chinese, and Ukranian.
  • Improved Notes Interface. The interface for Notes now more closely resembles how other parts of the Bible App work. Also, you can now tag a Note with a color to help you identify it later, similar to highlights.

The Bible App™ for iPhone v. 3.6 Language Selection The Bible App™ for iPad v. 3.6 Bookmark Options The Bible App™ for iPhone v. 3.6 Notes Screen
We also improved performance and fixed some bugs. Get your upgrade now in the iTunes App Store. Good friends tell their friends about the Bible App—great friends help them install it! And be sure to come connect with the rest of the YouVersion community on Facebook and Twitter. It’s more fun when you’re there!


Get Your Update Now:

If you already have the Bible App installed:

  1. On your Apple device, tap the App Store icon.
  2. When the App Store opens, tap the Updates icon.
  3. Tap Update for the Bible App.
    OR
    Tap Update All.

If this is your first time installing the Bible App:

  1. On your Apple device, tap the App Store icon.
  2. When the App Store opens, tap the Search icon.
  3. Search for “Bible”.
  4. Tap the Bible App from LifeChurch.tv.
  5. Tap the FREE button.

Experience All YouVersion Has to Offer: Completely in German

The Bible App™ Icon (in Deutsch)Today we’re excited to announce the official launch of the German language interface across all of YouVersion, including the Bible App™! While of course the YouVersion.com website has already offered German since February, what we’re sharing today is much more than that. Thanks to the generosity of our publishing partners, and to the passionate dedication of our YouVersion volunteers, now every interaction you have with YouVersion—whether it’s sharing with your friends or engaging with the Bible—you can do entirely in German! German is our ninth complete language, after English, Norwegian, Spanish, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Russian, Korean, and most recently, Brazilian Portuguese.

Here are just a few examples of the many ways that you can now enjoy God’s Word and His people—completely in German:

  • Great German Bibles. Our publishing partners generously provide—for free—high quality, widely read German versions of the Bible for all of us in the YouVersion community. To see a complete list, visit the Versions page and look for “Deutsch.” Or, in the Bible App, select the Bible version you’re using, and you’ll see a long list of other versions, including several excellent ones in German.
  • Entire User Interface. Try selecting German at YouVersion.com or in the Bible App on your mobile device—iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Android, or BlackBerry. Now you can display all of your controls, buttons, and menu options in German, all thanks to YouVersion’s worldwide community of amazing volunteers.
  • Communication in German. In the upper right corner of the English language version of our blog, you’ll see a place to select other languages—including Deutsch. You can also go directly to the German language version, where you’ll find articles specifically relevant to YouVersion’s German-speaking users, courtesy once again of translation by YouVersion volunteers. And if you send us an email in German, or post a question on Facebook or Twitter in German, German-speaking volunteers will respond to you—in German!
  • Support in German. Need help with the Bible App or YouVersion.com? If you submit your question in German, German-speaking volunteers trained in YouVersion support will gladly assist you. Even our all-new Tech Support site now offers a German version.

At YouVersion, one simple vision guides everything we do: To help as many people as possible freely, easily engage with God’s Word, no matter where you live or what language you prefer. And you can help—if you have friends whose heart language is German, please share this great news about YouVersion.com and the Bible App with them. Also, please come connect with us on Facebook and Twitter and share your personal YouVersion story!

Just the beginning… To all of our German speaking friends: We are thrilled and honored to welcome you to the YouVersion family. We’ll continue sharing more details about the German language launch over the next few days, right here on our blog. We hope you’ll be as excited as we are about all that your new community has to offer you!

From YouVersion: The Brand New Bible App for Java!

The Bible App™ for Java DashboardAs a mobile platform, Java can reach hundreds of millions of devices, literally all over the world. So to reach the most people possible, we wanted to make version 1.0.1, the latest release of the Bible App™ for Java, the best app for Java mobile devices we’ve ever done.

So we started fresh and completely rewrote it from scratch! The Bible App for Java is back and better than ever, available for immediate download from GetJar. The Bible App for Java can now do almost everything that the Bible App can do on all of our other major platforms. You’ll find significant improvements to its basic presentation, specifically designed to make it much faster and easier to use:

  • Dashboard. The brand new Dashboard Launcher gives you instant access to the features you use most—right from the first screen.
  • Bible Reader. The Bible Reader keeps track of where you left off, returning you when you come back to the last version, book, and chapter you were reading. And it’s all-new, cleaner and faster loading, designed specifically to make it comfortable for you to read for long periods, in any conditions.
  • Notes. Capture your thoughts about verses or entire passages, keeping your notes organized with titles, labels—even colors. Keep private notes for yourself, or share them with friends or the entire YouVersion community.
  • The Bible App™ for Java Reading PlansReading Plans. Take full advantage of the more than 190 Bible reading plans YouVersion has to offer, in 10 languages (so far). Reading plans make it easy for you to read the Bible on a schedule, just a little each day.
  • Bookmarks. Bookmarks are a great way to label individual verses, whether you want to look them up later to share with friends, or just jump quickly to your own favorites.
  • YouVersion Live. Event coordinators use YouVersion Live to help attendees interact with what’s happening onstage. You can follow along with message outlines, take notes, read Bible passages, vote on polls, ask questions, donate, request prayer, and more! Simply look up YouVersion Live events by ZIP code or city.
  • Settings. When you sign in to the Bible App with your free YouVersion account, now you can personalize how you use it, and it remembers your unique settings between uses.
  • Search. Jump quickly to verses or passages based on keywords you enter.

Get your update for the Bible App for Java now. And please come connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. We’d love to hear your YouVersion stories!