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American Bible Society Survey: 98% say everyone should be able to get the Bible

While most in the U.S. express strong support that everyone who wants a Bible should be able to have one, few have a clear grasp of the big picture of Bible access, according to the 2015 State of the Bible report just released by American Bible Society. The findings bring key insight about Bible availability and more:

 

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Most people (98% of those surveyed) believe everyone should be free to own and read the Bible.

“Eighty-eight percent of American households own at least one Bible,
with the average household owning about four copies” 

Geof Morin, American Bible Society

 

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Most (72%) also believe that’s already happening. Unfortunately, it’s simply not the case:

 

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More than half of the world’s 6,901 languages still do not have a complete Bible translation. For speakers of more than 1,859 languages, God simply doesn’t speak their language. Translation of the Bible hasn’t even started in the language they use in their everyday conversations. They’ve never heard truths in their heart language, something most of us take for granted:

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:38–39 NIV

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Lamentations 3:22 ESV

“And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.”
Ephesians 3:18 NLT

And for an additional 2,195 languages, speakers only have part of the Bible available in their language.

 

 

Sharing the vision, continuing the work

We live in a unique time in history, equipped with tools that can help us reach more people than ever before with the Gospel. In fact, we have the potential to see the realization of a goal that past generations could only dream about. In our lifetime, we could see the Bible translated into every language on earth. This is only possible thanks to a broad coalition of partners like American Bible Society, publishers, authors, translators, and YouVersion volunteers around the globe. We are working together in unprecedented ways so that every person in the world can connect with the Bible, no matter where they live or what language they speak.

 

See the Full Report

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Interviews show top football players love the Bible App

Sunday, February 1, will be the the biggest day of the year in American sports. And although the top two teams in American football will face off as rivals on the field, several players from both sides share a love for the Bible. Thanks to YouVersion partner The Increase, hear some of the greatest players in American football tell why they love the Bible App:


 

 

And here’s a bonus video, captured by our friends at 1615.tv at Media Day talking with players from the Patriots and Seahawks about their love for the Bible:


 

Spread the Word.

Just like you, they love being able to read God’s Word anytime, anywhere with the Bible App. Whether it’s sharing the Verse of the Day, adding Bookmarks, or listening to audio Bibles, we’re all part of the same global community of people seeking God through His Word.

 

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Take it Further

Now is a great time to take a look at this special Bible Plan from The Increase. In this 3-week devotional, professional athletes from the NFL and MLB share the Bible passages that mean the most to them — and the stories behind them.

Start Plan
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2014 Scripture Impact Award Goes to LifeChurch.tv Pastor

On September 27, at a special ceremony at LifeChurch.tv in Oklahoma City, Bob Creson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Wycliffe Bible Translators, presented the 2014 Scripture Impact Award to Bobby Gruenewald, pastor and innovation leader at LifeChurch.tv. The award recognizes the work Bobby and the YouVersion team have done to  contribute to Scripture engagement and to bring an end to Bible illiteracy. Here’s video from that event:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFyI5VMqPNQ&feature=youtu.be

Wycliffe created the Scripture Impact Award in 2003 to honor the late Dr. Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ International, in celebration of his love for the Lord and the Scriptures. Past recipients have included Billy Graham, Rick Warren, Luis Palau, Cynthia and Chuck Swindoll, Drs. Lois and Tony Evans, Caroline and Bunker Hunt, and  Dr. Barry Black.

To celebrate the Scripture Impact Award, LifeChurch.tv developed The Impact of Scripture Bible Plan, which Wycliffe translated for YouVersion into five additional languages: Spanish, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Korean, and Brazilian Portuguese.

Now installed on more than 155 million unique devices, the Bible App is what it is today only because millions of people all over the world use it every day to engage with the Bible—and with each other. Translators have dedicated much of their lives to bringing God’s Word to life in different languages. Bible societies and publishers have generously offered their translations to the worldwide YouVersion community. And people just like you volunteer to translate Bible Plans and the Bible App’s interface into the language of their hearts, so that others can share in its joy.

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Now Playing in the Bible App: NASB Audio

Now, for the first time ever, the Bible App is offering an audio version of the NASB! This crisp, clear audio Bible was recorded to feel like a close friend reading God’s Word to you. Listen to the NASB anywhere you use the Bible App, all thanks to the generosity of The Lockman Foundation and AudioBibleDownloads.com.

NASB now offers an audio versionTo start listening to your NASB, from anywhere in the Bible Reader:

  • Tap the Bible version abbreviation at the top.
    Note: Speaker icons indicate versions that offer audio.
  • Tap NASB. The Reader displays again, now with NASB selected.
  • Tap the speaker icon at the bottom.
  • Tap the play button.

Tip: Since audio Bibles are streamed—and not stored directly on your device—they’re best experienced over a Wi-Fi connection. If you don’t have Wi-Fi available when you listen, be aware of your plan’s data limits and restrictions.

 

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1,000 Bible Versions: See the Bigger Picture

If you use the Bible App, then you’re an important part of a global milestone:

YouVersion now offers more than 1,000 Bible versions,
in more than 700 languages.

Imagine millions of people all over the world, gathering together in unity around God’s Word. But even that offers just a glimpse of all that this milestone could mean. So we’ve put together this special infographic for you, to help give context for this genuinely historic event:

See what 1000 Bible versions could mean (infographic)

The 1,000th version is Deftera Lfida Dzratawi (XEDNT), the first digital translation of the New Testament into Hdi (pronounced huh-DEE). Read on our blog about how its translators discovered a lost Hdi word that perfectly describes God’s love!

 

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