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Appsfire Names the Bible App for iOS in Top 10

Out of every app available in the iTunes App Store, Appsfire recently listed the Bible App™ for iPad as its number three pick for best Non Game app overall, and the Bible App for iPhone as its number nine.

The iTunes App Store rankings are based solely on which apps have been downloaded the most, whereas the Appsfire rankings take into account a wider range of criteria, including user reviews, feedback, and social activity.

This kind of accomplishment is only possible because you, the YouVersion community, constantly uses the Bible App to engage with the Bible and share God’s Word with the people in your life. We’d like to thank Appsfire for the recognition, and even more, we’d like to thank YOU, the global YouVersion community for making it possible!

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YouVersion Bible App and Website Now in Slovak

For the first time ever, now you can select Slovak as your default language for the Bible App™ on several platforms, including iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch), Android, bada, and Java devices, as well as at YouVersion.com. If you’re already using the Bible App on a supported device, all you need to do is change your device’s default language to Slovak. And if you’re running the most recent version of the Bible App for iOS or Android, you can even select Slovak right from inside your Bible App Settings.

Slovak is YouVersion’s fifteenth major language update. Earlier releases included Korean, Spanish, Chinese, Brazilian Portuguese, German, French, and Japanese, to name just a few. (That doesn’t even consider the nearly 150 different languages we offer Bibles in.) As part of this launch, we’re even adding 25 Reading Plans in Slovak. Please share this exciting news on Facebook, Twitter, and face-to-face with all of your friends who speak Slovak.

Have you ever wondered how YouVersion can offer so many different languages? It’s certainly not because we know all of these languages. We’re only able to do it because people just like you choose to serve the global YouVersion community with their gifts in translation. Even though the Bible App has so far been downloaded more than 55 million times,  we’re only getting started. More and more new users join every day. Just imagine the impact you could make, literally worldwide, by translating just a few small parts of YouVersion—screens, buttons, menus, Reading Plans, and more! Learn how you can join us today at volunteer.youversion.com.

We asked one of our key Slovak language volunteers to share just a glimpse of what it can feel like to use your talents to help people all over the world fall in love with God’s Word:

“For a long time, I looked for some kind of service I would fit in doing. I wanted a background role, something I could do to help people get closer to God, but remain unknown (as opposed to speaking in front of a group of people). Online technology is one of my biggest hobbies, so when I found the opportunity to translate YouVersion’s mobile applications and website, that was ideal for me. When I joined a year and a half ago, I was welcomed more than warmly. It feels really good to work with the people of this community. I truly enjoy serving in this way.”
—Tomáš P., Bratislava, Slovakia

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The Top 10 Most Bookmarked Verses in the Worldwide YouVersion Community

It’s easier than ever to engage with God’s Word with the Bible App™ and YouVersion.com. Millions of people enjoy keeping track of their favorite verses with millions of Bookmarks. Save any verse so you can jump right back to it later, whether it’s for sharing with friends, to memorize, or just to read it again and again. Check out these top 10 Bookmarks from across the YouVersion community and see if your favorite made the list!*

  1. Philippians 4:6
  2. Proverbs 3:5
  3. Jeremiah 29:11
  4. Romans 12:2
  5. Philippians 4:13
  6. Philippians 4:7
  7. Proverbs 3:6
  8. Romans 8:28
  9. Matthew 6:33
  10. 1 Corinthians 13:4

Saving a bookmark is easy!

Here’s how you can learn to do it:

  • Visit our Help site.
  • Bottom: Select your language.
  • Left: Select your device type.
  • Look under “Notes, Bookmarks & Highlights.”

*When you save a bookmark, YouVersion saves it with the Bible version you’re using, but this top 10 list doesn’t reflect which versions were the most bookmarked. Through partnerships with our generous Bible publishing partners, YouVersion offers hundreds of versions in dozens of languages. We encourage everyone to explore several different versions to find the ones that help you best connect with the Bible. Just tap the current version to display a list of all your choices!

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On the Go: YouVersion’s Top 3 Travel Tips

Many of us schedule trips for fun and relaxation during this time of year. When you’re traveling, it’s easy to fall out of your regular routine of spending time daily in God’s Word. But with just a little forethought and planning, the Bible App™ can always be right there for you, helping you stay connected. Here are three tips we’ve put together to help you when you’re traveling:

  1. Download offline versions. Thanks to YouVersion’s generous Bible publishing partners, offline versions let you read your favorite translation, even when you can’t get a mobile signal or Internet access. On planes or on subways—or far away from anywhere—an offline version saved on your device keeps the Bible at your fingertips. But remember: You need to download them before you need them, preferably when you have good WiFi access. Just list the versions on your device, and tap the download icon next to each version you want to save to your device.
  1. Listen to audio Bibles. Audio Bibles are a great solution for loud or crowded places where you need a few moments for yourself, or even if you prefer listening to reading. Whether you’re waiting for a flight, out for a hike, or even riding in the car, audio Bibles can help you refocus on the things God’s trying to say to you. In the Bible App reader, just look for the audio icon and controls. (If you don’t see audio controls, try switching to another Bible version.) And remember to pack your headphones!
  1. Try a short plan. A trip is a great opportunity to mix things up a little. YouVersion offers reading plans that last as little as two days. Look for one that you can start and finish during your travels. How many days will you be gone—three, four, five, seven? Check online or in the Bible App to find one you like. Or consider one of these short plans:
      • Experiencing God’s Renewal includes a daily short passage and devotional about how God is constantly renewing our hearts, minds, and purpose. 5 days
      • The Gospel of Mark takes you through the entire book of Mark, reading a little each day. 8 days
      • Courage brings you daily reminders from the Bible about boldness, confidence, and God’s promises for your life. 7 days

Whether you’re covering great distances or just taking a quick staycation at home, keep connected to God’s Word when you take time away. If you have suggestions of your own, please share them with us in the comments below, and on Facebook and Twitter.

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Japanese Now Available in the Bible App and at YouVersion.com

Thanks to our amazing community of translation volunteers, YouVersion.com and the Bible App’s interface on iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch), Android, and bada are now entirely available in Japanese. (And coming soon: Java devices!) If you already have the Bible App on a supported device, simply set the default language for your device to Japanese. And if you have the latest update of the Bible App for iOS or Android, you can even select Japanese directly in your Bible App Settings!

While we offer Bibles in nearly 300 different languages, Japanese is the fourteenth language YouVersion has launched across several platforms, including Korean, Spanish, Chinese, Brazilian Portuguese, German, and French, among others. For this launch, besides menus and controls, we’ve also added 25 reading plans in Japanese. With a population of around 127 million people, Japan has more than 120 million cell phones and 99 million Internet users, representing a tremendous opportunity to reach people with God’s Word. If you have friends whose preferred language is Japanese, please share this great news with them—and please help us spread the word on Facebook and Twitter.

Of course, making Japanese language options available across multiple YouVersion platforms wouldn’t be possible without help from our incredible YouVersion community. It can only happen when people who are passionate about sharing God’s Word share their gifts in translation with the world. And because we’re constantly improving the Bible App—and we’d like to offer even more—there’s always translation to do. If you can volunteer to translate into Japanese, we’d love to hear from you. Please join us. You’ll be helping the world fall in love with God’s Word.

What’s it like to use your gifts to help YouVersion reach the world? We asked one of our key Japanese language volunteers to share some of her thoughts with you:

“As I live away from Japan, I don’t have many opportunities to directly share the Word with people in Japan. But being a part of the Japanese translation team enabled me to take part in spreading God’s word in a very unique way. The Word of God is powerful, as said in Isaiah: ‘As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.’”

—Tomomi G., Seattle, WA, U.S.A.