Why we translate the Bible

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ commanded His followers to share the gospel—or good news— and make disciples of all nations. Since Scripture is essential to knowing Jesus, it must be translated so that people everywhere can truly understand its message. As directed through the Great Commission, the Church carries the responsibility for Bible translation. Wycliffe serves the Church in this highly specialized ministry.

History documents the Bible's profound impact on individuals and societies. Its impact is greatest when written in the "heart language" of a people. Barriers to understanding the gospel are reduced. People grow spiritually. Strong, healthy churches result. Strong churches reach out to their neighbours in acts of service, which can ultimately transform whole communities and bring glory to God.

Like two hands

Translation is like the clasping of two hands: on the one hand translators need to understand the meaning of the source text; on the other they need to grasp the target language. When the two are put together, the meaning of the source is beautifully expressed in the target language.

The Bible translation task is both cutting edge and ancient at the same time. Today we use computers and digital technology to help produce accurate translations of the Scriptures. Because we are working with the Bible, which is inspired and holy, adherence to the original meaning of the text is crucial. And because we are dealing with human beings, and we want them to understand the message, naturalness is also important. The disciplines of linguistics and translation enable us to accomplish these goals and the study of these and related disciplines is essential for successful translation.

Each year, an increasingly larger number of indigenous people groups are hearing God's Word in their own language through the work of Wycliffe Bible Translators and its partner organizations. Since 1999, the year we adopted Vision 2025, the number of languages needing Bible translation has been reduced by about 750. This represents the greatest acceleration in the rate of Bible translation the world has ever seen! It is the result of working smarter rather than harder.

Today, translation is in progress in nearly 2,000 languages. But 350 million people, speaking more than 2,250 languages, may still have a need for Bible translation.

You can help change that.