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PRESS RELEASE: downloads at foot of the page

It’s been another year of firsts and new records in Bible translation activity.

In this State of the Bible 2023 report, Wycliffe Bible Translators is excited to report that acceleration continues to gather pace in many areas, and the future looks even brighter as technology – and especially Artificial Intelligence (AI) – has a bigger and bigger impact.

The acceleration is exciting. Even more exciting is that in this past year, more people have been given the opportunity to read or hear God’s word in their own language for the first time, and more translation projects have started than ever before – some of which don’t even have their language written down yet.

That promises many more years of good news to come!

For all this, we are thankful to God and to our supporters. Together we are helping create a world where everyone can know Jesus through the Bible.

Read on for the highlights…

Image of some of the Bible statistics for the year 2022-23

Extraordinary growth

In another year of extraordinary growth, highlights include:

  • A newly translated Bible is being launched at the rate of one a month – that’s 12 in the last year, translated for a population about the size of England (55 million).
  • A people group is receiving the New Testament in their language at a rate of one a week – 53 New Testaments were completed last year, a record for one year!
Image of some of the Bible statistics for the year 2022-23
  • More Bible translation work began last year, than ever before! A total of 370 languages saw Bible translation work begin – that’s at a rate of over one a day.
  • A tipping point has been reached – for the first time in history, the number of languages with work in progress (3,742) has exceeded the number of languages without work in progress (3,652).

James Poole, Executive Director of Wycliffe, says: ‘We are seeing something extraordinary in world mission, as we see this rapid acceleration of Bible translation. Today, more than ever before, more people can access the Bible in the language that speaks to them best.’

What this means: transformation

These statistics are exciting; what they mean is even more exciting.

In the past year, a population roughly equivalent to the size of England (55 million) has been given the complete Bible in their own language for the first time.

Image of Nyiha Bible translator and pastor Wilhelm Mwakavanga holds up the Nyiha New Testament at its launch event on 17 May 2023 in Tanzania Nyiha Bible translator and pastor Wilhelm Mwakavanga holds up the Nyiha New Testament at its launch event on 17 May 2023 in Tanzania

In addition, 26 million people now have the good news of Jesus in the New Testament in their language for the first time. That’s the equivalent of the population of Australia.

As a result of this increased access to his word, God is transforming individuals and communities.

The massive increase in new and in-progress translations of Scripture will mean a future where many more people will come to know Jesus through the Bible.

In Nigeria, in the past year the number of people groups with no Scripture has dropped from 169 to 111! That’s 58 languages where Bible translation work has started.

With the advent of AI, this current rate of acceleration is predicted to increase considerably.

James says: ‘At Wycliffe Bible Translators we dream of a world where everyone can know Jesus through the Bible. And with increasing numbers of people praying and giving to support dedicated Bible translators around the world, together we are serving them as they bring God’s word to their communities in the language that speaks to them best.’

Image of Neema, an Ikoma speaker, at the launch of the Ikoma New Testament on 10 March 2023 in Tanzania Neema, an Ikoma speaker, at the launch of the Ikoma New Testament on 10 March 2023 in Tanzania

Driving the acceleration

A number of factors are driving the surge in Bible translation.

More people

There’s a growing realisation in churches globally that Bible translation is vital and effective. This is leading to Western believers giving and praying more, and churches around the world increasingly starting their own translation programmes (with behind-the-scenes assistance from organisations like Wycliffe Bible Translators).

Local translators now take on the bulk of the effort in many programmes, which is enabling the work to move much faster.

Technology

Throughout history – from the 15th-century printing press to 21st-century smartphone apps – technology has been crucial in getting the word of God into the hands and hearts of more people more quickly.

Imagen Aboriginal woman holds the PEV Mini-Bible An Aboriginal woman holds the PEV Mini-Bible, launched in Australia in 2023

And now comes another key technological moment. The advent of AI is set to have an incredible impact on Bible translation, enabling local Bible translators to produce high-quality translations quicker than ever. Mundane tasks are being sped up, allowing translation teams to focus more on the areas that require their human skill and insight.

As a result, the time taken to translate the Bible is predicted to come down by up to a half – without sacrificing quality! It means many more people will be able to access the good news of Jesus through the Scriptures much sooner.

Increased support

In the UK and Ireland, we’re seeing more and more people praying and giving to support Bible translation through Wycliffe Bible Translators. And more funding means more translation teams can be supported! This is possible thanks to ordinary Christians who read their Bible and want others to have that same privilege too.

Imager of two Bashkir women at their Bashkir Bible launch in Russia on 19 June 2023 Two Bashkir women at their Bashkir Bible launch in Russia on 19 June 2023

Wycliffe Bible Translators and our partner organisations are involved in over 75% of Bible translation work worldwide. With a new translation starting at the rate of one a day, funding needs are expected to continue to grow, and so it’s the task of the Church to keep up with the ambition that Bible translators have for their people.

James says: ‘All this is unprecedented: it seems that God is doing something remarkable in our time, and we praise him for raising up so many more people to take part.

‘My hope is that as the message of what God is doing spreads, so more and more people will be motivated and get involved in what is the key mission movement of this age. This is vital, urgent work.’

Looking forward

James comments: ‘It is amazing to see the progress that has been made again this year. If progress continues to accelerate, then in the next 10–15 years we could find ourselves in the position where 95% of the world’s population has the full Bible in their language, and everybody can access at least a portion of Scripture. That would be a tremendous moment in world history!

­‘Even with this progress, however, today still 1 in 5 people do not have access to the Bible in their language. It’s why translation teams worldwide continue to work with urgency. It’s also why we continue to support them in their work so that God’s word will be available to all people in their own language.’

Download the full State of the Bible 2023 report here.

Download the report text here.

Downloadable images are below.

Notes to Editors

1. For further information, call Jeremy Weightman at the Wycliffe Communications team on 0300 303 1111 or jweightman@wycliffe.org.uk.

2. Wycliffe Bible Translators seeks to create a world where everyone can know Jesus through the Bible. It does this through a range of activities, including Bible translation, literacy and Scripture use initiatives. Currently, Wycliffe has 350 people from the UK and Ireland serving over 580 million people who speak over 320 languages in over 60 countries. Of the 7,300 or so languages spoken worldwide today, only 736 have the Bible. Around 1.5 billion people (1 in every 5 people) do not have the Bible in their language. As a result, translation of the Bible into people’s languages is one of the critical needs in world mission, to enable the growth of evangelism and discipleship ministries.

3. Wycliffe and its partner organisations are currently involved in about three-quarters of global Bible translation efforts.

4. Images. You can download the following images to accompany the press release, by clicking on the ‘Image’ link and then saving to your desktop. All images should be credited as follows: © 2022 Wycliffe Bible Translators.

1. Nyiha Bible translator and pastor, Wilhelm Mwakavanga, presents the Nyiha New Testament at the launch event in Tanzania on 17 May 2023

2. Neema, an Ikoma speaker, at the launch of the Ikoma New Testament in Tanzania on 10 March 2023

3. Four young girls at launch event of the Tado New Testament in Lindu, Indonesia, on 22 October 2022

4. An Aboriginal woman holds the PEV Mini-Bible, launched in 2023. The PEV Mini-Bible is an English translation of the Bible designed specifically for Aboriginal Australians who speak English as a second language.

5. Daniel Petrilă, a member of the Standard Romani Bible translation team in Romania, reads from the Standard Romani Gospel of John

6. The Ilchamus New Testament is held up with great joy at its launch in Kenya on 8 October 2022

7. Two Bashkir women at their Bashkir Bible launch in Russia on 19 June 2023

8. Two Bashkir women at their Bashkir Bible launch in Russia on 19 June 2023 (cut-out version)

9. Infographic 1, with some of the key statistics

10. Infographic 2, with some of the key statistics

Story by: Jeremy Weightman

Date: 27/09/2023

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