A first-time translation of a full Bible into a language takes about 12 years to complete. The average cost of the entire project is $300,000.

New Zealand

A Tokelauan choir helps to mark the occasion of the launch of the New Testament.

Translation projects on schedule
Last year saw two significant events for New Zealand Bible translation projects.
In May, the Tokelauan people received the New Testament for the first time in their own language.  Work on the Old Testament is continuing with seven books due for completion by the end of this year. The full Bible translation will be finished in 2015.
A few months earlier key Maori denominational leaders met at Bible House where they agreed that it is time to begin work on a new Maori Bible translation.

Although the Paipera Tapu (Maori Bible) was first published in 1952 and is regarded as a taonga, its language is now somewhat out of date, especially for second language speakers.
Bible Society has begun the search for a kaituitui (project coordinator) to co-ordinate phase one of this project, which will establish the framework for the new translation.

Papua New Guinea

Bible Society is working to bring the Word of God to communities such as this one.

Bible Society Translation Consultant, Dr Stephen Pattemore, and leader of the Magi translation team, Ian Onaga, with the Magi Bible Portion.

Translation ‘no easy road’
It’s not easy being a Bible translator in Papua New Guinea.  
Primitive conditions such as no electricity or phones and long distances over poor roads mean that many translators work in near isolation with only an occasional visit from a Bible Society Translation Consultant.  
Take the case of the Magi Old Testament, for example. First begun in 1999, the translators have only recently published the first 20 chapters of Exodus and 8 other Old Testament books.

Their progress would be better if they had access to a solar-powered computer.  
The Koita people are making some progress on their translation of the New Testament, partly because they have 13 teams of 5 people working on it. Their sense of urgency stems from the fact that they see it as an opportunity to preserve their language. As well, they have seen the improvements in the behaviour of their young people after they have received Bible teaching.  
There are 12 Bible translation projects in which Bible Society is involved in Papua New Guinea as part of its vision of seeing people equipped with Bibles in their heart languages.

Africa

“Please bring us the Word of God in our own language”, say these Christian Konakuma girls.

“God’s Word is quite foreign to us.”
On the border of the African countries of Mali and Burkina Faso live the Konakuma people.
At church and at school they worship and learn in up to four languages, none of which is their heart language of Konabere. “In church, the Word of God is taught in a language which is quite foreign to us,” says Rokia, a young Christian woman.  
“Both Christians and non-Christians here feel that Christianity is a religion which is not of their culture,” says Jacques Dembele, Executive Secretary of the Bible Society of Mali. “That’s why we are working to bring the Konakuma people the Word of God in their own language.”
The Konabere New Testament translation project was established in May by the Bible Society of Mali in partnership with the Bible Society of Burkina Faso, and the local Churches.

Azerbaijan

One who received a Bible is Azeri Christian, Fergana

From fear to faith!

In 1990, the Soviet regime fell in Azerbaijan.  
By 1994, Bible Society had begun the translation of the Bible into Azeri. It became available to Azeri Christians in 2009, replacing the Old and New Testaments, which were written in Arabic and no longer understood by most Azeris. One who received a Bible is Azeri Christian, Fergana (pictured above).
“Before I became a Christian I lived in fear,” says Fergana. “I was searching for hope. I read religious books but they did not speak to my soul. Until one day my husband and I met an evangelist, who gave us a New Testament in Azeri, my heart language. “After reading it I moved from knowing great fear to knowing great hope. “Now that I have the full Azeri Bible, I am very happy and grateful to God.”

Sudan

Dr Edward Kajivora

A task dogged by death

Undertaking a Bible translation is always a challenging task. But in a country in the throes of civil war it can become deadly.
The Moru Old Testament translation in southern Sudan began in 1960. It ran into trouble early on when the first translator died, and all his work was lost. The baton was passed to Canon Ezra Baya, who made slow progress after being forced to go into exile in Uganda.
In 1983, the second civil war broke out and Canon Ezra, who had returned to Sudan in 1972, decided that the manuscript would be safer at Bible House in Juba, the capital of the south.
But the area was controlled by rebels who would behead anyone trying to enter the city.
Local people agreed to help and piece by piece the translation was smuggled in.
One man was caught. The rebels spared his life but they tore up the Epistles of St Paul and used them as cigarette papers. In 1991, increased fighting saw Canon Ezra and his daughter try to escape to Juba. They were both killed in crossfire.  
The church selected two translators to continue the project but they were haunted by the fate of their two predecessors and quit. Bible Society was close to suspending the work until the war was over. Then it heard about Rev Kajivora, a Moru Christian, who was finishing his MA in England. He agreed to take up the project, but his wife begged him not to.
But eventually they returned to Nairobi and the project was completed in 1997. After 37 years, the Moru people finally had the Old Testament in their heart language.

Eight languages get first-time Bible in 2009

Last year the eight language groups that received a full Bible for the first time were:
•  Bassa: Liberia (Liberia)
•  Dagbani (Ghana)
•  Gangte (India)
•  Ifugao:Antipolo (Philippines)
•  Miao:Hwa (China)
•  Naga:Tangkhul (India)
•  Pokoot (Kenya)
•  ruHaya (Tanzania)
The countries whose 21 language groups received the New Testament for the first time in 2009 were Papua New Guinea (5 language groups), Indonesia (2 language groups), Mexico (2 language groups), Guatemala, India, Togo, Bostwana, Iran, Brazil, Kenya, Cameroon, Vanuatu, Sudan, Myanmar and the Tokelau Islands.
Forty seven other language groups received at least one book of the Bible for the first time in 2009.
A total of 2,508 language groups around the world have at least a portion of Christian Scripture available to them. It is estimated that there remain over 4,000 language groups in the world without any Scripture at all.

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