Speakers of 43 languages had translations of the Christian Scriptures available to them for the first time in 2009.

The full Bible was translated in eight of these languages and the New Testament into thirty-five, according to the 2009 Scripture Language Report published by the United Bible Societies.  Christian Scriptures are now registered in 2,508 different languages and dialects but this still leaves more than 4,000 languages without even one book of Scripture.

Among the Scriptures to be launched last year was the New Testament in Tokelau. It was dedicated in a service in Porirua last May. Work on translating the Old Testament into Tokelau is continuing.

It takes on average 12 years to complete a translation of the entire Bible and Bible Society is currently working on more than 530 translations of the Bible.

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