The global movement to make the Bible available in every language is gaining remarkable momentum, with new figures showing historic progress in translation efforts.

Released on the United Nations’ International Translation Day, Sept. 30, the latest statistics from Wycliffe Bible Translators highlight how one of the greatest barriers to Christian mission — the absence of Scripture in people’s native languages — is rapidly being overcome.

In the past year alone, 118 new Bible and New Testament translations have been released — an average of one every three days.

Of these, 23 were full Bibles and 95 were New Testaments, marking the highest annual total to date.

The advances are bringing the day nearer when every community can access God’s word in their own language.

Just 12 months earlier, 985 languages were identified as suitable for translation, though no portion of the Bible had been started in them.

That number has now fallen dramatically by 44% to 550.

In 2021, the figure stood at 1,892.

“For centuries, billions of people have lived without a single verse of the Bible in their language,” stated the executive director of Wycliffe Bible Translators, James Poole. “The absence of God’s word in people’s own language is one of the greatest barriers to the good news reaching all people. But that story is changing.

"In recent years, we have seen an extraordinary surge in Bible translation. Progress is happening at a pace and scale not witnessed before, and whole communities are beginning to receive the Scriptures far sooner than we could once have imagined.

“This is a remarkable moment in world mission. God is at work, and we have the privilege of being part of it.”

This year’s progress means that for the first time, 197 million people now have the entire Bible available in their heart language — a number equivalent to the population of Brazil. A further 54 million people received access to the New Testament.

Translation programmes have also commenced in 461 new languages, averaging one new program every 19 hours.

Wycliffe notes that Scripture portions were published for the first time in 174 languages, meaning whole communities are now encountering God’s word in their own tongue.

For many communities, the arrival of Scripture has been transformative.

In Togo and Benin, the late Kaleb Edoh, who headed the Ifè translation project, explained the importance of the Old Testament to his people: “There are many stories in the Old Testament which help us understand the New Testament. The sacrifices written about in the Old Testament are very similar to the animist sacrifices done in traditional Ifè life.

“Reading what Leviticus has to say about sacrifices will help our people to understand what they were before coming to Christ, and how they have changed since.

“So it is very important for our people to have all of the Bible translated into Ifè.”

In Papua New Guinea, the Nobonob people marked the launch of their full Bible in June, decades after receiving the New Testament in 1990.

Ulys, a translator, described the dedication: “In 1990 the Nobonob New Testament was dedicated, but the Nobonob leaders wanted the entire Bible. But all that was not just so it can be said, ‘The Bible is translated into the Nobonob language.’

“No, it was done so the Nobonob people, and others who can read it, get its meaning and follow it. God’s word is not for us to see casually. No, it’s to give us guidance.”

Translation efforts have also had unexpected ripple effects. In some cases, Bible translation has preserved languages that were at risk of disappearing.

The Label people of Papua New Guinea once faced the extinction of their language, but a determined group of believers insisted on translating Scripture into it.

Two decades later, not only is the language thriving in written form, but the community also has the New Testament in Label.

In Uganda, translation has been the foundation for education and literacy. Through the “Let’s Read Together” programme, people learned to read using Scripture in their mother tongue. As a result, communities reported improvements in behaviour, hygiene, and school performance alongside deeper engagement with faith.

Poole emphasised the lasting impact of these developments: “As people come to understand clearly the depth of God’s love and the greatness of Christ’s work for them, lives and communities will be transformed. What a privilege it is to see this happening in our lifetime.”

Despite the rapid progress, Wycliffe reports that around one in five people worldwide — some 1.5 billion individuals — still lack the Bible in their language. The organization is urging continued support until all languages are covered.

This article was originally published by Christian Today.