Charting the future course of Bible translation

The Lausanne World Pulse has recently published a new issue about the state and future of Bible translation. The other articles develop the theme further, with a focus on topics like the challenge of translating the Bible for non-reading audiences and empowering nationals to translate the Bible into their own language.

The overarching theme of these articles is that the sacred task of Bible translation is quickly growing beyond the boundaries of European and North American academia. Interestingly, this very topic came up this morning at a press conference announcing plans by Zondervan, Biblica, and the Committee on Bible Translation to release a new edition of the New International Version of the Bible.

I’ve always found Bible translation to be a fascinating topic—my limited exposure to Biblical Greek and Hebrew was just enough to give me a glimpse at what a monumentally challenging task it is to accurately translate ancient texts into modern languages while preserving their meaning and nuance. The Lausanne World Pulse articles document how much more challenging that task becomes when carried out across the hundreds of languages, dialects, and audiences who need to hear the Gospel around the world.

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