Where is Bible Translation Needed?

Locating the areas of greatest Bible translation need.

It’s one of the first questions that must be answered, and its answer must be constantly reviewed and updated: just where in the world is Bible translation even needed?

Current estimates by the Wycliffe Global Alliance* suggest that around 340 million peoplespeaking 2,078 languages may have a need for Bible translation to begin. Many of these language groups are small minorities living in areas dominated by different, more prevalent or official languages. Others may in fact be very large people groups but live in areas that are difficult to access.

In particular, Wycliffe has identified three areas of the world that contain the greatest numbers of translation needs. They are Central Africa and Nigeria; Mainland and Southeast Asia; and Indonesia and the Pacific islands.

Make no mistake, though much of the world has already benefitted from Bible translation, it is still needed on a grand scale!

The exciting news is that we’re experiencing the greatest acceleration of the global Bible translation movement that the world has ever witnessed! The number of languages still waiting for Scripture is dropping. Pray that this momentum will not slow down and ask God to continue to grow the resources needed to accomplish this work.
For Central Africa and Nigeria, pray for unity across organizational partnerships as many local and international groups must work together to accomplish the work of Bible translation. French-speaking personnel are also needed to work in the Francophone region; ask God to send more workers to this area.
For Mainland and Southeast Asia, pray for the protection and encouragement of translation personnel who often work in sensitive areas and sometimes in isolation. Prayfor creativity in the distribution of finished Scripture.
For Indonesia and the Pacific islands, pray for safety in travel as many translation teams must navigate throughout this large rugged and remote region. Pray for efficiency in gathering language data and wisdom in planning translation programs.