As you read this… 2 language groups are facing overwhelming challenges in the Middle East as they work to complete their Bible translations. They live in a place of such suffocating religious persecution and still choose to take huge risks for the sake of the Gospel. They know that if they’re caught, they could lose their jobs, their homes, their belongings... they could go to prison; they could be tortured; they could even be executed.
- ► Despite the hardships and dangers, translation teams in the Middle East are committed to completing the Bible translations they set out to do. They are asking for prayers and support from other believers to help them get their projects across the finish line.
One of the Bible Translators at Work in the Middle East
A man was born in a place so dangerous for Christians that I can’t reveal the location. I will call this new brother in Christ Ahmad, as I can't use his real name for his own safety.
He grew up Muslim, and as a young man trained to be an imam, a preacher and teacher of Islam. Utterly committed to his faith. But as he undertook his life’s work, he struggled with the contradictions he observed in the harsh, hateful expressions of his religion in the world around him.
“Where is the love of God here?” He asked himself again and again. “Why is there so much anger, so much violence?”
He looked hard at his Quran and grappled with what he remembers as “an inner voice—a silent cry from my soul” asking why the God in these pages seems so far from the mercy He claims. “I searched for Him,” Ahmad says, “but I could not find Him.”
When he came across a video about Jesus, it stopped him in his tracks. “Something awakened in me. I wanted more. I had to know this Man.” He watched the video over and over and then, by a beautiful miracle, Ahmad found a portion of translated Scripture.
He says, “I heard God speak directly to me in the language of my heart. Every word breathed life. Every page pulled me closer to the truth I had always longed for: the love of God, His mercy, His voice.”
His heart transformed by God, Ahmad set out in pursuit of a completely new life goal: not only would he leave Islam and live for Christ... but he would devote himself to translating the Bible into the heart language of his people, to share the Truth with them.
Ahmad sought out others who were quietly living for Jesus in that difficult region, and soon, he had assembled a team of national Bible translators. They’ve been working ever since and have achieved many milestones. Their completed portions of Scripture are snapped up by pastors in underground churches in the region, who gratefully teach and preach from them...
- ► But the Middle East teams have also faced huge challenges that have slowed or stalled translation work. It is crushing to be so close yet unable to say, “Here it is! Our Bible is complete!” They need prayers and support to cross the finish line...
A Fever for God’s Word
From the very beginning, one community rejoiced with overflowing gratitude when a Bible translation project for their language group began. Many people in the village shared that they had been praying for years for this moment... praying that one day, their people would finally have access to God’s Word in their own language!
So when the project was launched, it felt like an answered prayer, a long-awaited light shining into their community. The people ask the translation team, “When will it be ready?”
Today, as the New Testament nears completion, the excitement continues to grow.
The national Bible translation team works hard because they know there is a deep hunger among their people to hear God speak to them in the language that speaks closest to their hearts. One translator expressed it beautifully, saying, “We can’t wait to hear the Lord speak to us directly in our own language.”
It’s not just the translation team that is giving their all. Many community members have stood alongside them, ready to tackle tasks to move their project closer to completion. They will research difficult words, check drafts, and offer insight with joy and pride.
This translation project has truly become a community-wide project because they know it is a great gift to themselves and to future generations. As one of the team shared with hope and conviction, “The Word of God is for the good of all, and above all, it will allow our community to receive Christ’s salvation and break free from old traditions.”
What began as a dream is closer to becoming a reality. Expectations are high, hearts are open, and there is a sense that something new, something powerful is beginning. And with every verse translated, every word refined, and every prayer lifted, the people of this community move one step closer to having God’s Word in the language of their hearts.
- ► We celebrate that this language group has persevered to see their Bible translation reach completion... but that’s often not the case for others, including 2 language groups in the Middle East who need prayers and support to get their Scripture translations across the finish line!
End the Wait... Give God’s Word to the Muslim World!
Christians in 2 language groups in the Middle East have risked everything to translate God’s Word into the heart language of their people... but they have faced many obstacles, and their support has run out.
These believers are committed to bringing Scripture to life in languages where it has never existed before, but they need help getting their Bible translations across the finish line. Even as we read about missiles exploding and the devastation of war, these brave Bible translators are about their work, translating the Gospel for their people who so desperately need it.
Please make a gift today to help these teams complete the translations that will transform countless lives and—entire regions of the Middle East—once people read and hear the truth of God’s Word in the language they know and understand!
What is needed now are critical tools and technology to keep translators’ equipment up and running and to keep the enormous task of Bible translation moving forward. It will take an average of just $15,000 per language group for a total of $30,000.
Pray with us that God will move in many hearts to provide the technology and other critical resources needed to help them “finish the race” (Acts 20:24)—and complete their Scripture translations. Together, we can bridge the gap for our brothers and sisters as they translate God’s Word, empowering them to lead their loved ones and communities to faith in Christ!
Make a gift now to help two Middle East language groups complete their Scripture translations and share the life-transforming truth of the Gospel.
