Good news! The Bible has just been translated into its 800th language

It took nearly 2,000 years to translate the Bible into 400 languages. The next 400 took just 28 years. As the Bible reaches its 800th language, Wycliffe Bible Translators’ Jeremy Weightman explores the remarkable acceleration in Bible translation - and the immense task that still lies ahead for the 1.5 billion people without scripture in their own language

It had never occured to me.

Week after week, for years, I had turned up to church meetings with my Bible in my hand. I’d spent time in my secret place, reading passages from my Bible. Originally it was the King James, then the Good News and Living versions, before the NIV became my go-to. And that is how it has stayed – with occasional forays into The Message or some of the many other versions in English.  

I took it for granted that I have all these options for reading the Bible in English – the language that speaks to my heart the most.  

It never occurred to me that if I had spoken another language (such as Nobonob in Papua New Guinea) I’d have no choice – there would only be one translation available. 

It never occurred to me that…