The Vision is Bold
Bible Access Across the Fellowship
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
Since 2018, the United Bible Societies Fellowship has been pursuing a goal to complete 1,200 Scripture translations by 2038, making the Word of God accessible to over 600 million people.
This 20-year vision is bold, but essential as we live out the call of the Great Commission. As part of the UBS Fellowship, we are privileged to play our part in making this vision a reality. Throughout 2025 we have been supporting 6 translation projects, and 19 distribution projects thanks to the generosity of people like you.
What does that look like?
The 1,200 Scripture translations are broken down like this:
880 are first translations. – That means there is no Scripture that exists in that language… yet.
320 are new or revised translations. – There might be an existing translation, but it could be incomplete, outdated (due to linguistic changes over time), or inaccurate.
Since 2018, Bible Societies have completed 114 of the 880 first translations and begun the work on a further 194 first translations. 83 of the 320 new or revised translations have been completed with a further 231 in progress. This means there are still 578 translation projects yet to begin if we are to reach our goal by 2038.
Reaching the Hidden Mission Field
Deaf communities are often called a hidden mission field. Most Deaf individuals grow up in households where their parents – 90% of whom are hearing – do not know their ‘heart language’ – sign language.
The worldwide Deaf community’s needs are frequently overlooked, especially when it comes to accessing the Bible.
An estimated 70 million people worldwide use sign language as their first or ‘heart’ language. With around 400 unique sign languages globally, the need for Scripture in these languages is huge, but 80% of these languages still lack any Scripture. These translations form part of the 1,200 translations that UBS aims to complete by 2038.
Bible Poverty Still Exists
Today, the Bible is available in more languages than ever before. Thanks to the efforts of Bible Societies and other Bible translation agencies across the world, the full Bible is available in 769 languages spoken by 6.1 billion people, as of the start of 2025. Over 70% of these were translated by the United Bible Societies Fellowship, of which we are a member.
However, Bible poverty still exists.
48% of the world’s languages have no Scripture at all. – A total of 3,525 languages used by 129 million people still have no Scripture.
20% of the world’s population don’t have the full Bible. - 1.5 billion people around the world still do not have access to the full Bible in their heart language.
Sharing God’s Word Globally
The Bible is meant to be read, heard, and lived, but that can only happen if it is within reach, in an accessible form. That is why Bible distribution, in both printed and digital formats, is at the heart of the mission of Bible Societies around the world.
A translation cannot change lives if it does not reach the hands and hearts of people. Distribution is the crucial bridge between Bible translation and engagement - two essential elements of our global integrated Bible ministry - opening the way for people of every age, ability, and culture to encounter God's Word.
In 2024, Bible Societies distributed 150 million printed scriptures – that includes full Bibles, New Testaments, Scripture Selections, Youth and Children’s Bibles, Sign Language recordings, and Braille Bibles. Additionally, texts provided by Bible Societies were digitally downloaded 25.9 million times.
“Every Bible distributed, no matter the format, makes possible a vital connection between God’s living Word and a person longing for truth, comfort, or transformation.”
It’s all about Justice
At the heart of this vision is justice - the belief that no one should be excluded from hearing God speak in the language they know best.
God speaks to us all and hears our prayers in the languages of our hearts. These translations are essential as they free people to explore the Bible for themselves. No one should have to depend on others to interpret God’s Word for them.
Bible poverty is not just a gap in resources; it is a deep injustice that denies millions the opportunity to encounter hope, truth, and transformation in their own heart language.
Every translation completed, every Scripture shared, is an opportunity for transformation. The vision is to ensure that all people, everywhere, have equal access to God’s Word.