Christians in Iran put their lives on the line each time they open the Word of God or share the Gospel with family members. Now some underground believers are risking their lives to translate the Bible into their local dialects so their friends and neighbors can have access to the scriptures.
Through the Bible translation agency unfoldingWord, thousands of Christians are translating the Word into their “heart language” or native language first learned at home.Â
“Every person in the world needs the Bible in the language they understand the best,” says unfoldingWord, a non-profit that helps church networks with Bible translation.Â
For many, that means the dialect native to their culture, region, or community.Â
“There are over 70 ethnic backgrounds in Iran. There are over 6,000 villages. From one village to another, the languages might change. Of course Farsi is a spoken language, but 55% of Iranians don’t speak Farsi at all,” Iranian minister Lazarus Yeghnazar told unfoldingWord.
For one Iranian translator, “Miriam,” having help with converting the Bible into her local dialect helps her not only understand the Gospel but effectively communicate with those she loves.Â
“Having the gospel in my heart language makes it much easier to talk to
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