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Churches in Serbia want a modern translation of the Bible to be able to share Jesus more widely – and °®Éñ´«Ã½ supporters are making it happen.

°®Éñ´«Ã½ recently translated the Old Testament into modern Serbian. The Bible has only been available in the Serbian language since the nineteenth century, and the Church wasn’t able to update its translations of the Old Testament during the decades of Communist rule. °®Éñ´«Ã½’s translation differs from older Serbian Bibles for following the original Hebrew rather than the later Greek, and it’s been in huge demand across denominations since its publication in 2021.

The New Testament will soon follow, giving churches greater access to a new generation. ‘We want to bring the New Testament closer to the people of Serbia,’ said Professor Predag Dragutinovic, the project’s lead translator. ‘This is important for our Church and our culture because we especially want to address the younger generation.’

Supporters of Bible mission here in England and Wales have recognised this passion to reach people who have no previous experience of Scripture. Over the past few months 29 people have together invested more than £1,800 in the translation and publication of Serbia’s New Testament for a New Generation. Supporting translators at a rough cost of around £6 per verse, this generous contribution from English and Welsh donors could cover the costs of translating the Letter to the Hebrews.

Amanda, the project co-ordinator, said: ‘The occasion was very important, supporting the local campaign against drug addiction while raising awareness of the evangelical message of Bible for all people. Volunteers felt very blessed to be God’s light to their neighbours, who willingly accepted copies of Mark.’

The volunteers were also able to share of the message of Mark and encourage people to start reading for the first time, which is the desire that drives the new translation. A theology student asked to read the publication said: ‘The language is alive. And I believe, besides accuracy, that is the most important indicator of the translation quality.’

In fact, as well as being vibrant and easy to read, Serbia’s New Testament for a New Generation will be an accurate translation. Another academic, providing an introduction to Mark, said that the work ‘succeeds in translating many words and phrases verbatim into Serbian’, solving problems in earlier translations.

The author commended the team’s use of the Ekavian dialect of the Serbian language, used by most Serbians today, over the Ijekavian dialect of past translations, ‘not used in Serbia for generations’. He said: ‘It is an actualisation of the biblical message, directed towards contemporary people, urban and modern people who do not understand archaic language.’

The Scripture publisher Biblica has completed its own modern translation of the complete Bible that uses the English NIV as a guide. The New Serbian Translation is used by some Protestant churches, but many others, along with the dominant Orthodox Church, are awaiting for °®Éñ´«Ã½’s translation as a follow-up to the widely-used Old Testament. The Church on the whole in Serbia is invested in °®Éñ´«Ã½’s vision to reach young people with an accurate and modern translation of Scripture.

You can help complete this life-changing work and put God’s word in the hands of Serbians who have never read the Bible before. With a donation of £60 you can twin your Bible with the New Testament for a New Generation. Your generosity will give Serbians the opportunity to discovery the vitality of Scripture and experience its power in their life.

Twin your Bible today
 

You can also support Bible translation around the world with a donation of any amount today.