Now more than 5 Billion speakers can benefit from the translations at The Digital Bible Library®
The Digital Bible Library® (DBL) supplies digital Scripture texts to ministries all around the world. It is the largest Scripture repository with 1408 total Bible translation texts available in 1094 languages. Each day hundreds of millions of Bible readers access translations through websites and apps that are enabled through this ministry operated by the United Bible Societies. Developers of mobile and web solutions can access these translations on the basis of license agreements with the Bible agencies who contribute content to the DBL. In addition to providing qualified ministries and organisations access to a standardised platform for quick global delivery, DBL also provides added security by safeguarding texts from unauthorised changes. DBL content can also assist many ongoing translation projects by providing them with access to a wealth of model translation texts. The milestone reported today is significant because now exactly two-thirds of the world population can benefit from the Scripture digitisation through 475 Bibles, 858 New Testaments and 75 portions available at the DBL.
The latest addition to the DBL was Chokwe, a Bantu language, Bible. Over one million Chokwe speakers live in Angola, Congo DR, and Zambia. The language constitutes the most widely spoken of all native languages in Angola. The Chokwe Bible was uploaded to the DBL by the Bible Society of DR Congo. Traditionally, a connection with the deceased ancestors is the of primary concern to Chokwe’s religious cosmology as their protection is valued and pursued through rituals. While Christian missionaries have influenced Chokwe culture since the 1600s, the DBL endeavors to serve this group in the age of digital media. Since 68.4% of the population in the region use mobile phones already, and Angolan government has invested substantially in telecommunications in the recent years, the Chokwe population holds strong online Scripture engagement potential.