This Christmas 2014 is the first Christmas where Iranian Christians can read the Old Testament prophecies about Jesus in this precise and beautiful translation. As we celebrate the birth of the Lord, let us also pray that He will lead the church in Iran into ever deeper faith and maturity through the new Bible translation.
"The new translation is very clear. Many Old Testament passages quoted in the New Testament were hard to understand (in the old translation, ed.), but now they are just so much easier to understand."
"The words are so much more precious. The vocabulary is very Persian, which makes it beautiful to read."
"I enjoy reading the Old Testament now because I understand the words, stories and verses. Before, I had to look up the words in a dictionary to understand their meaning."
It was difficult to teach with the old translation and we had to use a retelling called the Living Bible, but I'm sure the new one will be so much easier to use."
"I love the Gospel of John, chapter 1, v.14 onwards - it's translated so beautifully."
This is how it looks in Persian in the new translation:
و کلام، انسان خاکی شد و در میان ما مسکن گزید. و ما بر جلال او نگریستیم، جلالی درخور آن پسر یگانه که از جانب پدر آمد، پر از فیض و راستی
In Danish according to the 1992 translation:
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Pray for:
- That the church may grow through the Bible this Christmas
- That pastors may enjoy teaching from the the new translation
- Secure distribution of Bibles
Support the smuggling of Bibles into Iran now. One copy costs around 70 DKK, which includes printing, administrative costs and smuggling.
