Zou Bible project

In 2019 the Society’s General Committee agreed to formally commence a project in the Zou language, of which there are 187,500 native speakers according to the 2019 edition of Ethnologue. These are primarily located in north-east India and north-west Burma. Zou is often written in a Latin script developed by Christian missionary J. H. Cope, and this is the script being used for our Bible.

Our Senior Editorial Consultant (Projects) has been working closely over the past eighteen months with an enthusiastic older minister who is the lead translator overseeing a small team based in Manipur, India. This minister had already undertaken considerable work on the Zou Bible before contacting us, and therefore parts of the Old Testament have already been prepared alongside some of the New Testament. Thus far the Society has checked the work done on Matthew, Mark and Luke, and Genesis to 2 Chronicles.

In a remarkable turn of providence, the lead translator, who normally lives in the Philippines, was in India when the country locked down due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Unable to return home, he gallantly marshalled the team in Manipur and has made great progress on the Old Testament translation during the seven months he has been detained in India.

We are grateful that the terrible inconvenience of the Indian lockdown has had a positive outcome in this respect, in that it has resulted in quicker progress than expected on this project. ‘This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working’ (Isaiah 28.29).