Simte (Manipur, India)

Simte, spoken primarily by the Simte people, is one of the many tribal languages of north-east India. The Society currently has half-a-dozen active tribal language Bible projects in this part of the country, and we are thankful for the considerable thirst among these people groups for a faithful Bible based on the Hebrew Masoretic and Greek Received Texts, using the medium of the Authorised (King James) Version.

In 1992 the Society published its first Simte Bible, which was a translation of the Authorised Version (AV). However, further revisions were deemed necessary as in some instances the original translators did not have a full grasp of the English employed in the AV, and the Simte language was at that time still developing. Subsequently, the Simte Bible Revision Committee diligently worked on the Bible for twelve years.

Earlier this year the print-ready file for the revised Simte Bible text was sent to our friends at Bearing Precious Seed (BPS), Milford, Ohio. Some last-minute corrections and equipment problems at BPS delayed the start of printing for several months. However, it is a joy to report that at the time of writing, 7,000 copies of the Simte Bible have been printed and are currently being bound. After binding these Bibles will be shipped to India. Please pray that they will arrive safely and soon be distributed to enthusiastic hands and read by eager eyes! ‘Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts’ (Jeremiah 15.16).