Telugu (southeast India) Bible Translation Project

Telugu is the heart language of 82 million speakers in the south-eastern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana as well as the Yanam district of the city of Puducherry, India. It is one of the oldest languages in the world, yet lacks a faithful translation of the Bible that is accessible to modern Telugu speakers.

In 1983 TBS published a Telugu New Testament, but by the early 1990s we ceased publishing it due to significant errors. Revision work began again in the late 1990s but we were unable to proceed due to issues with these efforts. Then, in 2022 we connected with a native Telugu speaker who has commenced a new translation. We are pleased to have received the text of the Gospel according to John, which we are currently checking and then will issue for wider community review before we look to publication.

‘Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you’ (Deuteronomy 4.2).

How to pray for this project:

• For the translator as he works on translating the New Testament and the community reviewers as they diligently evaluate and provide feedback on the translation.
• For Telugu speakers throughout India and its wider diaspora to receive the Gospel and the translation.
• For TBS as we check the text and prepare it for community review (and ultimately publication).