Chinese Project Update: Psalms Translated

Location: China, Taiwan, Singapore
Speakers: 1.4 billion
Project Status: Bible
Christian Population: 9%

Chinese is a Sino-Tibetan language family with multiple dialects, the most widely spoken being Mandarin, which serves as the official language of China and Taiwan. Written in characters that convey meaning rather than sound, Chinese has two primary writing systems: simplified (used in mainland China and Singapore) and traditional (used in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau). Our translation project is in Mandarin Chinese in the simplified script, which we then convert to the traditional script.

By the grace of God, we were able to publish the New Testament early in 2023, and we are thankful to report that there is growing interest in this translation. Lord willing, we hope to publish the Gospel according to John in the traditional script this summer.

We are very thankful to the Lord for the translation of the Psalms, which was submitted to the Editorial Department this week. The text will now undergo its final checks, and Lord willing, we hope to publish it online in the coming weeks. Approximately half of the Old Testament is now in first and second draft.

We are very grateful for the substantial financial support given by GBS for this major project, including the printing of 10,000 Chinese New Testaments for distribution.

‘But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint’ (Isaiah 40.31).

How to pray for this project:

• Pray for the distribution of the New Testament: that demand for it would increase, and that Chinese churches around the world would adopt it as their translation of choice.
• For the translators: that they would continue to faithfully translate the Old Testament, and for wisdom, grace, and health to see the project to completion.
• For support staff as they endeavour to promote the project, and to get the Word of God into the hands of Chinese speakers.