WS Chronicle

DALLAS, Texas  — The largest Bible translation campaign to ever be introduced on social and digital media launched on March 24 – just in time for Easter – helping to make Scripture available in every language in the next 12 years.

The “I Want to Know” campaign gives people the opportunity to sponsor the translation of one or more Bible verses in partnership with one of the 3,800 language communities worldwide that don’t yet have a complete Bible. More than 2,000 of those languages don’t have a single verse of Scripture yet.

The campaign is spearheaded by illumiNations, an alliance of the world’s leading Bible translation organizations.

 “Can you imagine not having the Bible in English, or your native language?” said Mart Green, ministry investment officer at Hobby Lobby and avid supporter of the illumiNations Bible translation movement. “One billion people still don’t know what God’s Word has to say to them. We can help fulfill the Great Commission and eradicate ‘Bible poverty’ in this generation.”

In the “I Want to Know” campaign, viewers will hear powerful testimonies from people who don’t yet have access to the full Bible in the language they understand best.

Walkie, a native speaker of the Yupik language of Alaska, remembers the moment his mother understood the Bible’s message for the first time. “Before my mother died, I was able to read her Psalm 139 in Yupik,” he recalled. “And she said, ‘Oh! So that is what it means to us!’” Yupik speakers have some Scripture in their language, but are still waiting for a complete Bible.

For $35, participants in the “I Want to Know” campaign can sponsor one translated verse of Scripture. People are also encouraged to post the Bible verse they “want the world to know” on social media using the hashtag #IWTKBible. 

“The translators are in place, the strategy is in place, and with support from Christians across the U.S. and around the world, we can help every single person on earth access Scripture in the language they understand best,” said Bill McKendry, campaign creative director.

The illumiNations alliance envisions all people having access to Scripture by the year 2033 – a target they’re calling the “All Access Goals.” It means 95% of the world’s population will have access to a full Bible, 99.96% will have access to a New Testament and 100% will have access to at least some portion of Scripture.

The “I Want to Know” campaign will play a significant role in making the Bible available to all.

“The goal of translating the Bible into every language for all people has been a ‘Goliath’ of biblical proportions for generations,” Green said. “But now we’re on the brink of a giant slingshot; every person can have at least a portion of the Bible in their own language within the next 12 years.”

Visit illuminations.bible/know and follow illumiNations on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to join the campaign.