Free Bible App adds five more major language translations
The largest audio Bible ministry in the world announced recently that five new languages have been added recently to its free Audio Bible app.
Faith Comes By Hearing said that Chinese, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Dutch translations have been added to Bible.is, the free Audio Bible app which, to date, has already been downloaded over two million times within the last 10 months.
The app, which is also available in English, Arabic and Spanish, can be downloaded on iPad, Android and iPhone mobile devices. In due time, it aims to be available in the 20 languages that are most widely used in the world.
The app can also be had in less commonly used dialects including Awa (Papua New Guinea), Fiji-Hindi (Fiji), Cantonese (China), Matigsalug (Philippines), Runyoro-Rutoro (Uganda), Zulgo (Cameroon), Wayana (Suriname), Mina (Togo) and Kyaka (Papua New Guinea), according to the FCBH website.
In all, the Bible.is app is available in over 90 languages with some 160 versions, and can be downloaded in text, audio or both. New languages are added on a regular basis, the FCBH website said.
Potential
Presently there are some two billion users of the Internet, and five billion subscribers to cellular/mobile phones. Within pending years the numbers are expended to increase amazingly, the FCBH website stated.
The potential to reach people who would not otherwise have access to a bible has vast potential utilizing these resources. For this reason, FCBH embarked on its Digital Bible Project, presently the largest standardized digital and audio bible library, its website said.
Through the Digital Bible Project the bible can be had through social networks online all around the world through streaming, podcasts and downloads free of cost, according to the FCBH website.
The project gains more meaning now, more so as handsets are becoming increasingly inexpensive. It is expected that by 2012, over 50 percent of the developing world will have cellular phones, and within years after that, there will be very few areas in the world without mobile phone coverage, FCBH said on its website.
Troy Carl, national director of FCBH said, “Being able to combine this technology with the Audio Bibles we have available is God’s perfect timing. There are 5.3 billion cell phone subscribers, two billion Internet users and over 600 million members on social networks. Our current audio recordings represent languages spoken by more than five billion people across the globe. You don’t need to do the math to realize we’re talking about the potential for a major impact for those doing Great Commission work.”
Goal of ministry
FCBH seeks to record the Bible in 2,000 languages by 2016. Jerry Jackson, FCBH founder and president said, “Everything is in place for this to happen. As our Wycliffe and national Bible Society partners complete their translations, we can quickly record them and make them accessible on all our platforms. It really just comes down to having the funds to get the work done and we are trusting God’s people will respond to His call.”
