Not Just a Number: Real People, Eternal Impact
Numbers. You either love them or hate them, right?
For some people, numbers bring clarity, structure and unequivocable understanding; for others, it’s like trying to speak a foreign language.
No matter how you feel, numbers are important to our daily lives. They equip us to manage money, follow a recipe, abide by speed limits on the road and more. The crux of the matter is that numbers are essential.
Throughout Scripture, God intentionally uses numbers to convey His purpose and plan for humanity. For example:
- 3 symbolizes the Trinity (God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit), divine completeness and perfection. It also represents resurrection, as Jesus was raised on the third day.
- 7, one of the most frequently used numbers in the Bible, is often associated with completeness and totality. (For an interesting history on the significance of this number, check out this episode from BibleProject!)
- 40 is often associated with periods of trial and testing, such as the Israelites' 40 years in the wilderness or Jesus’ 40 days of fasting.
In the Bible translation movement, there are numbers that we pay attention to as well, including:
- The number of known languages spoken or signed around the world (approximately 7,300!).
- The number of languages that we know still need Bible translation to start for the first time.
- The number of languages with portions of Scripture, a New Testament or the full Bible.
These numbers help direct our efforts and strategies, providing guidelines for how we seek to engage and partner with organizations around the world to see all people have access to all Scripture.
But behind every number is a person who has a story that matters to God, and it’s those stories — those people — that serve as the driving force for our mission: to serve with the global body of Christ to advance Bible translation so people can encounter God through His Word.
A Look at the Numbers Today
Numbers have been a part of Wycliffe’s history from the very beginning. Over time, through improved processes, databases and collaboration with other organizations and local believers on the ground, our understanding of the numbers has grown, fueling the work in new ways. This was certainly the case in 1999. While Wycliffe had always felt a sense of urgency to see Scripture made available for all people, it intensified that year as we took a close look at the numbers. We realized that, at our current pace of language engagement, it would be another 150 years before translation for the last language was started. Not completed — simply started.
Let that sink in for a minute. Think of all the people who would live their entire lives without a single Bible verse in their language. That was simply unacceptable!
So we asked God to give us a new way of approaching the numbers and a fresh vision — a vision that could only be accomplished through His power. That’s when Vision 2025 was established, a God-sized dream to see Bible translation start for every language known to still need it by the end of 2025.
As of July 1, just 686 of these Vision 2025 languages remain on the list. This is the lowest number in human history, and we are within reach of seeing projects started for all these communities!
At a glance, here’s the global breakdown of Vision 2025 progress, by number of countries:
- Achieved Vision 2025: 158
- 1 Remaining Language: 43
- 2–5 Remaining Languages: 24
- 6+ Remaining Languages: 18
If you’re a numbers person — or even someone who has journeyed with the Bible translation movement for any length of time — these numbers are exciting! We are the generation that will see Bible translation start for every language still needing it. Can you imagine?
But maybe you’re not a numbers person. In that case, here is a glimpse into what’s happening within these countries and communities as they prayerfully and collaboratively work toward achieving Vision 2025.
AFRICA
Project Spotlight: Murna | Nigeria
Murna means “joy” in Hausa, a widely spoken language in Nigeria. Through the Murna Cluster project, the hope is that 13 people groups in Nigeria will experience the joy of the Lord through His Word in the languages that best serve them.
This four-year project aims to first engage local churches at the highest possible regional denominational leadership level and then extend to the local level. The goal is to mobilize churches to take ownership of Scripture engagement efforts for their communities and to make informed decisions about whether or not to pursue Bible translation in their language. Of the 13 languages involved in the Murna Cluster project, eight are Vision 2025 languages!
Accelerated Impact in Madagascar and Nigeria
Partnership plays a huge role in Bible translation around the world, and as a result, things are progressing at an unprecedented rate! In Nigeria, the Church is actively starting Bible translation projects to reach the remaining language communities that still need Scripture. Meanwhile, in Madagascar, local college students and church members have completed drafts of four full Bibles in four languages over four years.
Watch the impact of church-led Bible translation across Africa!
THE AMERICAS
Project Spotlight: Descubre | Mexico
More than a dozen communities across Mexico still wait to experience the life-changing message of the Bible in their own languages. The Descubre Mexico project staff are addressing this need by partnering with local churches to guide 20 language communities on a journey of discovery. Together they’ll explore how translated Scripture can deepen the faith of and bring hope to their people.
Through this initiative, facilitators will help local leaders evaluate their translation needs and equip them to take ownership of the process. Teams have already surveyed many communities to discuss their need for Scripture. They’ve also built trust and established best practices for launching translation workshops. Using the insights gained, this next phase will prioritize collaboration and innovation, ensuring every language community has a voice in shaping its future with Scripture.
God’s Faithful Work in Action
In the heart of the Amazon jungle, the Piapocos people longed to understand the whole story of God’s Word. They embraced Jesus, built churches and walked in faith, yet their hunger for a deeper understanding of Scripture remained unfulfilled.
EURASIA
Project Spotlight: Pala | Indonesia
The Pala Cluster project will be the foundation for Bible translation efforts in up to 17 languages used in the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. Of these languages, eight are Vision 2025 languages.
The project name is derived from the Indonesian word for nutmeg, pala. Nutmeg originally grew only in the Maluku province of Indonesia, historically known as the “Spice Islands” due to the abundance of cloves and nutmeg. While nutmeg is commonly recognized as a powder today, it actually comes from grinding the seed of the nutmeg tree, which can be cultivated from the seed itself. Nutmeg remains valuable and, at one point, was worth more than gold by weight, owing to the monopoly on the spice trade and the difficulty of accessing the Spice Islands.
In the same way, God’s Word is more valuable than gold. We believe that, over the next two years, the Pala Cluster project will help launch many of the remaining Bible translation needs in the Maluku Islands. As people gain access to God’s Word in their heart language, they will understand its true value, and their lives will be transformed for eternity.
A Milestone in Sign Language Bible Translation
In April 2023, a milestone was reached in sign language Bible translation when more than 170 Deaf leaders representing more than 50 sign languages across 49 countries came together to respond to one central question: “How do we address sign language Bible translation needs across Eurasia and start a translation project in every sign language still needing it within the next three years?”
Read more about this historic moment and how God is empowering sign language translation across Eurasia so that people can encounter Him through Scripture in a language and format they clearly understand!
PACIFIC
Project Spotlight: Wanbel | Papua New Guinea
Did you know that Papua New Guinea is the most linguistically diverse country in the world? The need for Bible translation there is high, but the Wanbel Cluster projects, as part of a collaboration with one of our partners in Papua New Guinea, are helping to meet that need!
The Wanbel Cluster project was first launched in 2022 with a focus on 80 languages. Today, three separate cluster projects derived from this effort are continuing Bible translation in 77 languages across the country with more focused, meaningful support from within each community.
And the momentum is only growing. To meet the overwhelming demand for involvement, BATTLE, Inc., our local partner, is launching a bold plan to equip multiple translation teams within each language who will work simultaneously. In the past, eager volunteers had to be turned away due to team size limits, but now this new parallel approach welcomes that passion and allows for greater community ownership than ever before — and, God willing, allows for Scripture to make it into the hands and hearts of people sooner.
Church-Owned Bible Translation in the Pacific
Across the Pacific region, more than 300 languages still need a Bible translation project to begin. But churches and communities are stepping forward to lead translation efforts in ways we have never seen before.
See how God is raising up Bible translation workers from within churches across the Pacific region!
SIGN LANGUAGE
As of July 1, 2025, there are 77 known sign languages around the world that need Bible translation to begin. Work is ongoing in more than 260 sign languages, and we praise God for that!
Project Spotlight: SLAm! 43 | Americas
Bible translation isn’t just about spoken and written languages; it’s about signed languages too! That’s why the SLAm! 43 Cluster project is so exciting. SLAm (short for Sign Languages America) aims to engage 43 sign languages in 37 countries or territories across North, Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean, to ensure that these Deaf communities have the opportunity to encounter Jesus through Scripture in a way that captures their hearts and transforms their lives forever.
As a result of this project, Vision 2025 will be accomplished in 30 countries and territories throughout the Americas!
Seeing Is Believing
Historically, it’s been believed that only 2% of the global Deaf population have access to any Scripture at all in a language and format they clearly understand, which means millions of Deaf people around the world have yet to get even a glimpse of who Jesus is.
A visual language should have a visual Bible. Learn more about the transformational experience of seeing the love of Jesus come to life through sign language.
Our Estimations, God’s Solution
If you’re a numbers person, you’ve likely done some quick calculations and can tell that, based on where we are in the year and the number of languages still to go, it would take an average of 115 new language starts a month to achieve Vision 2025 by the end of the year. In simple terms, “the math isn’t mathing.”
By human efforts, it’s unlikely that we’ll achieve Vision 2025 by the end of the calendar year. But we’re claiming Paul’s words in Ephesians 3:20-21 when he wrote, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen” (NLT, emphasis added).
At the end of the day (or, in this case, the year), we trust that God will see His Word go out into every language, available in every community, so that all people can encounter Him through Scripture in a way that captures their hearts. It is His purpose and plan that all should worship Him, and we will work toward the day that is described in Revelation 7:9a: “After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb” (NLT, emphasis added).
That heavenly scene — a promised, guaranteed future! — will have a crowd of people so significant that we won’t even consider counting. But oh, the stories that will be shared around that throne room, where people worship God in their own language because the gospel came to their community and transformed their lives forever.
We don’t know about you, but that is a future we want to be part of! And so we’ll continue working, making our best human estimations on how to see this promised future become reality here on earth as it’s described in heaven. But ultimately, we know the one who holds the solution to all these numbers, and we’ll trust that He will bring about His purpose in His timing, in His way, for His ultimate glory and the good of His people around the world.
Track the Progress: Vision 2025
Around the world, Vision 2025 — a God-sized goal to see a translation program in progress in every language still needing one by the year 2025 — is being accomplished. Track the progress and sign up for weekly updates that will keep you inspired and encouraged by the latest news!
Text SIGHTINGS to 407-358-0916.
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