Give Bible translators Hebrew - for free

Can you imagine your Bible without the Psalms, or without Genesis? What if you had no way to read

Isaiah 40 in your language? This is the experience of millions of people around the world, and this, we think, is something that needs to change.

Translating the Hebrew Bible is a daunting task. Hebrew is a rich, beautiful, poetic language, and a massive portion of the

Hebrew Bible is poetry. You don't really have to be a translator to understand that translating poetry is hard.

Trying to translate something like the Psalms without access to the original language can be like trying to find a new place in the dark without a map.

But for years, it has simply been too difficult for most translators in other countries and remote locations to learn

Hebrew. And we want to change that. In the world of Bible translation today, we want to see sustainable projects and movements led by the speakers of those languages that are still without Scripture.

That means we need to equip them to do the best work possible, and a huge part of that is teaching them

Hebrew. We fully realize this can be a huge investment before beginning a translation project, both in time and money.

And we understand that a lot of people are in a hurry to get translation projects underway since there is so much work to be done.

So, what are the advantages of teaching Hebrew before diving in to the work of translating the

Hebrew Bible? Let's look at those advantages. Number one, you teach someone to fish who can then teach others.

The repercussions of giving this skill to someone in another country can be vast.

They have the potential to teach others, including local pastors, who can then lead their congregations into more careful study of Scripture and impact their communities.

Second, translators make thousands of complex decisions in the course of a project.

Without access to the original Hebrew, these decisions can be taxing and sometimes impossible without the help of a consultant.

Now, if translators have access to Hebrew, they won't feel like they're flying half blind.

In addition, it will free up the project consultant from having to address so many issues. All in all, it will relieve stress for both the translators and consultants and ultimately reduce burnout.

A third advantage, it will empower translators to produce better drafts.

The logic is simple. When you have better tools, you produce better drafts.

A carpenter knows that. He knows that the quality of his work depends on what tools he has at his disposal.

Likewise, any chef will tell you that if he doesn't have a knife or the right ingredients or a pan, his work will suffer, no matter how talented he is.

But put the right tools into the hands of gifted people, and you'll be delighted by what they can do.

In the same analogy, if you give an artisan a quality tool, his work will go faster.

But if you leave a chef with a dull knife, he'll get the work done, but it'll take longer.

So we believe that in the long run, translators equipped with Hebrew will produce translations faster.

The world of Bible translation is in desperate need of consultants to check translations before publication.

So if we teach Hebrew to local translators at the beginning of a project, they can accumulate years of experience using this tool.

And when they finish the translation, they'll be more prepared to become consultants for other projects.

Imagine that. So, after all these advantages, how can we make this possible?

We've started a YouTube channel called Aleph with Beth that can reach around the globe offering free

Hebrew training. We're using innovative methodology and technology to make a quality course that can penetrate hard -to -reach places.

We believe that Hebrew should not be limited to the academic elite, but should be something that all people, especially translators, can learn for free.

The videos we produce are in a format that allows anyone who speaks any language to learn

Hebrew in a natural, fun, and effective way. In other words, they aren't dependent on English or any other language as a bridge to learn it.

This approach has been shown time and time again to be a game -changer in language learning.

If you agree with us that this is a strategic initiative, and if the need for better Bible translations produced by more highly trained translators resonates with you, we invite you to join us.

You can help make this possible, and partner with us as we work to make the

Word more accessible to those without it. The more people we have behind us, both financially and prayerfully, the better.

As the body of Christ, we can join hands and see this need met.