Early on a Friday morning, in the small town of Huambo, Angola, local indigenous people were joined by special guests from the government, diverse religious institutions, and churches for a long-awaited celebration. Through traditional dance, inspirational messages, and the planting of a Mulembeira tree, the Umbundu people rejoiced over something they’d been praying for: the New Testament in their heart language.

The first Umbundu Bible was printed more than fifty years ago. But over time, the language became outdated, leaving younger generations without access to Scripture. As the largest ethnic group in Angola, with more than six million people speaking Umbundu, the need for this Bible translation was urgent.

It is finished!

In 1999, the Bible Society in Angola began working on a new translation. They took into account the need for language harmonization. By incorporating different writing traditions, both younger and older generations can read and understand the Word of God in a contemporary language.

Now, after 18 years of waiting, the Umbundu New Testament is finally finished! Through the work of Bible translators, the Bible Society in Angola, and prayer partners like you, the Umbundu people can experience the transformative power of Scripture in their heart language. So far, more than 700 Umbundu people have received their own copy of the New Testament. The Bible Society in Angola is working on providing more to churches in the area.

Let’s thank God that Umbundu speakers can now grow in their relationship with him through the Bible. Let’s ask him to bless the distribution efforts of New Testaments to Umbundu people. Let’s also pray for the translation of the Old Testament in the Umbundu language, which is expected to be completed by 2023.

Prayer of thanks:

Father, we rejoice that the Umbundu people in Angola are finally able to connect to your words of love and comfort in their language. Thank you for these words in the Bible that will change their lives and bring them hope. We pray that you’ll continue to faithfully provide strength and wisdom to those involved in translating the Old Testament so that the beautiful people of Angola will have a complete Bible in the Umbundu language.