On International Translation Day we pay tribute to the work of translators who play a significant role in breaking down barriers and bringing people together. It is celebrated each year on September 30, on the feast day of St. Jerome, the Bible translator, who is considered the patron saint of translators. St. Jerome is known for translating the Bible into Latin from Greek manuscripts of the New Testament.

Today, the important work of translating the Bible continues through faithful men and women around the world who have devoted their lives to bringing the hope of God’s Word to their people.

Dorothy’s Story

Dorothy is a math teacher and small farm owner who lives in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe. She grew up in a Christian family where the Bible was central to their spiritual formation. But Dorothy’s family had to read the Shona Bible because there was no Bible in her native language of Chikunda. “Not having the Bible in our own language influenced our knowledge of the Word of God, I’m sure, because there are some words we didn’t understand. It was like a filter between us and God,” she said.

In 2012, Dorothy was invited to join a team of translators working to translate God’s Word for Chikunda speakers. She was eager to be a part of the work. “It excites me and motivates me,” she says. “There is no Bible in Chikunda—we need our own Bible.”

Dorothy’s translation work has allowed her to go deeper into Scripture. “It touches me more and more as I work on it and then read the Bible text we produce in Chikunda. The more you read the Word, the more you understand God and you believe in him more and more. And you become a different person.”

Despite many difficulties in Zimbabwe right now, and trying to juggle so many responsibilities, Dorothy is determined to complete the Chikunda Bible. Her hope is that younger generations of Chikunda speakers will have the chance to grow up reading the Bible in their own language. “There is no way that I can stop translating until we have the Bible in Chikunda—it is my language. When the Bible is finished we will be so happy because we have been waiting for this Bible for a long, long time.”

We honor Bible translators like Dorothy and countless others whose unwavering dedication will bring the life-giving message of Jesus for many generations to come. Please join us as we pray for them and their work.

Let’s Pray Together

Father, we thank you for Bible translators around the world. We ask you to protect those whose lives are at risk for translating the Bible. We pray you give strength and endurance to every translator as this task can take many years. And we pray that translators will have all the resources necessary for this work. Bless each one and their families. May they experience the joy of seeing God’s Word being delivered to their communities. We pray in Jesus’s name. Amen.