For 70 million people worldwide, sign language is the first or only language they know. It is the language they use to think in and the one they understand best. It is their heart language.

Sign language doesn’t follow the spoken and written language of hearing people. It’s a unique communication system of manual, facial, and body movements, with its own syntax, structure, and grammar. As a result, written language is often a second language that requires extra effort. “As a deaf person, it is very hard to understand written books,” reports one deaf Christian named Nguyen.

Currently, only 40 out of more than 400 unique sign languages worldwide have any portion of Scripture. This means less than two percent of all Deaf people have been reached with the gospel.

That’s why United Bible Societies, Deaf Bible Society, Deaf Missions, and other ministry organizations are working together to translate the Bible into sign language for Deaf communities around the world. We believe it is God’s will that all people experience his Word in their heart language.

Please Pray with Us

These efforts need your prayers. Creating this visual language translation for online and DVD access is a complex process. Trained sign language storytellers present a translation for video recording, which requires extensive production, editing, publishing, and more, before becoming available online or on a DVD.

God, please give wisdom and strength to those translating the Bible into sign language. We pray for the successful production and distribution of Scripture to Deaf communities. We ask you to make it possible for every Deaf person to encounter you through your holy Word.

Current Sign Language Translations that Need Your Prayer

• Argentina - Children’s Bible into Argentine Sign Language for 200,000 people
• Armenia - Gospel of Luke into Armenian Sign Language
• Brazil - Bible stories into Brazilian Sign Language for 37,000 people
• Cuba - Gospel of Luke and Book of Acts into Cuban Sign Language for 1,000 people
• Ecuador - 20 biblical stories into Ecuadorian Sign Language for 4,000 people
• Ghana - Sign Language Bible into Ghanaian Sign Language for 2,000 people
• Guatemala - Bible Portions into Guatemalan Sign Language for 2,500 people
• Hungary - New Testament into Hungarian Sign Language for 70,000 people
• Lithuania - New Testament into Lithuanian Sign Language for 8,000 people
• Macedonia - Life of Jesus in Macedonian Sign Language for 6,000 people
• Mexico - Galatians and Ephesians into Mexican Sign Language for 3,000 people
• Paraguay - Gospel and Book of Acts into Paraguayan Sign Language for 50,000 people
• Peru - Bible stories in Peruvian Sign Language for 1,000 people
• Philippines - 45 new Bible passages into Filipino Sign Language for 500,000 people
• Slovakia - Gospel of Luke in Slovak Sign Language for 10,000 people
• Swaziland - 132 Bible stories in Swazi Sign Language for 8,000 people
• United States - Old Testament and 110 Bible stories into American Sign Language for 1 million people
• Uruguay - Gospel of Mark into Uruguayan Sign Language for 5,000 people
• Venezuela - Salvation plan into Venezuelan Sign Language for 3,000 people