Print On Demand, "One of the Boldest Initiatives in the History of Bible Translation" Rapidly Accelerating Scripture Distribution

[WorthyNewsBot]

(Worthy News) - Wycliffe Associates, an international organization involving people in the advancement of Bible translation, is helping rapidly accelerate the distribution of newly translated portions of the Scriptures for those without the Bible in their language, including places where having a Bible is dangerous.

By providing national Bible translators with high-speed, digital Print On Demand (POD) systems, translators can print, bind, and distribute copies of God’s Word immediately.

“Print On Demand has become one of the boldest initiatives in the history of Bible translation,” says Bruce Smith, President and CEO of Wycliffe Associates. “People who, until a few weeks ago, had never read a single word of the Bible in their own language are now holding Scriptures in their hands.”

Even translators with digital copies of their work had no efficient way to print and distribute the Scriptures they translated. Conventional printing, especially in small quantities, is very expensive, sometimes impossible in remote areas.

A Wycliffe Associates Print On Demand system saved one language group in Kenya 50 percent over conventional printing costs, enabling them to distribute twice as many copies of the Scriptures.

Print On Demand systems also help national translators preserve their work. In many remote areas, translators have only handwritten copies of the Scriptures they have translated. Making handwritten copies of their Scripture translations is difficult, time-consuming, and labor-intensive. A Print On Demand system not only prints God’s Word, but it also preserves the text digitally.

Earlier this year, a language group in South Asia finished printing the first complete draft of the New Testament in the history of their language using a Print On Demand system. They hope to have the entire Bible translated and printed soon, which would be the first complete Bible in their language’s history.

“Print On Demand is also an excellent way for members of a community to give feedback on specific details of a translation,” says Smith. “If translators find that a passage isn’t clear, they can fine-tune so the final version communicates truth precisely.”

A full Print On Demand setup, which includes industrial-grade equipment, software, and supplies, costs $15,000. Wycliffe Associates has developed a $3,000 portable unit for areas where a larger printing operation would be too dangerous. The portable unit can be carried inconspicuously, in ordinary luggage.

To date, Wycliffe Associates has provided 21 Print On Demand systems to mother-tongue Bible translators and hopes to supply another 60 translation projects with Print On Demand systems as soon as possible.

“Print On Demand is paving the way for national translators to move ahead, without waiting for Westerners,” says Smith. “They are not focused on the risks. They’re focused on God’s Word and the opportunity to share it with their countrymen—fast.”

About Wycliffe Associates

Organized in 1967 by friends of Bible translators, Wycliffe Associates empowers national Bible translators to provide God’s Word in their own language, partners with the local church to direct and guard translation work, harnessing their passion and desire for God’s Word, and engages people from all around the world to provide resources, technology, training, and support for Bible translation.

Because millions of people around the world still wait to read the Scriptures in the language of their heart, Wycliffe Associates is working as quickly as it can to see every verse of God’s Word translated into every tongue to speak to every heart. Last year, 6,279 Wycliffe Associates staff and volunteers worked to speed Bible translations in 75 countries.

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[other one]

cool,    it's old technology, but good uses for them.   here is the latest models in the ultrahigh end.

This is one of the systems I was working on when I retired.

 

[other one]

Oh and BTW it costs a lot more than $15,000.   but it is awesome to watch working.    Put a CD in the server computer on the left side or paper in the scanner and fill the paper trays up and it prints 180 pages a minute (3 per second) sorts them folds them and makes paper back books all in one pass.  The books come out on the tray at the right end of the cutter.

I went to the Wycliffe site and they are using manual ways of printing the material and hand making the books with a perfect binder.   Although it's an HP printer (which I refuse to own)  it is a very good group of tools to do what they are doing for a rather inexpensive set up.    I do know this technology has been used for decades to do these things, but God bless them for putting it all together.

Edited July 7, 2016 by other one

[kwikphilly]

Okay,sounds great but who pays for these Bibles? I mean Wycliffe is not doing all of this to donate Bibles,are they ? They say they are making these little portable do-hickeys & Bibles will be available where it is even dangerous to have a Bible,so how do these Bibles come into the hands of the individual?I understanding they now have the ability to make them faster & in every language ,,,,,for sale & distribution,then what   They will still be waiting for the "westerners" to fork up the money,no?    Just curious

[ayin jade]

18 minutes ago, kwikphilly said:

Okay,sounds great but who pays for these Bibles? I mean Wycliffe is not doing all of this to donate Bibles,are they ? They say they are making these little portable do-hickeys & Bibles will be available where it is even dangerous to have a Bible,so how do these Bibles come into the hands of the individual?I understanding they now have the ability to make them faster & in every language ,,,,,for sale & distribution,then what   They will still be waiting for the "westerners" to fork up the money,no?    Just curious

Wycliffe missionaries always depended on being funded by donors. They have to raise their own funds before going into the field. 

[kwikphilly]

Thanks Jadey,,,,that is what I gathered here & that is why I still don't see how it makes such a difference in the grand scheme of things,,,,,,I was under the impression the Bible was already available in every language    I see they can do it faster now,make more,more money? No?

[just_abc]

On ‎8‎/‎7‎/‎2016 at 1:40 AM, ayin jade said:

Wycliffe missionaries always depended on being funded by donors. They have to raise their own funds before going into the field. 

hi

If I am not mistaken there are several organisations or groups which use the term 'Wycliffe' in their names....  For example Wycliffe Associates.... Wycliffe Bible Translators.. etc ....  I am not sure which one is the one that was the famous Bible translation organisation some years ago? 

 

On ‎8‎/‎7‎/‎2016 at 1:52 AM, kwikphilly said:

I was under the impression the Bible was already available in every language    

um....  If I am not mistaken.. there are possibly some languages in my own country which Bibles might not have been fully translated into [yet]

 

*edited*

 

Regarding the OP -  I am a bit divided perhaps.

If the Bible translation work had already been properly and accurately completed earlier.... and properly checked etc....  and the purpose is simply to bring down the printing costs or because of transportation problems to remote areas etc - then perhaps such a technology might be very useful indeed.  [ assuming the copyright laws etc are followed ]

But if the Bible translation work has not been completed yet - and if this technology is going to be used to print Bibles fast... then I think Christians need to make sure that the translation is properly checked and fully accurate first if possible...  *before* it gets printed.

Or in other words... to be careful to not be too hasty perhaps.

So that one does not accidently produce Bibles which are inaccurate and which then might cause problems in future to those Christians / communities. 

I am guessing perhaps it could be a difficult balance sometimes - between speed {to get Bibles translated and into the hands of those who need them ..as quickly as possible}  .. and accuracy  {to try to prevent future problems because of any inaccuracies}  ?  I dunno.   I am not an expert on this issue..  and know very little about such things....  So this is just some random personal thoughts perhaps.    

 

Thanks for your patience with me.        

Edited July 9, 2016 by just_abc

[kwikphilly]

Hi just_abc

   Thank y ou,.I certainly appreciate you sharing your personal thoughts on the matter,I'm sure we all do And I totally agree with you in "checking" ,,,,I bought a brand new Bible a couple of years ago ,Thomas Nelson publications,printed in China,,,,,,it was a KJV to replace my tattered one.....one day I was in church & the preacher said turn to Exodus 20 or &  I noticed 2 whole chapters missing,it skipped about 8 or 9 pages,the ten commandments were missing!There was no verses 1 through 17    Imagine that?

   I called the publisher & they sent me another Bible,they said they were well aware of the error and they were ver y nice about it   But I thought"What about the people that have no idea what is supposed to have been there? Would they notice it skipped pages? So you are right,they should have someone checking accuracy in some way,at least to prevent incomplete copies from being distributed       Love,Kwik