Bible HIStory

The birth of the modern Bible Society movement was in 1804 when a group of like-minded clergymen and Christians came together for the purpose of making the Bible more available through England and Wales. At the time, the Scriptures had been translated into just 67 languages around the world.

Soon that original vision broadened to take the Bible ‘to the ends of the earth’. Bible Societies were established in the Netherlands (in 1814), the United States (1816) and Russia (1821). After World War I individual Bible Societies began to co-ordinate their activities, as more and more new Societies were set up in the Middle East, Brazil, China and Japan.

After World War II delegates from 13 countries met in England, where United Bible Societies (UBS) was founded.

Today, there are 142 national Bible societies, working in more than 200 countries and territories from Israel to Iceland, Belgium to Belarus and Australia to Argentina. Today, thanks largely to this remarkable work, the Scriptures have been translated into 2,403 languages. We give great thanks to God for 202 years of Bible Society work.