Why do we need ANOTHER version of the English Bible?

Wycliffe Today October 2019 (updated Mar 2025)

This is the question Dave Glasgow and his team often encounter as they work on the Plain English Version of the Bible. Dave explains:

The PEV allows Indigenous communities to read God’s Word in a format they can understand. Australian Indigenous languages have no passive voice and very few abstract nouns. They are also some of the most linguistically diverse languages in the world — especially compared to English. People may speak English as a learned language but they still think in terms of their mother tongue. There may be some features they share in common with the learned language, but those that differ can cause significant misunderstandings. We are modifying the English contained in the Scriptures to conform to their Indigenous thought, culture, grammar and semantic patterns. 

The PEV is a great tool for Scripture engagement and comprehension in simple English. It is also incredibly strategic in bolstering and expediting the work of individual Indigenous translation projects. Dave says:

When I first joined AuSIL to work with the Burarra language, and later when I was a translation consultant, I learned about the structure of Indigenous languages, which helped when I came to start work on the PEV. Now I know of at least three translation projects using the PEV as the main tool to help with their own translation. It gives them a helpful starting point.

As of 2024 almost 25% of the PEV Bible has been translated. Several books have been published in printed form by Bible League, including a mini-Bible with almost 70% of the New Testament and portions from Genesis and 1 & 2 Samuel.

Bible Society has also printed: picture books, colouring-in books and sets of story cards using the PEV, which are available through Koorong.

Please pray:

• that the books that have been translated will help people know God better
• for continued progress with translation so that one day the whole Bible will be available
• for wisdom for the translation team as they seek to express the Scriptures accurately in a way that the target audience will understand.

For more information on the Plain English Bible, go to https://aboriginalbibles.org.au/english-plain/.