It’s finally here! After 8 years of translation, editing layouts, creating beautiful fonts, testing, proofreading, and evaluating huge amounts of feedback we have finally launched the New Testament of the Khmer Christian Bible!
Part of the the translation team celebrating the completion of the New Testament
The Khmer Christian Bible was a team effort with leaders from many different churches and denominations all working to translate a very accurate Bible from the Greek language. It has taken 8 years to complete the New Testament and the Old Testament is ongoing, with Genesis to be completed very soon.
The goal of this translation is to be an essentially literal translation, yet using a vocabulary which is not too complex for the modern Khmer reader. We also desired a translation which is 100% Khmer in spelling, grammar and punctuation and have worked with some of Cambodia’s top linguists and scholars to produce a grammatically correct Bible.
We have added additional tools which have previously never been available to Cambodian Christians. For the first time ever, we have included a several hundred word concordance of key Bible terms so that readers can easily search to specific topics and verses. A larger, more extensive will also be available separately soon as well. There are also notes to explain Biblical references. These notes are not interpretative, but simply notes which add to the understanding of the text.
We have even added more than 100 illustrations which have all been carefully drawn to reflect things which would be unknown to most Cambodian readers like “wineskins” and “rams horns”. Additionally, we have printed the New Testament with the words of Jesus Christ in red ink just to make the Bible more attractive, but also to make it clear which words Jesus said himself.
Another special feature, is that we have spent thousands of dollars to create special Khmer fonts which are extremely easy to read. Anyone from children to older adults with weak eyesight will find this font easy to read. We have made the text large enough for anyone to read in low-light as most of Cambodia do not have electric lighting.
An audio Bible is already complete and will be available on CD or by download very soon. Some of the most talented and best sounding voice masters in Cambodia have spent weeks carefully recording every word in the New Testament. Specially written Khmer music was added to the background of the audio Bible making a beautiful recording.
Digital Bibles are already available on several platforms. We are creating even more platforms and would be willing to work with anyone to develop more platforms for digital Bibles including online Bibles and Bible study software. All these digital Bibles will be free of charge.
The first New Testaments available now are either hardback or paperback, with vinyl and leather editions coming shortly. Both current editions are only $3.00 each.
Every Bible is printed legally here in Cambodia on special Bible paper from Spain on our own printing press. Our goal is to print 1 million Bibles in the next five years for the people of Cambodia.
At present, a study of the church found that only 26% of Cambodian Christian own a Bible. We hope to change that statistic soon with the launching of this new Bible.
To God be all the glory!