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History of International Bible Society

International Bible Society (IBS) was founded in 1809 with a mission to reach the world with God's Word, the Bible.

It began with a small group of Christian visionaries whose stated objective was "To extend the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures in which God has revealed the way of salvation." From that small 'seed' has grown today's worldwide ministry in hundreds of languages.

One of the first projects, in 1810, was helping sponsor missionary translator William Carey's work on the Bible in the Bengali language. This translation is still used in India today but, more recently, IBS contemporary translations of Scripture in major languages of the subcontinent communicate God's Word more widely.

More than three decades ago, IBS initiated the New International Version (NIV) translation in the English language. Completed in 1978, it is now the world's most widely read contemporary translation with more than 120 million copies published worldwide.

Since those modest beginnings in1809, IBS has distributed hundreds of millions of Scriptures, translating and/or publishing in more than 450 languages. With area and national ministry centers in some 50 countries, it is strategically placed to develop even wider distribution of God's Word.

In Europe, IBS translations are available in 20 languages. (For details of some of these, go to Ministry Resources).

The history of IBS is characterised by steady growth which continues today. For further details of how the world is being changed for the better by the transforming Word of God, click on our activities.

New Bibles in 2007

In 2007 IBS Europe will be releasing two new first edition Bibles in Europe - Russian and Romanian. Following the elaborate development process and rigid methodology, we will be happy to offer high standard translations that use modern language while representing accuracy and faithfulness to the original texts. Both equipped with a wealth of footnotes, these translations are targeted to be used by new believers, for outreach and evangelism, especially among young people, as well as for general reading.

If you are a church, ministry or organization, contact us for ministry pricing, samples, formats, and to request availability information.