Shila Oral Bible Translation (OBT) Project

1. Background
The Shila Oral Bible Translation (OBT) Project was launched on June 10, 2024, with the aim of translating the Holy Scriptures into an oral format for the Shila language. This project seeks to provide Shila-speaking communities with access to God's Word in a language they understand best, enabling them to hear, understand, and apply biblical truths in their daily lives. The project adheres to internationally recognized Bible translation standards, ensuring that the translated Scriptures are accurate, clear, natural, and culturally acceptable to the Shila-speaking community.

2. Project Goal
The goal is to provide the Shila-speaking people with the Word of God in their heart language through accurate and culturally appropriate oral Bible translation.

3. Project Objectives
- Translate the Bible into the Shila language.
- Produce high-quality oral recordings of the Scriptures.
- Strengthen the Church and the community through access to Scripture in their heart language.
- Preserve and promote the Shila language.
- Build local capacity in Bible translation.

4. Translation Progress
Since the project's launch on June 10, 2024, the translation team has made steady progress in translating the New Testament.

**Gospel of Luke**
- Draft translation completed.
- 78 out of 79 sections have been approved; only one section remains under the Consultant's revision.

**Gospel of Matthew**
- Draft translation completed.
- The entire book has been approved.

**Gospel of Mark**
- Translation completed.
- The book is currently pending community checks before the consultant review.

**Book of Acts**
- Drafting is currently in progress.

5. Conclusion
The Shila Oral Bible Translation (OBT) Project has made significant progress since its launch on June 10, 2024. With the dedication of a committed team of nine staff members and the support of BiLTA, important milestones have been achieved. These include the approval of two books: the Gospel of Luke and the Gospel of Matthew, the draft completion of the Gospel of Mark (which is now undergoing community checks), and the ongoing drafting of the Book of Acts. The team remains dedicated to delivering high-quality Scripture translations that will serve the Shila-speaking community for generations to come.