Reading the Bible When English Is Not Your First Language: A Guide for the Multilingual Bible Study in Johannesburg

A few months ago, in the middle of a Wednesday evening Bible study in Parkmore, a man named Sipho read a sentence out loud from the English Bible on the screen. He paused, looked at the camera, and said: "I have read this sentence forty times. Tonight is the first time I understood it." The room laughed. With Sipho. Because every person in the room had a version of Sipho's story.

Why This Matters in Johannesburg Specifically

Johannesburg is the most linguistically dense city in southern Africa. Most Bible study groups in Johannesburg operate primarily in English. But the working language is not always the heart language.

The Five Honest Challenges of Reading the Bible in a Second Language

1. Some Words in the Bible Do Not Exist in Your Language

The Bible uses concrete English words like "atonement," "righteousness," "covenant." Most of these do not translate cleanly.

2. Some Sentences Are Longer Than They Need to Be

You have permission to take longer than you think you should. The Bible is not a race.

3. Some Passages Assume Cultural Knowledge You Do Not Have

The Bible is a foreign book to most modern readers, regardless of language.

4. Some Translations Are Easier Than Others

The New Living Translation is the easiest of the major English translations. The Good News Bible is also good.

5. You Are Not the Only One in the Room

The room wants to hear you. Press the unmute button. The English will be fine.

A Practical Bilingual Bible Reading Method

Step 1 — Read in Your Heart Language First

Use the 1983 isiZulu Bible. The 1933/1953 Afrikaans Bible. The 1989 seSotho Bible. The 1987 Setswana Bible.

Step 2 — Read the Same Passage in English

The New International Version is a good balance of accuracy and readability.

Step 3 — Note the Three Words That Did Not Translate

Write down three English words that do not have a clean equivalent in your heart language.

Step 4 — Find One Sentence That Speaks to You in Each Language

The sentence in your heart language is the one that goes home with you. The sentence in English is the one you bring to the Wednesday Bible study.

Step 5 — Come to the Wednesday Bible Study With Both

The discussion should reflect the bilingual reality of the room.

How to Lead a Multilingual Bible Study Well

1. Start the Evening in Multiple Languages

2. Read the Passage in Two Languages

3. Encourage Translation in the Discussion

4. Provide a Translation Glossary for Hard Words

5. Be Patient With Silence

6. Do Not Pretend to Be Multilingual When You Are Not

7. Treat the Heart Language as the Primary Language for Prayer

A Short List of Multilingual Bible Resources

Bible Society of South Africa publishes the Bible in all eleven official South African languages, plus additional languages. The YouVersion App has the Bible in almost every major language, with offline downloads.

Johannesburg Bible Study Church meets online every Wednesday at 7:30pm. The Bible study community in Parkmore operates in English as the working language and welcomes members from every South African language group. Call +27 77 487 1295 or +27 67 442 4461 to join.