On January 16, 2021, the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures was released in electronic format in the Umbundu language. The program was prerecorded and streamed to all Umbundu-language congregations throughout Angola. Brother Genésio Verdiano, a member of the Angola Branch Committee, released the Bible.

Umbundu is the most widely spoken local language in Angola, with an estimated seven million native speakers. There are more than 6,500 publishers there who speak Umbundu.

Two teams of six translators worked for five years to complete this translation. A member of the translation team said: “This new translation will bring the Scriptures to life, since it is easy to understand. It will also make it easier to teach God’s Word to others in the ministry.”

One Branch Committee member commented: “We know that when people read the Bible in their own language, it unlocks the truth. We will be thrilled to see how Jehovah uses his Word in Umbundu to reach more people.”—2 Thessalonians 3:1.