On June 10, 2023, Brother Geoffrey Jackson, a member of the Governing Body, released The Bible—The Good News According to Matthew in the Romany (Southern Greece) language. The Bible book was released during a special event held at the branch office in Piraeus, Greece. More than 29,000 people viewed the program, which was streamed to all congregations in Greece and Cyprus. Immediately following the program, the release was available for download in digital format. Printed copies will be made available to the congregations in the coming months.

Romany (Southern Greece) is not a standardized language, which makes translating more difficult. The Romany (Southern Greece) translation team is comprised of ten translators who work at the Greece branch office. The team also receives valuable assistance from brothers and sisters who work remotely in the field.

After reading the book of Matthew in the Romany (Southern Greece) language, a sister reflected: “I came to know Jehovah through a Bible study in the Greek language. While I understood what I read and heard, reading the Bible in my mother tongue stirs my feelings and motivates me even more deeply.”

Another sister commented: “The rendering of Matthew 26:38, 39 in Romany (Southern Greece) touched my heart. Jesus told his disciples that he was ‘deeply grieved, even to death.’ But he prayed to Jehovah for the strength to do His will. Being able to fully understand these verses reassures me that it’s not wrong to be sad at times. They also remind me to pray intensely to Jehovah for the strength to cope with difficulties and to share my feelings with my brothers and sisters.”

We rejoice with our Romany brothers and sisters as they benefit from this precious gift that will help them draw even closer to Jehovah.—James 4:8.