On December 18, 2021, the revised edition of the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures was released in the Slovenian language. Brother Gerrit Lösch of the Governing Body announced the release in a prerecorded program streamed to an estimated audience of 2,000. The Bible was released in digital format, and printed copies will be made available in 2022.

Slovenian Bible translation goes as far back as 1584. That year saw the release of the Dalmatin Bible, the first complete Bible in Slovenian. Today, there are only 80 known copies of the Dalmatin Bible, including one at the Bible museum at the World Headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Warwick, New York, U.S.A.

In 1925, Brother Franz Brand, an International Bible Student, began preaching at his workplace, a barbershop located in Maribor, Slovenia. That same year, a small group began to meet regularly to discuss the Scriptures. In 1930, the Bible Students in Slovenia established an office to support the Bible education work in the country. Our brothers reached a translation milestone in 2009 when Brother Samuel Herd of the Governing Body released the New World Translation at the district convention held in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

During World War II and the following years, Jehovah’s Witnesses in Slovenia faced severe persecution, first by the Nazis and then by the local authorities. During this period, a number of brothers were imprisoned, and some were even executed. In 1953, the situation became more favorable when the authorities officially recognized Jehovah’s Witnesses and their freedom of worship. Today, there are 1,757 publishers in Slovenia.

We are confident that our brothers and sisters in Slovenia will agree with Brother Lösch’s admonition during the Bible release program: “Learn to use this new Bible skillfully, and unleash its power! . . . The release of the [revised] New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures in the Slovenian language will assist you to hold firmly to ‘the faithful word’!”—Titus 1:9.