On January 24, 2021, The Bible—The Gospel According to Matthew was released in Zimbabwe Sign Language (ZSL). Brother Taurai Mazarura, a member of the Zimbabwe Branch Committee, presented the Bible in a prerecorded program.

The 401 publishers who serve in ZSL congregations were excited to receive this recent release. They look forward to using the book of Matthew in their personal study as well as in the ministry.

The ongoing pandemic created an added challenge for the ZSL translation team. Typically, translators immerse themselves in the target language to keep up-to-date with the current vernacular. However, COVID-19 restrictions made in-person interactions with deaf people in the community impossible. The translators overcame this challenge by regularly communicating with deaf individuals using videoconferencing tools. This helped the translators produce a translation that is easily understood by the diverse deaf population in Zimbabwe.

Brother John Hunguka, a member of the Zimbabwe Branch Committee, states: “With the recent release of the book of Matthew, Jehovah’s Witnesses have embarked on a project to translate the entire Bible into ZSL. This will take an estimated ten years to complete.”

This project reflects the love that Jehovah has for all people. We cherish his blessing, as we strive to preach the “everlasting good news . . . to every nation and tribe and language and people.”—Revelation 14:6, footnote.