The First Oral Bible Translation in English
By Josh Frost

The First Oral Bible Translation in English

By Josh Frost

The Spoken English Bible (SEB) and its associated application, Akuo, are significant steps forward in the world of media within the Bible translation movement.

The Spoken English Bible was created to serve the global church by offering a model oral Bible translation in American English. This oral Bible translation draws on the full range of modern American English genres to faithfully communicate the messages conveyed in the original biblical texts. For instance, the Psalms are rendered as songs, the Gospels as vivid narratives, and the Epistles as public speeches.The story of Jesus's birth, performed from memory, by the Spoken English Bible team.Beyond the translation itself, the SEB has also developed a companion commentary series and an encyclopedia of key biblical concepts conveyed via biblical stories. While the SEB translation primarily targets an American English-speaking audience, the commentary and encyclopedia are designed to serve mother-tongue translators worldwide. These resources provide information akin to what is found in the UBS Handbooks and Translator’s Notes, but they are presented in an oral-friendly format resembling podcast discussions.

Recognizing a gap in existing smartphone applications for hosting oral content in an oral-friendly way, the SEB team created their own app, Akuo—which means “I hear” in biblical Greek. Akuo is uniquely suited to the needs of oral Bible translation. The app can be navigated entirely by pictures and icons or, optionally, with words, making it accessible to oral communicators. Bible translators can seamlessly upload their content to Akuo for public sharing once translations are finalized in Audio Project Manager, SIL’s oral Bible translation software.Akuo also empowers translators to enhance user experience by linking Bible passages to related commentary. Listeners can choose commentary categories—such as explanations of the passage, key concept stories, section overviews, or translator decisions—which play automatically after the Scripture. This functionality unlocks a range of creative possibilities for both translators and their audiences.

Importantly, Akuo is not limited to hosting the Spoken English Bible. It is a shell application capable of hosting other Bible translations, too. For example, a Russian oral Bible translation is already using Akuo. Many additional translations are expected to do so in the near future.The introductory video for the new SEB YouTube channel.

The SEB team isn’t stopping at audio and commentary. They’ve begun venturing into video production through their new YouTube channel. All SEB audio content will be paired with engaging visuals and captions to expand accessibility. The channel will also feature videos explaining the SEB’s various products, their value for Bible translators, and how they can support the American church.

This Christmas, the SEB will debut its YouTube adaptation of Christ’s birth narrative from Luke. This release is part of a broader social media strategy to shift the project from dependence on Bible translation (BT) funding to a sustainable, community-supported model anchored in American crowdfunding. You can support their efforts by watching the translation, liking videos, subscribing to the channel, leaving comments, and sharing with others.

Josh Frost is an SIL oral researcher and resource developer. For more information about the Spoken English Bible or the Akuo app, please contact him at josh_frost@sil.org.