Empower works alongside ministries in MENA that produce and distribute Bibles, New Testaments, study Bibles, children’s Bibles, and other material designed for evangelistic outreach as well as biblical discipleship. The Bible is therefore being printed and distributed in classical Arabic, as well as in an exciting new format which has been penned as “Write the Way We Talk”. The following is an explanation from one of Empower’s main national ministry partners in the region on the difference in verbal and written Arabic style.
“The Arabic language is unique. What we read and write is very different from how we talk! All Arab countries read and write the same “classical Arabic” but the spoken Arabic is different in each country, and it can be so different that we do not understand each other! Our heart language as Arabic speakers is the language we talk. All Arabic books are written in classical Arabic. Nobody speaks classical Arabic, if we do, it would sound like Shakespearean English to an English speaker! There are hardly any publications in our heart language.”
This is why Empower has an extensive partnership with this ministry to produce Scriptural material that captures the “heart language” of the people and communicates clearly the Word of God to those who sincerely desire a close walk with Jesus.
