When we think of Bible translations in Sudan, our minds often go to the many languages of the Nuba Mountains and beyond.Yet, nearly a century ago, a bold and unusual experiment was undertaken in Khartoum and Omdurman—a translation that still speaks to the history of Bible mission work in Sudan.
The Gospel of Mark in everyday speech
In 1927, two women from the Church Missionary Society translated the Gospel of Mark into the Sudanese Arabic spoken in daily life, especially in Omdurman. Their goal was simple but ambitious: to make the words of Jesus accessible to ordinary Sudanese women who were less likely to read formal Arabic.
What made the edition especially distinctive was its form. Instead of being written in Arabic script, it was printed in Roman letters. At the time, this was seen as a way to make reading easier for missionaries, while also helping local readers approach the text on its own terms.
A mixed reception
The translation was not universally embraced. Educated Sudanese readers sometimes dismissed it as too colloquial, and even some of the women whose speech it reflected felt it did not quite match their everyday usage. As a result, the book did not circulate widely, and few copies were ever distributed.
Yet, even with this limited reception, the translation remains significant. It stands as an attempt to give Scripture in a local form of Arabic rather than in the highly classical style that many found difficult to understand.
A legacy to remember
Looking back, the 1927 Gospel of Mark may not have achieved what its translators hoped. But it is a reminder of the earnest efforts of those who longed to see God’s Word shared in Sudanese life and language.
Today, this edition is more than a text; it is a piece of Sudan’s Bible heritage. It reflects the questions, hopes, and challenges of its time—and it marks an early chapter in the long and continuing story of Scripture in the languages of Sudan.
Read the Sudanese Arabic translation.
This is an article in a series about Sudan language Bible translations, which are highlighted for the International Translation Day on 30 September. Read more articles in the series: