60-year Scripture translation finished

Nicola Laver  |  World
Date posted:  28 Jun 2026
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60-year Scripture  translation finished

'Aerial view of the cityscape of the Dakar coastal region with buildings and greenery in Senegal, West Africa'. Source: iStock

A translation of the Bible into Wolof, Senegal’s native language, has been completed after 60 years of work spearheaded by one woman.

Contemporary Wolof is the main language of Senegal, a country on the Western side of Africa with a population of more than 19 million – though its formal language is French.

The Wolof translation was undertaken by Marilyn Escher who first arrived in Senegal in 1970. She began learning Wolof and worked for many years with Eric Church, a Bible translator from England, eventually coordinating a translation team for 50 years.

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