In 2026, a new version of the New Testament will be presented.
Behind the work is the association Swedish Bible Society, as collector's representatives for churches and congregations in Sweden, the Swedish Academy, the Academy of Sciences and the Ecumenical Council in Finland.
- The Swedish language is changing, but so is the research on antiquity and the environment that existed when the basic texts were written.
These are the basic Greek texts we are working on, says Mikael Winninge, translation director at the Swedish Bible Society, to Kulturnyheterna.
Translated from Greek
The new translation is based on the Greek texts of the New Testament rather than on previous Swedish translations, and may therefore differ significantly from the previous translations.
It is a sensitive job - a whole team of translators, linguists and researchers will work on the project.
- It is not about making the text as easily accessible as possible.
It is important to dress the Bible in modern language, but also to preserve the New Testament's literary ambitions and reproduce them, says Mikael Winninge.
The Swedish Bible 500 years
2026 is 500 years since the first edition of the New Testament came in Swedish in 1526. With it was born the Swedish written language and New Swedish.
It was then that the letters å, ä and ö were seriously introduced in writing.
- It had an enormous significance, and 2026 is a landmark year, says Mikael Winninge.
The latest official Bible translations have been done under state auspices, but now the work is entirely led by the Swedish Bible Society.
- This means that the Church of Sweden, the Catholic Church and all the communities we gather ourselves will have to decide whether they want to use our new translation, or if they want to continue using one of the older translations, says Mikael Winninge.
The translation is funded by the Swedish Bible Society's Bible Foundation.