On March 2, 2024, Brother Hideyuki Motoi, a member of the Australasia Branch Committee, released the Bible book of Matthew in Australian Sign Language, also known as Auslan, during a special program held at a Kingdom Hall in Brisbane, Australia. In total, 159 brothers and sisters attended the program in person. An additional 377 from Australia, New Zealand, and Samoa tied in to the program via videoconference. The release was immediately made available for download on jw.org and via the JW Library Sign Language app.

An estimated 20,000 people living in Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, and Tonga use Australian Sign Language or a closely related sign language. Jehovah’s Witnesses began translating Bible literature into Australian Sign Language in 2001, beginning with the brochure When Someone You Love Dies. A remote translation office was established in Brisbane in April 2023. Today, nearly 350 brothers and sisters serve in one sign-language congregation and 18 groups throughout the branch territory.

This is the first complete Bible book ever translated into Australian Sign Language. After receiving the translation, one sister remarked: “The warmth and kindness in Jesus’ words during the Sermon on the Mount really touched my heart. Watching it in Australian Sign Language, I felt as if he was speaking directly to me!”

A deaf sister who serves in a sign-language congregation in Brisbane commented: “Having the book of Matthew in Australian Sign Language will help me better imitate Jesus’ qualities and be more effective in the preaching work. Thank you, Jehovah!”

We rejoice at the release of the Bible book of Matthew in Australian Sign Language, confident that it will help even more people find the narrow gate leading to life.—Matthew 7:13, 14.