Frequently asked questions

Do you have a question? Here you will find the most frequently asked questions! Is your question not listed? Then please contact us.

Contact us

General questions

  • How can I change my details?

    You can do that via this form.

  • I have a question or comment

    Of course that is possible! You can contact us via or via our phone number. You can also do this form fill it out, and we will contact you as soon as possible.

  • I want to receive less mail. Is that possible?

    If you would like to receive less mail from us in the future, please send an email with your name and address details to Then we'll adjust it for you!

  • What is the status of my direct debit?

    With a direct debit authorization, you can support the Dutch-Flemish Bible Society with a one-off or periodic contribution, for example through a monthly membership fee, or you can support Zij Lacht periodically.

    A direct debit authorization is safe: you can cancel a debit within 8 weeks via your bank, and withdraw your authorization by calling the NBG customer contact centre, tel. +31 (0)23-514 61 46.

    Our bank

    For direct debit, we use the following account: NL60 ABNA 0447 1358 21. Our creditor ID is NL34NBG340490130000. (For payment methods other than direct debit, we use bank accounts at ASN Bank, formerly SNS. You may therefore encounter different bank accounts.)

    Collection dates

    The Dutch-Flemish Bible Society collects on fixed dates. In the coming period, the NBG will collect on:

    • April 1, 2026
    • May 6, 2026
    • June 3, 2026
    • July 1, 2026
    • 5 August 2026
    • September 2 2026
    • October 7, 2026
    • November 4 2026
    • 2 December 2026
    • 13 Januari 2027
    • 3 February 2027
    • March 3 2027
    • April 7, 2027
    • May 5, 2027
    • June 2, 2027
    • July 7, 2027
    • 4 August 2027
    • September 1 2027
    • October 6, 2027
    • November 3 2027
    • 1 December 2027

    If we are unable to collect the payment, we will resubmit the collection in the following weeks. Should collection fail several times, we will contact you. If you have any questions about your collection or if you wish to terminate the collection, please contact us.

    Advance notice

    Before we debit the first amount for a standing order, we will inform you that we are going to collect. We do this no later than 5 days before the debit. This advance notification is sent by post. In some cases, this also happens before we debit the amount for a one-time order.

    The letter states the amount to be collected, the frequency of the collection, the date of the (first) collection, our collector ID, and your mandate number: the unique identifier of your authorization.

  • How do I cancel after a death?

    Our condolences on the passing. You can, of course, stop the direct debit. To do so, please call 023-5 146 146 or send an email to , then we will arrange this for you.

  • I have a question about Ark Mission

    Recently, all activities and resources of Ark Mission have been transferred to the NBG. You can find more information here . For questions about specific matters, you can contact our Customer Contact Center.

  • How can I cancel my membership?

    Canceling is easy via this form. We will ensure that you receive the confirmation by email within a few working days. You may also cancel by telephone on +31 (0)23-514 61 46 or by email via .

Our websites

Our projects

  • What do you do for work?

    The Dutch-Flemish Bible Society aims to ensure that people in the Netherlands, Flanders, and worldwide have access to good, reliable translations and Bibles. To this end, we assess what the needs are: for example, a translation that is not yet available in a particular language, a new reading plan, or an audio version.

    Discover all our projects on our website.

  • In which countries does the NBG operate?

    The length of a project depends on the type of project and the plan drawn up by the Bible Society itself. But in general, it can be said that translations usually take years. In Angola, for example, two translations will be completed at the end of this year, and both took 24 years.

    The NBG currently works in 58 countries, including Angola, Argentina, Ukraine, Portugal, Guyana, Sri Lanka, and Venezuela.

    Would you like to know more and support us? Discover our projects!

  • Into how many languages ​​has the Bible been translated? 

    In total, approximately 7.5 billion people have access to a portion of the Bible in their native language.

    • The entire Bible is available in 775 languages, spoken by 7.2 billion people.
    • In 1.787 languages, there is only a New Testament.
    • In 1.411, only Bible passages or isolated stories exist.

     

  • In which countries do you translate the Bible? 

    Of the approximately 425 ongoing global translation projects of the United Bible Societies , the NBG supported 30 in 2024. These included projects in China, the Philippines, Gabon, Guyana, Indonesia, Cameroon, Ghana, Mexico, Mozambique, North Africa, and Suriname.

Bibles and Bible translations

  • What is the Bible?

    A well-known book and a holy book

    The Bible is one of the most widely read books in the world. It is a source of inspiration for many people. For Jews and Christians, the Bible is not only a source of inspiration but also a holy book. They read the Bible as a book that gives meaning to their lives.

    Discover more at debijbel.nl!

  • How old is the Bible?

    The books of the Bible were written by various authors, spread over a period of perhaps as many as 1000 years. Want to know more? Then check out debijbel.nl for a wealth of information!

  • Which Bible translations are there in the Netherlands and Flanders? 

    In the Netherlands and Flanders, there are many different Bible translations . The best known are the NBV21, the Bible in Ordinary Language (BGT), the NBG Bible of 1951 (NBG-51), the Great News Bible , the Willibrord Translation , the States Translation from 1637, the Revised States Translation (HSV), Het Boek , and the Naarden Bible.

  • Why are there so many different Bible translations? 

    The Bible is a very important book for many people. That is why the Bible is constantly being retranslated. This is because language changes, meaning that, for example, words are used in a translation that are no longer well understood. The Bible in Plain Language, for instance, was created because all existing translations were too complicated for many people to read. Furthermore, sometimes new discoveries are made about the source texts that result in new elements being included in a translation.

  • What is the oldest Bible translation?

    Around the beginning of the Common Era, Greek and Aramaic translations of most of the books of the Old Testament already existed. The first Bible printed in the Netherlands was the Delft Bible of 1477 , but this contained only the Old Testament, and without the Psalms . The first complete Bible translation into Dutch appeared in Antwerp in 1526 and is known as the Liesvelt Bible . One of the most famous is the Statenvertaling, which was presented to the commissioner, the States General, in the year 1637 .

  • Which Bible translation should I choose? 

    The choice of a particular Bible translation is personal . Would you like one that is used in the church? Then you can choose the NBV21 or, for example, the Statenvertaling or HSV. Do you want one in a language you understand immediately ? Then the Bijbel in Gewone Taal is very suitable . Or would you prefer one with extra explanation? Then take a look at a Study Bible. Do n't know where to start? On debijbel.nl you can open the different translations side by side and compare them!

  • In how many languages ​​is there no Bible yet?

    There are approximately 7400 spoken languages ​​in the world. In more than half of all languages ​​in the world, there is no Bible available yet.

    Per continent, you can say that this applies to:

    • Oceania: 390 languages ​​for 391.000 people
    • Africa: 578 languages ​​for 16.535.000 people
    • North & South America: 115 languages ​​for 1.566.000 people
    • Asia: 698 languages ​​for 122.622.000 people
    • Europe: 57 languages ​​for 1.152.000 people

     

  • Why are Bibles often so expensive?

    Bibles come in all shapes and sizes. A book of over 2000 pages that must withstand intensive use is expensive to produce, which is why a standard edition costs around €40. As the Bible Society, we want everyone to have access to the Bible. That is why we offer Bibles starting from €5, and the Bible is free to read and listen to via our digital platform debijbel.nl and the My Bible app.