Chinese Union Version (Simplified)

The Chinese Union Version in simplified characters (和合本, Héhéběn) corresponds to the same classic 1919 translation, adapted to the simplified writing system officially adopted by the People's Republic of China starting in the 1950s. The text of the translation itself remains identical to the original traditional character version, the only significant difference being the graphic form of the characters, which makes this edition fully accessible to readers in mainland China, Singapore, and other regions where simplified characters are used.

The translation methodology, therefore, is the same as that of the original Chinese Union Version, the result of collaborative work by Protestant missionaries and Chinese scholars between 1890 and 1919, based on the original Hebrew and Greek texts. The choice of vernacular Chinese (baihua) over Classical Chinese was a linguistic and cultural milestone, and the later transposition to simplified characters fully maintained the lexical, syntactic, and stylistic choices that made this translation so influential.

Historically, the simplified character version gained particular importance after the language reforms implemented by the Chinese government, becoming the standard Bible of the Protestant Church in mainland China, especially through the China Christian Council and the Three-Self Patriotic Movement. For millions of Chinese Christians, this is the only form of the Bible they encounter daily, used in worship services, Bible studies, and personal devotion across the vast territory of the People's Republic.

The Chinese Union Version in simplified characters is in the public domain in several jurisdictions due to the age of the original 1919 translation. This status facilitates its wide digital and printed availability, helping the biblical text remain accessible to the growing Chinese-speaking Christian community, both in mainland China and among speakers of simplified Chinese around the world.