Since the arrival of Christianity in China, the Bible has been translated into many varieties of the Chinese language, both in fragments and in its totality. The first translations may have been undertaken as early as the 7th century AD, but the first printed translations appeared only in the nineteenth century. Progress on a modern translation was encumbered by denominational rivalries, theological clashes, linguistic disputes, and practical challenges at least until the publication of the Protestant Chinese Union Version in 1919, which became the basis of standard versions in use today.

Although the motive for making translations was to spread the Gospel, there were further consequences. Access to the Bible in their own language made it easier for Chinese to develop forms of Christianity not dependent on missionaries and foreign churches. Translations designed to be read aloud were significant not only for Christian believers, but for Chinese who wanted models for writing in the vernacular. Since regional languages or dialects could not be adequately written using Chinese characters, phonetic systems and type faces had to be invented; Christian texts were often the first works to be printed in those languages. The task of translation motivated missionaries to study Chinese closely, contributing to the development of Sinology. The Bible, especially the Old Testament, also offered Chinese revolutionaries such as the leaders of the nineteenth-century Taiping Rebellion an apocalyptic vision of social justice on which to base their claims.

Original Nestorian translations Christianity was introduced to China by the Church of the East, also called the Nestorian Church, in the 7th century and they appear to have begun translating the Bible immediately.Toshikazu S. Foley, Biblical Translation in Chinese and Greek: Verbal Aspect in Theory and Practice (Brill, 2009), p. 5. The Xi'an Stele, erected by the Nestorians in 781, refers to "the translation of the Scriptures" (經, 'classics') without specifying what they were. Another Christian Chinese document from Dunhuang, , lists several books of the Bible by Chinese titles: the Book of Moses, Zechariah, the Epistles of Saint Paul and Revelation.Foley (2009), pp. 6–9. Despite Nestorian efforts to translate or paraphrase parts of the Bible into Chinese, there has been little evidence to suggest that complete translations of any book of the Bible was undertaken.

Early Catholic efforts The earliest records of Jesuit engagement with translation into Chinese date back to the early 17th century and Matteo Ricci. Although no record exists of any full Bible translation into Chinese by Ricci, among the most influential of writings was his presentation of 'Bible selections' () from 1605. These were integrated into catechetical writings that circulated among Chinese literati. Other paraphrases e.g. of the Beatitudes were distributed.

By the 18th century, Catholic translation efforts became more explicitly scriptural, culminating in more sustained attempts at translation. Jean Basset translated the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the Pauline epistles and the first chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews from the Latin Vulgate into Classical Chinese with a local convert, Johan Su, first mentioning his intention to do so in a letter dated September 1704. One of the original manuscripts, a Gospel harmony, would find its way to the nascent British Museum, and pave the way for 19th century Protestant efforts. This manuscript is currently held by Cambridge University Library; the other extant scriptural manuscript is at the Biblioteca Casanatense in Rome.

One figure in this later phase was Louis Antoine de Poirot, who translated substantial portions of the Latin Vulgate into a Beijing-colored written vernacular Chinese (and in parallel efforts, Manchu), rather than into Classical Chinese. His manuscripts, collectively entitled in his preface, include the entire New Testament, and a majority of the books of the Old Testament. They are kept in several locations, the most complete manuscript being located at the Bibliotheca Zi-Ka-Wei, Shanghai. Other manuscripts can be found at the Church of the Saviour, Beijing; the Fu Ssu-nien Library, Academia Sinica, Taipei; and the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum, Hong Kong. A mixed Manchu-Chinese version is at the Institute of Oriental Studies, St. Petersburg and at the British and Foreign Bible Society in London.

Early 19th-century Protestant translations

Protestant missionaries pioneered the translation into local and regional languages, as well as the printing, and distribution of Bibles. In the nineteenth century, missionaries translated the Bible and taught it in churches and colleges, providing a resource to spread knowledge of the Christian religion. By the twentieth century, Chinese scholars and preachers studied and quoted the Bible, contributing to distinctive forms of Chinese Christianity. The early Protestant translations were made by individuals, sometimes in consultation with others or using manuscript translations from earlier workers.John Y.H Yieh,"The Bible in China: Interpretations and Consequences," in R.G. Tiedemann, (ed.), Handbook of Christianity in China. Volume Two 1800-Present. (Leiden: Brill, 2010), pp. 891-892.

The first Protestant effort was made around 1800 by William Willis Moseley, of Daventry, in Northamptonshire, England. He found, in the British Museum, a manuscript translation in Chinese of a Harmony of the four Gospels, the Acts, and all of Paul's Epistles. He then published A Memoir on the Importance and Practicability of Translating and Printing the Holy Scriptures in the Chinese Language; and of circulating them in that vast Empire.Alexander Wylie, "The Bible in China: A Record of Various Translations of the Holy Scriptures," in Arnold Foster, Christian Progress in China: Gleanings from the Writings and Speeches of Many Workers (London: Religious Tract Society, 1889), pp. 29-46

The Archbishop of Canterbury recommended that the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge print the Chinese Bible; but, after four years deliberation, the project was abandoned. Then, two independent and almost simultaneous efforts were made. The Anglo-Hindoo College, of Fort William, in Calcutta, established in 1800, created a department devoted to the translation of the Scriptures into Asian languages, mainly the Indian vernaculars, but including Chinese. Professor Hovhannes Ghazarian (Lassar), an Armenian, born and educated in Macau, began by translating the Gospel of St. Matthew, which he finished in 1807.Martirosyan, P. «Չինաստան» (China). Soviet Armenian Encyclopedia. vol. ix. Yerevan, Armenian SSR: Armenian Academy of Sciences, p. 47. Ghazarian then moved to Serampore, where the work was continued under the care of Joshua Marshman. The British and Foreign Bible Society published The New Testament in 1813, and the whole Bible in 1822. This was the first known entire printed version of the Scriptures in Chinese.

While Marshman's work was progressing at Serampore, Robert Morrison pursued the same project in Canton. Morrison, sponsored by the London Missionary Society, had arrived in 1807 as the first Protestant missionary to China. The translation of the Scriptures became his primary task because public preaching of the Gospel in the Chinese Empire was prohibited. Before leaving England he had made a copy of the manuscript Harmony of the Gospels referred to above, which he used as the basis of his translation of the New Testament, completed in 1813. He was joined by William Milne, but a few days after his arrival in Macau he was compelled to leave and go to Malacca. Though separated, the two friends co-operated in translating the Old Testament; Milne translated the historical books and the Book of Job; the other books were translated by Morrison. The task was finished in November, 1819, and was then revised by Morrison. It was printed from wood blocks and published, in 21 volumes, in 1823. The British and Foreign Bible Society contributed more than 10,000 pounds for the translation, production, and circulation of this and successive editions.

Marshman remarked that he and Robert Morrison profited greatly by each other's labors; the translation would be brought to as great perfection in twenty years as they might have been in the hand of one for the space of fifty. Yet they were never able meet face to face and compare and revise their work.

Morrison's version, like that of Marshman, was intended to be a faithful, literal translation, not an elegant or literary one. Morrison himself made preparation for a revision. In a letter to the Bible Society, he wrote: "I make it my daily study to correct the Chinese version of the Scriptures; and my brethren of the Ultra-Ganges Mission are requested to note down whatever may occur to them as an error or imperfection in the translation. These are sent to the college and preserved, or immediately employed, as may appear best." He hoped that his son, John Robert Morrison, would at some future time revise Morrison and Milne's translation. The death of Morrison frustrated the plan, for the son, having succeeded to his father's office as Government translator, did not have time to devote to the work.

The next translation was made by Walter Henry Medhurst, Karl Gutzlaff, and Elijah Coleman Bridgman. John R. Morrison devoted what time he could spare from his official duties. These men completed the New Testament in 1835: it would be the chief version used by Protestant groups for the next ten to twelve years. Although nominally the work of the above-named committee, Medhurst did the lion's share, and he did a final revision in 1836. He also took part in the translation of the Old Testament published by Gutzlaff in 1840. In addition to translating the Old Testament, Gutzlaff modified the version of the New Testament which he and Medhurst had prepared jointly; and he revised and printed some twelve editions of it.

The American Baptist Board of Foreign Missions requested Josiah Goddard, one of their missionaries, revise Marshman's translation. He published the revised version of the New Testament in 1853, fourteen years after his arrival in China. At his death it was found that he had made only a little progress with the Old Testament, and his work was continued by William Dean, of the same mission, residing at Bangkok. A further revision of Marshman's New Testament was made by an English Baptist missionary, T. H. Hudson, and published in 1867.

Delegates' Version

In August 1843, a meeting of missionaries was held in Hong Kong to discuss the question of whether another revision of the Bible should be produced. A plan was adopted by which the services of every missionary capable of rendering aid were enlisted, and at five stations local committees were formed, to each of which a share of the work of revision was given. From these local committees, delegates were appointed to form a general committee of revision, by which the translations of the local committees were to be compared, and the version finally determined by the votes of the delegates.

The first meeting of the delegates was held in June 1847, consisting of British and American Protestant missionaries, and was aided by Chinese scholars such as Wang Tao. The translation of the New Testament was finished in July 1850 and was published with the approval of the delegates, and became known as Delegates' Version. As the translation of the Old Testament commenced, there was division in the committee, resulting in two versions. One was completed in 1853 by the English missionaries Medhurst, Stronach, and Milne, and has been called the Delegates' Version. The American missionaries Elijah Coleman Bridgman and Michael Simpson Culbertson withdrew from the committee of delegates and prepared a separate final version.

In the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom