The Institute for Bible Translation has published the Old Testament books of Ruth and Jonah in the Hinukh language of Dagestan (southern Russia). These editions continue a series of translations produced via Oral Bible translation methodology. Audio versions of both books had previously been published in the Hinukh Bible app, "Hiriyav Ayatbe."

The primary area where the Hinukh language is spoken is the village of Hinukh in the Tsuntinsky District of the Republic of Dagestan. Hinukh speakers also live in the village of Monastyrskoye in the Kizlyarsky District, the settlement of Shamkhal, and Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan. In mountainous areas, Hinukhs tend to live in ethnic enclaves, whereas on the plain they live intermixed with many other ethnic groups. According to the 2021 Russian Population Census, 630 people identified themselves as Hinukh. The Hinukh language belongs to the Nakh-Dagestanian language family and is an unwritten language. Most adult Hinukh speakers also have a conversational command of the neighboring Bezhta and Tsez languages, and some also speak Avar. Practically all Hinukhs likewise speak Russian; only preschool-age children remain predominantly monolingual.

Although the texts were prepared using the method of Oral Bible translation, the Hinukh team wanted to have printed editions of the material that had been produced orally. This decision reflects the special prestige that written texts carry among the peoples of the Russian Federation, and particularly among those in Dagestan. 

Among the distinctive features of the new Hinukh editions are  illustrations reflecting the Caucasian cultural context. The translation into the Hinukh language is accompanied by parallel texts in Russian and Avar.

PDF and audio versions of the translations are available on IBT’s website.