Militants killed four workers from Wycliffe Associates in the Middle East this week, the Bible translating ministry reports.

The ministry said that terrorists raided the translator's office and shot and killed two of the translators. Two other workers saved the lead translator by laying on top of him, but they died deflecting bludgeoning blows from the attackers' weapons.

The militants also destroyed all of the equipment in the office and burned all the books and other translation materials in sight.

But Wycliffe Associates are praising God that the computer hard drives containing the translation work for eight language projects was not destroyed.

"The remaining translation team has decided to re-double their efforts to translate, publish, and print God's Word for these eight language communities," the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry requested prayer for the families of the murdered translators.

"Please ask the Lord to mend the hearts and wounds of the translation team who have gone through this horrible ordeal," Mae Greenleaf, a prayer coordinator said in a statement.

She asked for prayer for the safety of the team moving forward, and that they would be able to replace lost equipment and continue the work that God has called them to do in the Middle East.

"Pray with me for the killers too," she added. "Pray for these whose hearts are so hard. Pray the Lord will open their eyes to what they have done. Please ask the Lord to meet them, each one, right where they are. Pray that He will show Himself merciful, that they will know His forgiveness, His love, and His peace."

CLARIFICATION: CBN News previously reported the four murdered translators worked for Wycliffe Bible Translators. That was incorrect. The four translators worked for Wycliffe Associates, a separate organzation.

Source: http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2016/March/Wycliffe-Bible-Translators-Murdered-by-Militants-in-Middle-East