With the Summer Olympics set to kick off in Beijing tomorrow, China will provide 10,000 free Chinese-English bilingual Bibles to athletes and media members housed in the Olympic Village, the China Daily reported.

The text will include the CUV (Chinese Union Version) and the ESV (English Standard Version), appearing in two side-by-side columns per page. The CUV is the most widely distributed Chinese Bible in the world. Published by Crossway Books & Bibles, the ESV recently became the fastest growing English-language Bible in the world, company officials said.

"We are especially grateful that the ESV was selected by Chinese Christian leaders for publication with (the CUV) through our partnership with the British and Foreign Bible Society," Crossway Publisher Lane Dennis said. "Since both the CUV and the ESV are 'essentially literal' Bible translations, they are ideally suited for a side-by-side comparison of the two languages."

In addition to the 10,000 bilingual Bibles, 30,000 New Testaments and 100,000 bilingual editions of the four Gospels will also be made available at the Olympic Games.

Meanwhile, copies of A Friendly Dialogue Between an Atheist and a Christian (Zondervan) by evangelist Luis Palau and Chinese scholar, scientist and diplomat Zhao Qizheng will be distributed to athletes and media members during the Beijing Olympics.

Chinese publisher New World Press will provide thousands of copies of the English version of A Friendly Dialogue, released in 2006 during the Beijing International Book Fair and a best-seller in China.

"The true spirit of the Olympics-mutual respect and friendship-was at the heart of A Friendly Dialogue from the beginning," Palau said. "That we can share those conversations, which include a straightforward proclamation of the gospel, at the Olympic Games is an incredible blessing and honor."