Eyona Nto Ibalaseleyo Kubathandi Belizwi LikaThixo
Ngowe-1998 kwenzeka eyona nto ibalaseleyo kubo bonke abathandi beLizwi likaThixo. Kuloo nyaka, kwashicilelwa umbhalo ‘weNew World Translation of the Holy Scriptures’ wesigidi sekhulu. Ngaloo ndlela yaba yenye yezona Bhayibhile zisasazwe ngokubanzi eziye zaveliswa kule nkulungwane!
LE MPUMELELO iphawuleka ngokukodwa xa ucinga ukuba ukukhululwa kwayo, le nguqulelo yayigxekwa kabukhali. Sekunjalo, ayizange yanele nje ukusinda kuphela kodwa yaqhubeka ngempumelelo, ifikelela kwizigidi zamakhaya—neentliziyo—kulo lonke ihlabathi! Ivela phi le nguqulelo ikhethekileyo? Ixhaswa ngubani? Yaye yiyiphi indlela onokungenelwa ngayo xa uyisebenzisa?
Kwakutheni Ukuze Kwenziwe Inguqulelo Entsha?
Ngaphezu kweminyaka elikhulu, iWatch Tower Bible and Tract Society, engummeli osemthethweni wamaNgqina kaYehova, ibisasaza iiBhayibhile. Noko ke, kwakutheni ukuze amaNgqina kaYehova abone kuyimfuneko ukuvelisa enye inguqulelo yeLizwi likaThixo? Incwadi ethi So Many Versions?, ebhalwe nguSakae Kubo noWalter Specht, ithi: “Ayikho inguqulelo yeBhayibhile enokuze igqalwe njengepheleleyo. Iinguqulelo zimele zihambisane nokwanda kolwazi lweBhayibhile nokuguquka kolwimi.”
Kule nkulungwane siye saqondwa ngakumbi isiHebhere, isiGrike nesiAramiki—lwimi ezo iBhayibhile eyayibhalwe ngazo kuqala. Kwakhona, kuye kwafunyanwa imibhalo-ngqangi yeBhayibhile emidala nechane ngakumbi kunaleyo yayisetyenziswa zizizukulwana zangaphambili zabaguquleli beBhayibhile. Ngoko ke, iLizwi likaThixo linokuguqulelwa ngokuchane ngakumbi namhlanje kunanini na ngaphambili! Ngoko ke, kungenxa yesizathu esilungileyo ekwathi kwasekwa iNew World Bible Translation Committee ukuze iguqulele iBhayibhile kwiilwimi zanamhlanje.
Ngowe-1950 kwapapashwa inguqulelo yesiNgesi yeNguqulelo Yehlabathi Elitsha YeZibhalo ZamaKristu ZesiGrike. Kwaumxholo wayo wabonakala wahluke ngokupheleleyo kwindlela eqhelekileyo, uyikhaba into yokuchazwa kweBhayibhile njengebunjwa yitestamente “Entsha” ‘neNdala.’ Kwiminyaka elishumi eyalandelayo, kwapapashwa iinxalenye ezahlukahlukeneyo zeZibhalo zesiHebhere ngokwamacandelo. Ngowe-1961 kwakhululwa umqulu omnye weBhayibhile epheleleyo yesiNgesi.
Ngubani kanye lo waguqulela le Bhayibhile ikhethekileyo? IMboniselo yesiNgesi kaSeptemba 15, 1950, yathi: “Abantu ababumbe ikomiti yokuguqulela baye bavakalisa umnqweno wabo . . . wokuba bangachazwa, yaye bagxininisa ukuba abafuni ukuba amagama abo apapashwe ngoxa besaphila okanye emva kokufa kwabo. Injongo yale nguqulelo kukuzukisa igama likaThixo ophilayo noyinyaniso.” Abanye abagxeki babesithi le nguqulelo imele ingamkelwa ekubeni iyimveliso yabantu abangenabuchule, kodwa asingabo bonke abathabatha amanyathelo angekho ngqiqweni ngolo hlobo. UAlan S. Duthie ubhala esithi: “Ukuba siyabazi ukuba ngoobani abaguquleli okanye abapapashi benguqulelo ethile yeBhayibhile, ngaba oko kusinceda senze isigqibo enoba loo nguqulelo ilungile okanye ayilunganga? Akunjalo. Ayikho enye into enokuthabathel’ indawo ukuhlolisiswa kweempawu zenguqulelo nganye.”a
Iinkalo Ezibalaseleyo
Izigidi zabafundi ziye zenjenjalo yaye ziyifumanise iNew World Translation inganeli nje ukufundeka lula kuphela kodwa ichane ngendlela emangalisayo. Abaguquleli bayo bayiguqulela ngokusuka kwiilwimi zantlandlolo zesiHebhere, isiAramiki nesiGrike, besebenzisa eyona mibhalo-ngqangi ichanileyo ifumanekayo.b Yacoselelwa ngendlela engaqhelekanga ukuze imibhalo yantlandlolo iguqulelwe njengokuba injalo kangangoko kunokwenzeka, kodwa kulwimi olwaluza kuqondwa lula. Ngokuvisisana noko, abanye abaphengululi baye bayincoma le nguqulelo ngokugqibelela nokuchana kwayo. Ngokomzekelo, iAndover Newton Quarterly kaJanuwari 1963 yathi: “Ukuguqulelwa kweTestamente Entsha bubungqina bokuba kukho abaphengululi abanobuchule bokumelana neengxaki ezininzi zokuguqulela iBhayibhile.”
Aba baguquleli bavelisa indlela entsha yokuqondwa kweBhayibhile. Izibhalo zeBhayibhile ezazingaqondwa kakuhle ngaphambili zaye zaqondwa kakuhle ngendlela emangalisayo. Ngokomzekelo, isibhalo esinzima esikuMateyu 5:3, esithi “basikelelekile abo bangamahlwempu ngokomoya” (ngokweKing James Version), saguqulelwa ngendlela esengqiqweni ethi: “Banoyolo abo bayiphapheleyo intswelo yabo yokomoya.” INew World Translation isoloko ivumelana kwindlela eguqulela ngayo amabinzana aziintloko. Ngokomzekelo, igama lesiGrike elithi psy·kheʹ, laguqulelwa ngokuthi “umphefumlo” kwindawo nganye elivela kuyo. Ngenxa yoko, abafundi bangaqonda lula ukuba ngokuchaseneyo neengcamango zonqulo, umphefumlo uyafa!—Mateyu 2:20; Marko 3:4; Luka 6:9; 17:33.
Ukubuyiselwa Kwegama LikaThixo
Eyona mbalasane yeNew World Translation ibandakanya ukubuyiselwa kwegama likaThixo, uYehova. Kwimibhalo yantlandlolo yeBhayibhile yesiHebhere, igama likaThixo limelwa ngoonobumba abane abasenokubhalwa ngokuthi YHWH okanye JHVH. Eli gama lahlukileyo livela izihlandlo ezimalunga nama-7 000 koko kuphela kubizwa ngokuba yiTestamente Endala. (Eksodus 3:15; INdumiso 83:18) Kucacile ukuba, uMdali wethu ufuna ukuba abanquli bakhe balazi yaye balisebenzise elo gama!
Noko ke, uloyiko olubangelwa ziinkolelo labangela ukuba amaYuda ayeke ukusebenzisa igama likaThixo. Emva kokufa kwabapostile bakaYesu, abakhupheli beZibhalo zesiGrike baqalisa ukulishenxisa igama likaThixo lobuqu baza endaweni yalo bafaka igama lesiGrike elithi Kyʹri·os (Nkosi) okanye elithi The·osʹ (Thixo). Okubuhlungu kukuba, abaguquleli banamhlanje baye baqhubeka nalo mkhwa wokungahloneli Thixo, belisusa igama likaThixo kwinkoliso yeeBhayibhile bade bafihla kwanento yokuba uThixo unegama. Ngokomzekelo, kuYohane 17:6 amazwi kaYesu athi: “Ndilibonakalisile igama lakho.” Noko ke, iToday’s English Version iwaguqulela ngolu hlobo: “Ndikwenze waziwa.”
Bambi abaphengululi bakuthethelela ukushiywa kwegama likaThixo kuba ingaziwa ncam eyona ndlela yokulibiza. Noko ke, amagama aqhelekileyo aseBhayibhileni njengoYeremiya, uIsaya noYesu aqhubeka eguqulelwa ngendlela engafaniyo ncam nendlela awayebizwa ngayo ngesiHebhere santlandlolo. Ekubeni uYehova iyeyona ndlela isemthethweni yokuguqulela igama likaThixo—neyona iqhelekileyo kubantu abaninzi—ukungavumelani nokusetyenziswa kwalo kubonakala ikukunganyaniseki.
Kwafuneka ukuba iNew World Bible Translation Committee ibe nenkalipho ukuze isebenzise igama uYehova kuzo zombini iinxalenye zeZibhalo zesiHebhere nezesiGrike. Oku bakwenza bekuthabathela kwiinguqulelo zokuqala zabavangeli bamandulo ababezenzela abemi boMbindi Merika, nabakuMzantsi Pasifiki nakwiindawo eziseMpuma. Noko ke, ukusetyenziswa kwegama likaThixo akuyonto nje yabantu abafundileyo. Ukwazi igama likaThixo kubaluleke gqitha ukuze umazi njengomntu. (Eksodus 34:6, 7) INew World Translation iye yakhuthaza izigidi zabafundi ukuba zisebenzise igama lakhe!
Ukufikelela Abo Bangakwaziyo Ukufunda IsiNgesi
Phakathi kowe-1963 nowe-1989, iNew World Translation iye yafumaneka, iphelele okanye iziinxalenye ngeelwimi ezilishumi ezingakumbi. Noko ke, umsebenzi wokuguqulela wawusenziwa ngabantu abaqeshiweyo, wumbi uthabatha iminyaka engama-20 okanye ngaphezulu. Kwandula ke, ngowe-1989 kwamiselwa iSebe Leenkonzo Zokuguqulela kwikomkhulu lehlabathi lamaNgqina kaYehova. Phantsi kolwalathiso lweWriting Committee yeQumrhu Elilawulayo, eli sebe lamiselwa ukuze kukhawuleziswe ukuguqulelwa kweBhayibhile. Kwaveliswa inkqubo yokuguqulela edibanisa uhlolisiso lwamagama aseBhayibhileni ngobugcisa bekhompyutha. Isebenza njani le nkqubo?
Yakuba iWriting Committee incomele ukuguqulelwa kweBhayibhile kulwimi olutsha, imisela iqela lamaKristu azahluleleyo ukuze likhonze njengeqela eliguqulelayo. Amaqela anokuvelisa inguqulelo elunge ngakumbi kunokuba enokwenza umntu othile osebenza yedwa. (Thelekisa IMizekeliso 11:14.) Ngokuqhelekileyo, lungu ngalinye kwelo qela linamava okuguqulela iimpapasho zoMbutho. Landula ke elo qela lifumane uqeqesho olucokisekileyo ngemigaqo yokuguqulela iBhayibhile nasekusebenziseni iinkqubo ezikhethekileyo zekhompyutha. Ikhompyutha ayiguquleli, kodwa inokunceda elo qela lifumane inkcazelo ebalulekileyo ize ilincede ligcine ingxelo yezigqibo zalo.
Umsebenzi wokuguqulela iBhayibhile unamacandelo amabini. Kwicandelo lokuqala, abaguquleli banikwa uludwe lwamagama neenkcazelo zawo ezisetyenzisiweyo kwiNew World Translation yesiNgesi. Amagama esiNgesi anxulumeneyo, ‘njengocamagusho,’ ‘ucamagushelo’ ‘nesicamagusho’ abekwa kunye, ukuze abaguquleli bakwazi ukubona uludwe lweentsingiselo ezahlukahlukeneyo. Baqokelela uludwe lwezithetha-ntonye zolo lwimi lwabo. Noko ke, maxa wambi umguquleli usenokufumana ubunzima ekuguquleleni indinyana ethile. Inkqubo yokuphanda yekhompyutha inika umguquleli inkcazelo yamagama esiGrike nesiHebhere ize imbonise oko kwiimpapasho zeWatch Tower.
Xa umsebenzi udlulela kwicandelo lesibini, amagama akhethiweyo olo lwimi ngokuzenzekelayo afakwa eBhayibhileni. Oku kwenza loo nguqulelo ichane yaye ivumelane ngendlela ephawulekayo. Noko ke, oko kwenziwa yile nkqubo “yokuphanda kuze kufakwe igama endaweni yelinye” akufundeki kwaphela. Kumele kwenziwe umsebenzi omkhulu ukuze kuhlelwe yaye kulungelelaniswe iindinyana zeBhayibhile ukuze zifundeke ngokutyibilikayo.
Le nkqubo yokuguqulela iye yangqineka iphumelela ngokuphawulekayo. Elinye iqela lakwazi ukuguqulela iZibhalo zesiHebhere ziphelele kwiminyaka nje emibini. Xa kuthelekiswa neqela elalisebenza kulwimi olufanayo ngaphandle kwekhompyutha.Oko kwalithabatha iminyaka eli-16. Namhlanje, kuye kwashicilelwa iZibhalo ZamaKristu ZesiGrike ngeelwimi ezili-18 ezongezelelekileyo ukususela ngowe-1989. Ngoku iNew World Translation epheleleyo okanye inxalenye yayo iyafumaneka, ngeelwimi ezingama-34. Ngaloo ndlela amaNgqina kaYehova angaphezu kwama-80 ekhulwini ubuncinane afumana iZibhalo ZamaKristu ZesiGrike ngolwimi lwawo lweenkobe.
IUnited Bible Societies inikela ingxelo yokuba kwiilwimi ezingama-6 500 ehlabathini, zingama-2 212 kuphela ezineenxalenye zeBhayibhile.c Ngenxa yoko, abanye abaguquleli abali-100 basebenzela ukuvelisa iNew World Translation yeZibhalo zesiHebhere nezesiGrike ngelwimi ezili-11 nezisi-8 . Ukuthanda kukaThixo kukuba “zonke iintlobo zabantu zisindiswe zize zifikelele elwazini oluchanileyo lwenyaniso.” (1 Timoti 2:4) Ngokungathandabuzekiyo iNew World Translation iya kuqhubeka inendima ephambili kule nkalo.
Ngoko ke, siyavuyiswa kukuba le nguqulelo iye yabalasela ngokufikelela kwimibhalo ezizigidi ezili-100, yaye sithandazela ukuba kuveliswe izigidi ezingakumbi kwixesha elizayo. Sikukhuthaza ukuba uzihlolele yona ngokwakho. Uya kunandipha iinkalo ezithile ezikhethekileyo ezinjengezi: ukubhalwa kwayo ngendlela ecacileyo, imixholo yamaphepha, isalathisi esinokukunceda ufumane iindinyana eziqhelekileyo, imephu eneenkcukacha, umbandela ochulumancisayo okwisihlomelo. Okubaluleke ngakumbi kukuba, unokuyifunda le Bhayibhile ngengqiniseko yokuba idlulisela ngokuchanileyo amazwi kaThixo ngolwimi lwakho.
[Imibhalo esemazantsi]
a Okubangela umdla kukuba, kuqweqwe olungaphakathi loHlelo oluneeMbekiselo lowe-1971 lweNew American Standard Bible ngokufanayo kwathiwa: “Asisebenzisanga gama lakhe nawuphi na umphengululi kwimbekiselo okanye uncomelo kuba sikholelwa kukuba iLizwi likaThixo limele lizithethele ngokwalo.”
b Izibhalo zesiGrike zasekelwa kwiThe New Testament in the Original Greek, ebhalwe nguWestcott noHort. IZibhalo zesiHebhere zasekelwa kwiBiblia Hebraica ebhalwe nguR. Kittel’s.
c Ekubeni abantu abaninzi bethetha iilwimi ezimbini, kukholelwa ukuba iBhayibhile, epheleleyo okanye inxalenye yayo, iguqulelwe ngelwimi ezaneleyo ukuba ifundwe ngabantu bomhlaba abangaphezu kwama-90 ekhulwini.
[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 29]
“Ukuguqulelwa kweTestamente Entsha kububungqina bokuba kukho abaphengululi abanobuchule bokumelana neengxaki ezininzi zokuguqulela iBhayibhile.”—ANDOVER NEWTON QUARTERLY, KAJANUWARI 1963
[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 30]
“Iinguqulelo zimele zihambisane nokwanda kolwazi lweBhayibhile nokuguquka kolwimi”
[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 31]
ABAPHENGULULI BAYOTHULEL’ UMNQWAZI INEW WORLD TRANSLATION
NGOKUPHATHELELE iNguqulelo Yehlabathi Elitsha YeZibhalo ZamaKristu ZesiGrike, umguquleli ‘weTestamente Entsha’ yesiGrike kwiAn American Translation, uEdgar J. Goodspeed, kwileta awayibhala ngomhla kaDisemba 8, 1950 wathi: “Ndinomdla kumsebenzi wobuvangeli wabantu benu, nakubungakanani bawo zwenibanzi, yaye ndivuyiswa kakhulu yinguqulelo efundeka ngokulula nenamandla. Ibonisa imiba eyahlukeneyo yemfundo ephilileyo nenzulu, njengoko ndizibonela ubungqina.”
Umphengululi wesiHebhere nesiGrike uAlexander Thomson wabhala wathi: “Ngokucacileyo le nguqulelo iphuma ezandleni zabaphengululi abanobuchule nabakrelekrele, abaye bafuna ukuphuhlisa kangangoko kunokwenzeka ingcamango yokwenene yombhalo wesiGrike kangangoko lunako ulwimi lwesiNgesi.”—IThe Differentiator, ka-Aprili 1952, iphepha 52-7.
Ngowe-1989 umphengululi ongumHebhere uNjingalwazi uBenjamin Kedar wakwaSirayeli, wathi: “Kuphando lwam ngeelwimi ezahlukeneyo ngokuphathelele iBhayibhile yesiHebhere neenguqulelo zayo, ndidla ngokubhekisela kuhlelo lwesiNgesi loko kwaziwa ngokuba yiNew World Translation. Ngokwenjenjalo, ngokuphindaphindiweyo ndiziva ndikhululekile ukuqinisekisa ukuba le ncwadi ibonakalisa umzamo owenziwe ngokunyaniseka wokuphucula indlela yokuqonda umbhalo ochane kangangoko kunokwenzeka.”