INguqulo KaKing James—Okwayenza Yathandwa

KUBE nemicimbi eminingi eNgilandi kulo nyaka yokugubha unyaka ka-400 wenguqulo yeBhayibheli kaKing James, eyaziwa nangokuthi i-Authorized Version. Ibihlanganisa izinhlelo ezikhethekile kuyi-TV nasemsakazweni, kwaba khona nemibuthano, izinkulumo nezingxoxo.

INkosana uCharles yahola emkhosini wokuhalalisela leli gugu lesizwe elibizwa ngegama lenkosi yaseNgilandi uJames I. Kodwa, kwenzeka kanjani ukuba i-King James Version, eyakhishwa ngo-May 1611 abantu abakhuluma isiNgisi bayithande kangaka?

Ukuhumusha Kuyadlondlobala

Maphakathi nekhulu le-16, isifiso sokwazi izimfundiso zeBhayibheli sase sikhule kakhulu eYurophu. Eminyakeni ecishe ibe ngamakhulu amabili ngaphambili, ngo-1382, uJohn Wycliffe wayesenze saba sikhulu lesi sifiso kubantu abakhuluma isiNgisi ngenguqulo yakhe ayeyihumushe eyisusela olimini lwesiLatini. Emakhulwini amabili alandela, abalandeli bakhe okuthiwa amaLollards, bajikeleza izwe lonke namakhophi abhalwe ngesandla emibhalo yeBhayibheli.

Enye ingqopha-mlando kwaba ITestamente Elisha lesazi seBhayibheli uWilliam Tyndale. Lase lihunyushelwe esiNgisini lisuselwa esiGrekini sokuqala ngawo-1525. Ngokushesha nje ngemva kwalokho, ngo-1535, uMiles Coverdale wakhipha iBhayibheli lakhe eliphelele lesiNgisi. Ngonyaka owandulela lowo, uHenry VIII wayenqamule ubuhlobo bakhe neRoma futhi weza neqhinga. Ukuze aqinise isikhundla sakhe njengenhloko yeSonto LaseNgilandi, uHenry VIII wagunyaza ukuhunyushwa kweBhayibheli ngesiNgisi. Le nguqulo yaziwa ngokuthi i-Great Bible. Yanyatheliswa ngo-1539 futhi laliwumqulu omkhulu osindayo obhalwe ngendlela yesiGothic.

AmaPuritan namanye amaProtestani ayedingisiwe esuka kulo lonke elaseYurophu azinza eGeneva, eSwitzerland. Ngo-1560, kwakhishwa inguqulo okuthiwa i-Geneva Bible, okuyiBhayibheli lokuqala lesiNgisi lohlobo olufundeka kalula, elalinezahluko ezinamavesi. Lathunyelwa eNgilandi lisuka ezwekazini laseYurophu futhi laba yintandokazi ngokushesha kwabaningi. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, ngo-1576 i-Geneva Bible yanyatheliswa naseNgilandi. Amabalazwe nezincazelo ezisezinhlangothini kwasiza ekucaciseni okushiwo yimibhalo. Kodwa lezi zincazelo zabacasula abanye abafundi ngoba zazimelene nesikhundla sopapa.

Ukubhekana Nenselele

Ngenxa yokuthi i-Great Bible ayizange yamukelwe kabanzi futhi i-Geneva Bible yayinemibhalo yaphansi esusa izimpikiswano, kwanqunywa ukuba kube neBhayibheli elibukeziwe. Kwakhethwa ukuba lisekelwe kuyi-Great Bible. Lo msebenzi waphathiswa ababhishobhi beSonto LaseNgilandi, futhi ngo-1568 kwakhishwa i-Bishops’ Bible. Lona kwakuwumqulu omkhulu ogcwele imifanekiso. Kodwa abalandeli bakaCalvin, ababemelene nokusetshenziswa kweziqu zenkolo, abakuthandanga ukusetshenziswa kwegama elithi “bishops.” Ngakho i-Bishops’ Bible ayizange yamukelwe kabanzi eNgilandi.

Ngemva kokuthatha isihlalo sobukhosi saseNgilandi ngo-1603,a iNkosi uJames I yagunyaza ukuhunyushwa kabusha kweBhayibheli. Yayala ukuba lenziwe lithandeke kubo bonke ngokukhipha noma yimaphi amagama aseceleni nokuphawula okubacasulayo abanye.

INkosi uJames yawukhuthaza lo msebenzi. Ngemva kwalokho, izazi ezingu-47 ezazihlukaniswe zaba amaqembu ayisithupha kulelo zwe zalungiselela izingxenye zemibhalo. Zisebenzisa inguqulo kaTyndale nekaCoverdale, ngokuyinhloko lezi zazi zeBhayibheli zabukeza i-Bishops’ Bible. Nokho, zasebenzisa ne-Geneva Bible kanye ne-Rheims New Testament yamaRoma Katolika yango-1582.

UJames naye wayeyisazi seBhayibheli esihlonishwayo futhi le nguqulo kwahlonishwa ngayo “inkosana ephakeme kakhulu nenamandla, uJames” ngenxa yesinyathelo sakhe sokukhishwa kwayo. Njengenhloko yeSonto LaseNgilandi, uJames wabhekwa njengozama ukusebenzisa igunya lakhe ukuze enze isizwe sibumbane.

Ubuciko Uqobo Lwabo

Abefundisi bajabula ukwamukela esandleni senkosi yabo iBhayibheli “okwakuhloswe ukuba lifundwe emaSontweni.” Nokho, umbuzo wawuwukuthi, isizwe sasizoyamukela kanjani le nguqulo yeBhayibheli entsha?

Embhalweni wabo wokuqala oyisandulela, abahumushi bazwakalisa ukukhathazeka ngokuthi kazi le nguqulo entsha yayizokwamukeleka yini. Kodwa i-King James Version yamukelwa kahle kakhulu nakuba kwathatha iminyaka engaba ngu-30 ukuba ithandwe kakhulu kune-Geneva Bible.

I-Bible and the Anglo-Saxon People ithi: “Ngaleso sikhathi yaba iNguqulo Egunyaziwe, nakuba leli gama yalithola ngenxa yokuthi yayihunyushwe kahle kakhulu.” I-Cambridge History of the Bible iphetha ngokuthi: “Le nguqulo yabhekwa njengengcwele njengokungathi ivela kuNkulunkulu ngokuqondile; kumaKristu akhuluma isiNgisi kwakungaba ukuhlambalaza ukushintsha amazwi e-King James Version ngandlela-thile.”

Emikhawulweni Yomhlaba

Abantu bokuqala abafika eNyakatho Melika besuka eNgilandi, bafika ne-Geneva Bible. Nokho, kamuva i-King James Version yamukelwa kakhudlwana eMelika. Njengoba uMbuso waseBrithani wawenabela kuwo wonke umhlaba, izithunywa zevangeli ezingamaProthestani zakwenza kwavama ukusetshenziswa kwayo. Ngenxa yokuthi abaningi ababehumushela iBhayibheli ezilimini zabo babengajwayelene nemiBhalo YesiHebheru nesiGreki, i-King James Version yesiNgisi yaba umthombo wezinguqulo zezilimi zendawo.

Ngokwe-British Library, namuhla, “i-King James, noma iNguqulo Egunyaziwe yeBhayibheli, iyona nguqulo yesiNgisi esakazwe kabanzi emhlabeni.” Okunye ukulinganisela kuthi kunyatheliswe amakhophi ayo angaphezu kwezigidi eziyinkulungwane!

Isikhathi Soshintsho

Sekungamakhulu eminyaka abaningi bekholelwa ukuthi i-King James Version iwukuphela kweBhayibheli “eliyiqiniso.” Ngo-1870, eNgilandi kwaqala umsebenzi wokuyibukeza kabusha yonke yabe isibizwa ngokuthi i-English Revised Version. Kamuva yaphinde yabukezwa kafushane le nguqulo eMelika yabe isinyatheliswa futhi yabizwa ngokuthi i-American Standard Version.b Ekubukezweni kwayo kwakamuva nje ngo-1982, isethulo se-Revised Authorised Version sithi kwenziwe umzamo “wokulondoloza indlela ewubuciko yokubeka indaba ehlonishwa kakhulu kuyi-Authorised Version” ka-1611.

Nakuba iBhayibheli liyincwadi edayiswa kakhulu—futhi i-King James Version ithandwa kakhulu—uProfesa Richard G. Moulton waphawula: “Senze konke esingakwenza ngale mibhalo yesiHebheru nesiGreki. . . . Siye sayihumusha sabuye sayibukeza . . . Kusele into eyodwa okumelwe siyenze ngeBhayibheli: ukulifunda.”

Akungabazeki ukuthi i-King James Version iwubuciko uqobo lwabo, iyaziswa futhi iyahlonishwa ngendlela yayo enhle ngokungenakuqhathaniswa yokubeka indaba. Kodwa kuthiwani ngokubaluleka komyalezo wayo? Imibhalo ephefumulelwe yeBhayibheli yembula ikhambi elihlala njalo lezinkinga zesikhathi sethu esibucayi. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ukhetha yiphi inguqulo yeBhayibheli, oFakazi BakaJehova bayokujabulela ukukusiza ekulitadisheni.

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I-AMERICAN STANDARD VERSION

Ngo-1901 kwakhishwa i-American Standard Version. Yayisekelwe kuyi-King James Version. Amagama ayo ayisethulo athi: “Asibushalazeli ubuhle obubatshazwa kufanele nendlela enhle okuhunyushwe ngayo iNguqulo Egunyaziwe [King James].” Noma kunjalo, i-American Standard Version yenze izinguquko eziphawulekayo.

Isethulo siyachaza: “Ngemva kokuhlolisisa, ababebukeza i-American Standard Version bafinyelela isiphetho esinobunye sokuthi inkolelo-ze yamaJuda, eyayibheka iGama Laphezulu njengelingcwele kakhulu ukuba lingabizwa abantu, akusafanele nanini ibuse izinguqulo zesiNgisi nanoma iziphi ezinye izinguqulo zeTestamente Elidala, njengoba ngenhlanhla ingasatholakali ezinguqulweni eziningi ezihunyushwe izithunywa zevangeli zanamuhla.”

Akukhona ukuthi igama likaNkulunkulu elithi Jehova aliveli nhlobo kuyi-King James Version. Liyavela ezindaweni ezine, okungukuthi ku-Eksodusi 6:3; IHubo 83:18; Isaya 12:2 naku-Isaya 26:4. Nokho, i-American Standard Version ka-1901 yabuyisela leli gama endaweni yalo efanele izikhathi ezingaba ngu-7 000.

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1901

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UKUHLANGABEZANA NESIDINGO ESIKHETHEKILE

Ngo-1907, e-United States of America, i-Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society yacela ukuba abaFundi BeBhayibheli banyatheliselwe i-King James Version. Yayinesenezelo esiningiliziwe esibizwa ngokuthi “i-Berean Bible Teachers’ Manual.” Kamuva, oFakazi BakaJehova bazinyathelisela i-King James Version emishinini yabo yokunyathelisa. Ngo-1992, oFakazi base benyathelise amakhophi angu-1 858 368.

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1907

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INGUQULO YANAMUHLA EWUSIZO

Emashumini amahlanu eminyaka edlule, kuye kwakhishwa izinguqulo eziningi zeBhayibheli (ezinye zazo zanyatheliswa ngezilimi eziningi). Abaningi abayibheka njengewusizo ngokukhethekile INguqulo Yezwe Elisha YemiBhalo Engcwele. Sekusakazwe amakhophi ayo angaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-170 iphelele noma ingxenye yayo, ngezilimi eziyikhulu. Amabalazwe, uhlu lwezikhombo oluhlelwe ngokulandelana kwezinhlamvu zamagama nesenezelo esitholakala kuyi-Reference Edition kusiza abafundi ukuba bawuqonde ngokucace kakhudlwana umyalezo weBhayibheli wosuku lwethu.

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1961

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1611

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