Intuthuko Ekukhiqizweni KwamaBhayibheli Ezilimi Zase-Afrika
ABAFUNDI beBhayibheli abaqotho baseYurophu naseNyakatho Melika basibona kudaló isidingo sokuba abantu base-Afrika bakwazi ukufunda iZwi likaNkulunkulu ngezilimi zabo. Ukuze lesi sifiso esihle sigcwaliseke, abaningi baya e-Afrika bayofunda izilimi zakhona. Abanye basungula indlela yokubhala lezi zilimi benza nezichaza-mazwi. Ngemva kwalokho, baqala umshikashika wokuhumusha iBhayibheli ngezilimi eziningi zase-Afrika. Kwakungeyona neze into elula lena. I-Cambridge History of the Bible iyachaza: “Umuntu angase achithe iminyaka eminingi efunana negama elifanelekayo ngisho nelemfundiso yobuKristu elula kodwa ebaluleke kakhulu.”
Ngo-1857 abeTswana baba ngabokuqala ukuba neBhayibheli eliphelele. IsiTswana olunye lwezilimi zase-Afrika ezazingabhalwa ngaphambili.a IBhayibheli labo lanyatheliswa futhi lahlanganiswa ngezingxenye, hhayi njengencwadi eyodwa. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, kwavela namanye amaBhayibheli ahunyushwe ngezinye izilimi zase-Afrika. Izinguqulo eziningi zokuqala zazinegama likaNkulunkulu elithi, Jehova, kokubili emiBhalweni YesiHebheru, noma “iTestamente Elidala,” nasemiBhalweni YamaKristu YesiGreki, noma “iTestamente Elisha.” Nokho, izinhlelo ezibukeziwe nezinguqulo ezintsha zakhiqizwa abantu ababengalihloniphi igama elingcwele loMlobi weBhayibheli, uJehova. Kunalokho, balandela isiko lamaJuda elisekelwe kuyinkolelo-ze lokususa igama likaNkulunkulu nokusebenzisa iziqu ezinjengokuthi Nkulunkulu noma Nkosi esikhundleni salo. Ngakho, kwaba nesidingo kubathandi bakaNkulunkulu e-Afrika sokuba kube nenguqulo yeBhayibheli ebuyisela igama likaNkulunkulu endaweni yalo.
Kusukela ngawo-1980, iNdikimba Ebusayo YoFakazi BakaJehova iye yenza umzamo omkhulu wokuba INguqulo Yezwe Elisha YemiBhalo Engcwele ihunyushwe ngezilimi eziningana ezinkulu zase-Afrika. Ngenxa yalokho, namuhla amakhulu ezinkulungwane zabantu abathanda iBhayibheli e-Afrika bayakwazi ukufunda INguqulo Yezwe Elisha ngolimi lwabo. Sikhuluma nje, INguqulo Yezwe Elisha itholakala iyonke noma ngokwengxenye ngezilimi ezingu-17 zomdabu.
Abafunda amaBhayibheli ngalezi zilimi zase-Afrika bayajabula ngokuba nenguqulo eqokomisa igama likaNkulunkulu elikhazimulayo, uJehova. Ngokwesibonelo, lapho uJesu esukuma esinagogeni eNazaretha, watshela ababelapho ngokuthunywa kwakhe ngokufunda ingxenye yomqulu ka-Isaya, enegama likaYise. (Isaya 61:1, 2) UmBhalo uJesu awufunda eVangelini likaLuka ufundeka kanje ngokwe-Nguqulo Yezwe Elisha: “Umoya kaJehova uphezu kwami, ngoba ungigcobile ukuba ngimemezele izindaba ezinhle kwabampofu, ungithumé ukuba ngishumayele ukukhululwa ezithunjweni nokuvulwa kwamehlo ezimpumputhe, ukuba ngimukise abachotshoziweyo bekhululiwe, ukuba ngishumayele unyaka owamukelekayo kaJehova.”—Luka 4:18, 19.
Enye intuthuko ekuhunyushweni kwamaBhayibheli ezilimi zase-Afrika yaba ngo-August 2005. Phakathi naleyo nyanga, ehhovisi legatsha loFakazi BakaJehova laseNingizimu Afrika kwanyatheliswa futhi kwahlanganiswa amaBhayibheli angaphezu kuka-76 000 ezilimi ezikhulunywa e-Afrika. Ayehlanganisa nangu-30 000 esiShona. Le nguqulo yakhishwa eMihlanganweni YoFakazi BakaJehova ‘Yokulalela UNkulunkulu’ eZimbabwe.
Phakathi naleyo nyanga eyohlale ikhunjulwa, izihambeli ezazizobona igatsha laseNingizimu Afrika zajabula kakhulu lapho zibona ukukhiqizwa kwamaBhayibheli ngezinye izilimi zase-Afrika. UNhlanhla, oyilungu lomkhaya waseBethel osebenza lapho kuhlanganiswa khona izincwadi wathi: “Kwangijabulisa futhi kwangithokozisa kakhulu ukuba nelungelo lokuhlanganyela ekukhiqizweni kwe-Nguqulo Yezwe Elisha ngesiShona nangezinye izilimi zase-Afrika.” Empeleni, wonke umkhaya waseBethel eNingizimu Afrika uzizwa ngendlela efanayo.
Manje umphakathi wase-Afrika usuzothola amaBhayibheli amasha ngokushesha nangezindleko eziphansi kunangesikhathi esakhiqizwa phesheya bese kudingeka athunyelwe ngemikhumbi. Okubaluleke nakakhulu ukuthi manje abantu base-Afrika banenguqulo etholakala kalula futhi enembile esebenzisa igama elingcwele loMlobi omkhulu weBhayibheli, uJehova uNkulunkulu.
[Umbhalo waphansi]
a Ngo-1835 iBhayibheli lase lihunyushelwe olimini lwesiMalagasy lwaseMadagascar, futhi ngo-1840 lase likhona ngolimi lwesi-Amharic lwaseTopiya. Lezi zilimi zase zibhalwa ngaphambi kokuba iBhayibheli lihunyushwe ngazo.
[Isithombe ekhasini 12]
Igama likaNkulunkulu eBhayibhelini lesiTswana elanyatheliswa ngo-1840
[Umthombo]
Harold Strange Library of African Studies
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Izihambeli eziphuma eSwazini zibukele njengoba kukhiqizwa amaBhayibheli amasha ehhovisi legatsha laseNingizimu Afrika