ISiqhingi Esikhulu Esibomvu Sithola IBhayibheli

IMADAGASCAR iyisiqhingi sesine ngobukhulu emhlabeni futhi iqhele ngamakhilomitha angaba ngu-400 ukusuka ogwini oluseningizimu-mpumalanga ye-Afrika. Sekuyisikhathi eside abantu baseMadagascar belazi igama elithi Jehova ngoba isingaphezu kuka-170 iminyaka kunezinguqulo zeBhayibheli zesiMalagasy ezinegama likaNkulunkulu. Ukuze kube khona inguqulo yesiMalagasy, kwadingeka ukuphikelela nokuzinikela.

Imizamo yokuhumushela iBhayibheli olimini lwesiMalagasy empeleni yaqala esiqhingini esingumakhelwane saseMauritius. Ngo-1813, uSir Robert Farquhar, umbusi waseMauritius owayengowaseBrithani ngokuzalwa, wahlongoza ukuba kuhunyushwe amaVangeli ngolimi lwesiMalagasy. Kamuva wakhuthaza uRadama I, inkosi yaseMadagascar, ukuba ameme othisha abavela kuyi-London Missionary Society (LMS) ukuba beze kulesi Siqhingi Esikhulu Esibomvu, njengoba iMadagascar iye ibizwe kanjalo.

Ngo-August 18, 1818, abavangeli ababili baseWales, uDavid Jones noThomas Bevan, bafika edolobheni eliyitheku laseToamasina bevela eMauritius. Bathola abantu balapho beyithanda kakhulu inkolo, futhi ukuphila kwabo kwansuku zonke kwakugxile kakhulu ekukhulekeleni amadlozi nasemasikweni. Abantu baseMadagascar babekhuluma ulimi olunothile, ngokuyinhloko oludabuka ezizweni zaseMalaysia nasePolynesia.

Ngemva nje kokuvula isikole esincane, uJones noBevan balanda omkabo nezingane eMauritius babaletha eToamasina. Kuyadabukisa nokho ukusho ukuthi lonke lelo qembu lahlaselwa umalaleveva, futhi umkaJones nengane bashona ngo-December 1818. Ezinyangeni ezimbili kamuva, lesi sifo sashanela wonke umkhaya wakwaBevan. Kulelo qembu kwasala uDavid Jones yedwa.

UJones akazange avumele le nhlekelele ukuba imthene amandla. Wayezimisele ukwenza iZwi likaNkulunkulu litholakale kubantu baseMadagascar. Ngemva kokuya eMauritius ukuze ayolulamela khona, waqala umsebenzi onzima wokufunda ulimi lwesiMalagasy. Ngemva nje kwalokho, waqala ingxenye yokuqala yomsebenzi wokuhumusha iVangeli likaJohane.

Ngo-October 1820, uJones wabuyela eMadagascar. Wafikela enhloko-dolobha, i-Antananarivo, futhi engapholisi maseko, wavula isikole esiyimishani. Izimo zazingezinhle. Isikole sasingenazo izincwadi zokufunda, ibhodi noma amadeski. Kodwa uhlelo lwezifundo lwaluluhle kakhulu futhi izingane zimagange ukufunda.

Ngemva kokusebenza yedwa izinyanga ezingaba ngu-7, uJones wathunyelelwa omunye umuntu owayezothatha indawo kaBevan, umvangeli ogama lakhe linguDavid Griffiths. Basebenza ngokuzikhandla ubusuku nemini behumushela iBhayibheli olimini lwesiMalagasy.

Ukuqala Komsebenzi Wokuhumusha

Ekuqaleni kwawo-1820, ulimi lwesiMalagasy lwalubhalwa kuphela nge-sorabe—amagama esiMalagasy abhalwe ngezinhlamvu zolimi lwesi-Arabhu. Bambalwa kakhulu abantu ababekwazi ukuyifunda. Ngakho, laba bavangeli babonisana neNkosi uRadama I, eyabavumela ukuba basebenzise izinhlamvu zolimi ezivamile esikhundleni sokusebenzisa i-sorabe.

Umsebenzi wokuhumusha waqala ngo-September 10, 1823. UJones wahumusha uGenesise noMathewu, uGriffiths yena wahumusha u-Eksodusi noLuka. Inkuthalo yala madoda yayimangalisa. Ngaphezu kokuthi yiwona ayenza umsebenzi omningi wokuhumusha, ayeqhubeka nokufundisa esikoleni ekuseni nantambama. Ayelungiselela nezinkonzo zesonto futhi aziqhube ngezilimi ezintathu. Noma kunjalo, agcina umsebenzi wawo wokuhumusha ulokhu uza kuqala.

Ngosizo lwabafundi abangu-12, laba bavangeli bahumusha yonke imiBhalo YesiGreki neziningi izincwadi zemiBhalo YesiHebheru ngezinyanga ezingu-18 kuphela. Ngonyaka olandelayo, isigaba sokuqala sokuhumusha lonke iBhayibheli saphela. Yebo, umsebenzi wabo kwakusadingeka uhlolwe, uthuthukiswe futhi kulungiswe nokuphawuliwe. Ngakho kwathunyelwa izazi zezilimi ezimbili, uDavid Johns noJoseph Freeman, bevela eNgilandi ukuba bazosiza.

Ukukhuthazelela Izimo Ezidumazayo

Lapho kuphela umsebenzi wokuhumushela olimini lwesiMalagasy, i-LMS yathumela uCharles Hovenden ukuba azohlanganisa umshini wokuqala wokunyathelisa eMadagascar. UHovenden wafika ngo-November 21, 1826. Nokho, wafike waphathwa umalaleveva futhi washona kungakapheli nenyanga efikile, kungekho namuntu owayesekwazi ukusebenza ngalo mshini. Ngonyaka olandelayo, uJames Cameron waseScotland, owayewungoti kwezemisebenzi yezandla wakwazi ukuwuhlanganisa umshini esebenzisa incwajana ayeyithole kuwo. Ngemva kokuzama kaningana, uCameron wakwazi ukunyathelisa ingxenye yesahluko sokuqala sencwadi kaGenesise ngo-December 4, 1827.a

Enye imbibizane yaba ngo-July 27, 1828, ngemva kokukhothama kukaRadama I. INkosi uRadama yayiwusekela kakhulu umsebenzi wokuhumusha. UDavid Jones wake wathi ngayo: “INkosi uRadama ayive inomusa futhi iyabathanda abantu. Iwumsekeli omkhulu wemfundo, futhi ibheka ukufundiswa kwabantu bayo izikhali zempucuko njengokubaluleke ngaphezu kweGolide neSiliva.” Nokho, inkosi yalandelwa esihlalweni umkayo, uRanavalona I, futhi kwasheshe kwacaca ukuthi wayengeke awusekele umsebenzi umyeni wakhe ayewusekela.

Ngemva nje kokuqhoqhobala kwendlovukazi izintambo zombuso, kwafika isivakashi esivela eNgilandi sacela ukubonana nayo mayelana nalo msebenzi wokuhumusha. Senqatshelwa ithuba lokuyibona. Ngesinye isikhathi, lapho abavangeli betshela le ndlovukazi ukuthi kwakusekuningi okwakudingeka bakufundise abantu, kuhlanganise nesiGreki nesiHebheru, yathi: “Anginandaba nesiGreki nesiHebheru, kodwa ngingathanda ukwazi ukuthi ningakwazi yini ukufundisa abantu bami izinto eziwusizo ngokwengeziwe, njengokwenza insipho.” Eqaphela ukuthi babengase baphoqeleke ukuba bahambe lingakapheli iBhayibheli lesiMalagasy, uCameron wacela ukuba banikwe isonto bayocabangisisa ngesicelo sendlovukazi.

Ngesonto elilandelayo, uCameron wanikeza izithunywa zendlovukazi izigaxa ezimbili ezincane zensipho eyayenziwe ngezinto ezitholakala endaweni. Lokhu kanye neminye imisebenzi eyenzelwa umphakathi eyayenziwa ababefundiswe abavangeli kwayenza yaxola le ndlovukazi baze bakwazi ukunyathelisa cishe zonke izincwadi zeBhayibheli ngaphandle kwezimbalwa zemiBhalo YesiHebheru.

Isimemezelo Esijabulisayo Esalandelwa Esidumazayo

Naphezu kokubaphebeza kwayo ekuqaleni abavangeli, ngo-May 1831 indlovukazi yakhipha isimemezelo esimangalisayo. Yathi yayiyobavumela abantu bayo ukuba babhapathizwe njengamaKristu! Kodwa isinqumo sayo saba esesikhashana. Ngokwencwadi ethi A History of Madagascar, “inani labantu ababhapathizwa lethusa amalungu esigodlo ayengazifuni izinguquko, abe esenza indlovukazi ukuba ikholelwe ukuthi inkonzo yeSidlo SeNkosi yayifana nokwenza isifungo sokwethembeka kumaBrithani.” Ngakho, imvume yokubhapathizwa njengamaKristu yahoxiswa ekupheleni kuka-1831, ngemva kwezinyanga eziyisithupha nje kuphela inikeziwe.

Le ngwijikhwebu yendlovukazi kanye nethonya elikhulayo elalisobala lababenamathele emasikweni ngaphakathi kuhulumeni, kwenza abavangeli babhukula emsebenzini wabo wokuqedela ukunyathelisa iBhayibheli. ImiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki yayisiphelile, futhi izinkulungwane zamakhophi ayo zase zisatshalaliswa. Nokho, ngo-March 1, 1835 kwaba nenye imbibizane lapho iNdlovukazi uRanavalona I imemezela ukuthi ubuKristu babungasavunyelwe ezweni futhi iyala ukuba zonke izincwadi zobuKristu ziyiswe ezikhulwini.

Lesi simemezelo sendlovukazi sasho nokuthi abantu baseMadagascar ababesebenza emshinini wokunyathelisa babengasenakukwazi ukuqhubeka. Ngakho, njengoba kwase kuwumsebenzi walabo bavangeli abambalwa ukuqedela lo msebenzi, basebenza imini nobusuku kwaze kwaba yilapho ekugcineni, ngo-June 1835, lonke iBhayibheli likhululwa. Yebo, lase lizelwe iBhayibheli lesiMalagasy!

Njengoba ubuKristu babusavinjelwe, amaBhayibheli asatshalaliswa ngokushesha, futhi amakhophi angu-70 agqitshwa ukuze alondeke. Kwaba kuhle impela ukuthi kwakwenziwe lokhu ngoba kwathi kungakapheli nonyaka, bonke abavangeli baxoshwa esiqhingini kwasala ababili. Kodwa izwi likaNkulunkulu lalisakazeka eSiqhingini Esikhulu Esibomvu.

Uthando Lwabantu BaseMadagascar NgeBhayibheli

Yeka ukuthi bajabula kanjani abantu baseMadagascar lapho bekwazi ukufunda iZwi likaNkulunkulu ngolimi lwabo! Le nguqulo inezindawo ezithile ezingahunyushwanga ngokunembile, futhi ulimi olusetshenzisiwe manje seluludala kakhulu. Noma kunjalo kuyimvelakancane ukuthola umuzi ongenalo iBhayibheli, futhi abaningi balifunda njalo. Okuphawulekayo ngale nguqulo ukusebenzisa kwayo kakhulu igama likaNkulunkulu elithi, Jehova, kuyo yonke imiBhalo YesiHebheru. Emakhophini okuqala igama likaNkulunkulu litholakala nasemiBhalweni YesiGreki. Ngenxa yalokho, abantu abaningi baseMadagascar bayalazi igama likaNkulunkulu.

Ngempela, lapho amakhophi okuqala emiBhalo YesiGreki ephuma emshinini wakhe wokunyathelisa, uMnumzane Baker wayibona injabulo yabantu baseMadagascar wathi: “Angihlose kuprofetha, kodwa angikholelwa ukuthi izwi likaNkulunkulu liyoke liqothulwe kule lizwe!” Amazwi akhe ahlonzeka. Akukho malaleveva nanselele yokufunda ulimi olunzima nazimemezelo eziphikisayo zombusi ezakwazi ukuvimbela iZwi likaNkulunkulu ukuba litholakale eMadagascar.

Manje isimo sesithuthuke ngokwengeziwe. Kanjani? Ngo-2008, kwakhululwa INguqulo Yezwe Elisha YemiBhalo Engcwele ngesiMalagasy. Le nguqulo iyigxathu elikhulu lentuthuko ngoba ibhalwe ngolimi lwanamuhla oluqondakala kalula. Ngakho, iZwi likaNkulunkulu manje ligxile ngisho nangokwengeziwe kulesi Siqhingi Esikhulu Esibomvu.—Isaya 40:8.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

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“INguqulo Yezwe Elisha” yesiMalagasy idumisa igama likaNkulunkulu elithi, Jehova