Incwadi “Ethetha” Iilwimi Eziphilayo
Ukuba ulwimi ebhalwe ngalo incwadi luyafa, kulindelekile ukuba naloo ncwadi ife. Bambalwa namhlanje abantu abakwaziyo ukufunda iilwimi zamandulo eyabhalwa ngazo iBhayibhile. Kodwa isaphila. Unanamhla oku isaphila kuba “yafunda ukuthetha” ngeelwimi eziphilayo zabantu. Abaguquleli “abayifundisa” ukuthetha ezinye iilwimi kubonakala ukuba babehamba emeveni ukuze benze oko.
UKUGUQULELA iBhayibhile—nezahluko zayo ezingaphezu kwe-1 100 neendinyana zayo ezingama-31 000—akuyondlwan’ iyanetha. Noko ke, njengokuba iinkulungwane zihamba, abaguquleli abazinikeleyo bawenza ngovuyo loo msebenzi. Uninzi lwabo lwaxolela ukutsala nzima lwada lwabulawa ngenxa yokwenza loo msebenzi. Imbali yokuguqulelwa kweBhayibhile ngeelwimi zoluntu ikwenza ubone umonde nobugcisa obabulapho. Makhe sikucuntsulele kuloo ngxelo imangalisayo.
Ucelomngeni Ababejamelene Nalo Abaguquleli
Ungayiguqulela njani incwadi ngolwimi olungabhalwayo? Abaguquleli beBhayibhile abaninzi babenocelomngeni olulolo hlobo. Ngokomzekelo, u-Ulfilas, wenkulungwane yesine yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo, waqalisa ukuguqulela iBhayibhile ngolwimi olwaluthethwa ngelo xesha kodwa lungabhalwa—isiGothic. U-Ulfilas waluphumelela olo celomngeni ngokuthi ayile oonobumba besiGothic abangama-27, awayebasekele koonobumba besiGrike nesiLatini. Inguqulelo yakhe yeBhayibhile eyayisele iza kugqitywa yesiGothic wayigqiba ngaphambi kowe-381 C.E.
Kwinkulungwane yesithoba, amadoda amabini alekelanayo antetho isisiGrike, uCyril (ogama lakhe lalinguConstantine) noMethodius, ababeziingcali eziphum’ izandla zabahlalutyi nezeelwimi, baba nomdla wokuguqulela iBhayibhile ukwenzela abantu abantetho isiSlavic. Kodwa iSlavonic—ulwimi olwalukho ngaphambi kokuba kubekho iilwimi zamaSlav zanamhlanje—lwalungabhalwa. Ngoko la madoda azakhela oonobumba ukuze enze inguqulelo yeBhayibhile. Ngaloo ndlela iBhayibhile yakwazi “ukuthetha” nabantu abangakumbi, kwanabo babehlala kwilizwe lamaSlav.
Kwinkulungwane ye-16, uWilliam Tyndale waqalisa inguqulelo yeBhayibhile eyisusa kwiilwimi zamandulo eyisa esiNgesini, kodwa wachaswa ngokukrakra yiCawa nanguRhulumente. Lo kaTyndale, owasela imfundo eOxford, wayezimisele ukuvelisa inguqulelo eyayinokuqondwa “nayinkwenkwana ebambe ikhuba.”1 Kodwa ukuze enze oku, kwafuneka abhacele eJamani, apho inguqulelo yakhe yesiNgesi “yeTestamente Entsha” yashicilelwa khona ngowe-1526. Xa imibhalo yayo yathutyeleziswayo ukungena eNgilani, abasemagunyeni babelephuz’ amagwebu ngumsindo kangangokuba bayitshisa ekuhleni. Lo kaTyndale wantanywa. Ngaphambi kokukrwitshwa kwakhe nokutshiswa komzimba wakhe, ngezwi elikhulu wathetha la mazwi: “Nkosi, khanyisela uKumkani waseNgilani!”2
Ukuguqulelwa kweBhayibhile akuzange kume; abaguquleli babephum’ izithuba. Ngowe-1800, iinxalenye ezithile zeBhayibhile zazisele “zifunde ukuthetha” iilwimi ezingama-68 ubuncinane. Emva koko, ngenxa yokumiselwa kwemiButho yeBhayibhile—ngokukodwa iBritish and Foreign Bible Society, eyasekwa ngowe-1804—iBhayibhile “yafunda” iilwimi ezingakumbi. Amatyendyana abafana amaninzi azincama enjenjeya ukusinga kumazwe asemzini eye kuba ngabavangeli, uninzi lwawo luzimisele ukuguqulela iBhayibhile.
Ukufunda Iilwimi ZaseAfrika
Ngowe-1800, kwakukho iilwimi ezimalunga ne-12 ezibhalwayo eAfrika. Amanye amakhulukhulu eelwimi ezithethwayo alinda de kwakho umntu oyila inkqubo yokubhala. Abavangeli bafika baza bafunda ezi lwimi, bengenazo neencwadi zokufunda ulwimi okanye izichazi-magama. Emva koko bawa bevuka bequlunqa ulwimi olubhalwayo, baza emva koko bafundisa abantu indlela yokufunda into ebhaliweyo. Injongo yoku yayikukuba ngaminazan’ ithile abantu bakwazi ukufunda iBhayibhile ngolwimi lwabo.3
Omnye wabo bavangeli yayiyindoda yaseSkotlani egama linguRobert Moffat. Ngowe-1821, xa wayeneminyaka engama-25 ubudala, lo kaMoffat waya kusebenza phakathi kwabaTswana kumazantsi eAfrika. Ukuze afunde olo lwimi lwabo lungabhalwayo, kwafuneka ahlale phakathi kwabo bantu, maxa wambi wayede athabathe uhambo angene embindini waloo ndawo ukuze ahlale naba bantu. Kamva wabhala wathi: “Aba bantu babenobubele, yaye babeyihleka baqikileke xa ndibhuda ulwimi lwabo. Nanini na akuzange kubekho mntu ulungisa igama okanye isivakalisi endisithethileyo de abe undilinganise wada wanela, esenzela ukuhlekisa abanye.”4 Lo kaMoffat wazingisa wada ekugqibeleni walwazi kakuhle olo lwimi, waza wanendlela yokulubhala.
Ngowe-1829, emva kokusebenza nabaTswana kangangeminyaka esibhozo, okaMoffat wagqiba ukuyiguqulela iVangeli kaLuka. Ukuze ishicilelwe, wahamba iikhilomitha ezingama-970 ngenqwelo yeenkabi waya ngaselunxwemeni waza wakhwela inqanawa eya eKapa. Apho irhuluneli yamvumela wasebenzisa umatshini wokushicilela waseburhulumenteni, kodwa okaMoffat kwafuneka awalungelelanise ngokwakhe amagama aze ashicilele ngokwakhe, ekugqibeleni wayipapasha loo Vangeli ngowe-1830. Okokuqala ngqa, abaTswana bakwazi ukuzifundela ngolwimi lwabo inxalenye yeBhayibhile. Ngowe-1857, okaMoffat wayeyiguqulele yonke iBhayibhile ngesiTswana.
Kamva okaMoffat wachaza indlela abaTswana abavakalelwa ngayo ukuqala kwabo ukufumana iVangeli kaLuka. Wahambisa wenjenje: “Kukho abathile abahamba imigama emide beze kufuna imibhalo yencwadi yeNgcwele uLuka. . . . Babesithi xa befumana iinxalenye zencwadi yeNgcwele uLuka, balilele phezu kwayo, bayibeke ezifubeni, ziphinde zithi waxa iinyembezi zombulelo, kangangokuba kwabaliqela ndandiye ndithi, ‘Uza kuyonakalisa incwadi yakho ngezi nyembezi.’”5
Abaguquleli abazinikeleyo abanjengokaMoffat banika amaAfrika amaninzi—wambi awayengayiboni imfuneko yokuba nolwimi olubhalwayo—ithuba lokuba akwazi ukunxibelelana ngokubhalelana. Noko ke, abaguquleli babekholelwa kwelokuba babenika abantu baseAfrika isipho esixabiseke ngakumbi—iBhayibhile ngolwimi lwabo. Namhlanje iBhayibhile, iphelele okanye inxalenye yayo, “ithetha” iilwimi zaseAfrika ezingaphezu kwama-600.
Ukufunda Iilwimi ZaseAsia
Njengokuba abaguquleli baseAfrika babesiwa bevuka bezama ukwenza iilwimi ezithethwayo zibe zezibhalwayo, kwelinye icala lehlabathi, abaguquleli babephekwa besophulwa yimiqobo eyahluke mpela kuleyo—babemele baguqulele ngeelwimi ezazisele zinendlela yokubhalwa entsonkothileyo. Olo lucelomngeni abajamelana nalo abaguquleli beBhayibhile ababeguqulela iilwimi zaseAsia.
Ekuqaleni kwenkulungwane ye-19, uWilliam Carey noJoshua Marshman benjenjeya basinga eIndiya baza apho bafunda iilwimi zalapho ezibhalwayo. Bencedwa nguWilliam Ward, umshicileli, ubuncinane bavelisa inguqulelo yeenxalenye zeBhayibhile ngeelwimi ezingama-40.6 Xa ehlomla ngoWilliam Carey, umbhali uJ. Herbert Kane uhambisa athi: “Wayila indlela yokubhala ephucukileyo neyayifundeka ngokutyibilikayo [yolwimi lwesiBengali] eyayithabathel’ indawo leyo ibisetyenziswa ngaphambili, neyayiza kuqondakala lula ize ibe nomtsalane kubafundi bala maxesha.”7
UAdoniram Judson, owazalelwa waza wakhulela eUnited States, wasinga eBurma, waza ngowe-1817 waqalisa ukuguqulela iBhayibhile ngolwimi lwaseBurma. Echaza indlela ekwakunzima ngayo ukufunda ulwimi oluthile lwaseMpuma ngokokude akwazi ukuguqulela iBhayibhile ngalo, wabhala wathi: ‘Ukufunda ulwimi lwabantu abakwenye indawo yomhlaba, abacinga ngendlela eyahluke lee kweyethu, abachaza izinto ngendlela esingayaziyo, abanoonobumba namagama angayelelananga nokuyelelana kwawalo naluphi ulwimi esakha saluva; yaye kungekho sichazi-magama okanye mntu wokusitolikela yaye kwanokufumana umntu walapho wokusifundisa kuya kufuna ukuba sibe nentlantsana ngolo lwimi ukuze akwazi ukusifundisa—kungumsebenzi ongathethekiyo!’8
UJudson, kwafuneka achithe iminyaka eli-18 esenza loo msina-ndozele womsebenzi. Inxalenye yokugqibela yeBhayibhile yolwimi lwaseBurma yashicilelwa ngowe-1835. Noko ke, ukuhlala kwakhe eBurma kwamhambisa ematyeni ngokwenene. Njengokuba wayesebenza kule nguqulelo, watyholwa ngelokuba uyintlola waza ngenxa yoko waya kuthothoza iminyaka emibini esiseleni esizele ziingcongconi. Kwithutyana nje emva kokuba ekhululwe, inkosikazi yakhe nentwazana yakhe babulawa sisifo secesina.
Xa uRobert Morrison oneminyaka engama-25 ubudala wafikayo kwelaseTshayina ngowe-1807, waqalisa umsebenzi onzima gqitha wokuguqulela iBhayibhile ngesiTshayina, olunye lwezona lwimi zinendlela entsonkothileyo yokubhalwa. Wayenofifana nje ngesiTshayina, awayesandul’ ukusifunda kwiminyaka emibini ngaphambilana. Enye into eyayimphehluzelisa lo kaMorrison ngumthetho waseTshayina, owawukhuthaza ukuba elaseTshayina lingabi nabudlelane namanye amazwe. Abantu baseTshayina babesalelwa ukufundisa umntu wenye indawo ulwimi lwabo, yaye benokude bafumane isigwebo sentambo ngokwenza oko. Umntu wasemzini owayenokuguqulela iBhayibhile ngesiTshayina wayenokugwetyelwa ukufa.
Engabuyi ngamva kodwa echul’ ukunyathela, lo kaMorrison wathi gqolo efunda olo lwimi, yaye walufunda ngokukhawuleza. Yathi iphela iminyaka emibini waba sele efumene umsebenzi njengomguquleli we-East India Company. Emini, wayesebenza kule nkampani, kodwa ekhusini yaye esemngciphekweni wokubhaqwa, wayeguqulela iBhayibhile. Ngowe-1814, sekudlule iminyaka esixhenxe eseTshayina, iZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike zazisele zilungele ukushicilelwa.9 Kwiminyaka emihlanu kamva, encediswa nguWilliam Milne, wazigqiba iZibhalo zesiHebhere.
Wenza owona msebenzi mkhulu—iBhayibhile yatsho yakwazi “ukuthetha” ngolona lwimi luthethwa ngabona bantu baninzi ehlabathini. Ngenxa yoomakhwekhwetha babaguquleli, emva koko kwaguqulelwa ezinye iilwimi zaseAsia. Sithetha nje, iinxalenye zeBhayibhile ziyafumaneka ngeelwimi zaseAsia ezingaphezu kwama-500.
Yintoni le yabangela ukuba okaTyndale, okaMoffat, okaJudson nokaMorrison babile besoma—bambi bade babeke nobomi babo esichengeni—beguqulela incwadi besenzela abantu abangabaziyo yaye, kwezinye iimeko, abantu ababengenalo nolwimi olubhalwayo? Ngokuqinisekileyo babengagxeleshanga kufumana zuko okanye imali. Babekholelwa kwelokuba iBhayibhile liLizwi likaThixo yaye imele ikwazi “ukuthetha” nabantu—bonke abantu—ngolwimi lwabo.
Enoba uvakalelwa kukuba iBhayibhile liLizwi likaThixo okanye akunjalo, mhlawumbi uya kulivuma elokuba loo moya wokuzincama kwabo baguquleli bazinikeleyo unqabe okwezinyo lenkuku kwihlabathi lanamhlanje. Ngaba incwadi ekhuthaza ukungazingci ngolo hlobo akumele uphande ngayo?
[Isicangca esikwiphepha 12]
(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)
Ukususela ngowe-1800 kuye kwaguqulelwa iinxalenye zeBhayibhile ngentaphane yeelwimi
68 107 171 269 367 522 729 971 1 199 1 762 2 123
1800 1900 1995
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 10]
OkaTyndale uguqulela iBhayibhile
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 11]
URobert Moffat
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 12]
UAdoniram Judson
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 13]
URobert Morrison