IBhayibheli Lokuqala LesiPutukezi Indaba Yokukhuthazela

“OKHUTHAZELAYO uyophumelela.” Lesi siqubulo sisekhasini elingaphakathi elibonisa isihloko encwajaneni yenkolo yangekhulu le-17 eyabhalwa uJoão Ferreira de Almeida. Awekho amanye amagama ngaphandle kwalawa angayichaza kahle le ndoda eyachitha iminyaka eminingi yokuphila kwayo ihumusha futhi inyathelisa iBhayibheli lesiPutukezi.

U-Almeida wazalwa ngo-1628 eTorre de Tavares, idolobhana elisenyakatho yePortugal. Njengoba aba intandane esemncane, wakhuliswa ubab’ omncane wakhe owayeyindela futhi ehlala edolobheni lasePortugal, eLisbon. Kuthiwa-ke ukuze abe umpristi wesikhathi esizayo, u-Almeida wathola imfundo yekhethelo, eyamsiza esemncane kakhulu ukuba azazi kangaka izilimi.

Nokho, kubonakala sengathi mancane amathuba okuthi u-Almeida wayeyowasebenzisa amakhono akhe emsebenzini wokuhumusha iBhayibheli ukube waqhubeka ehlala ePortugal. Nakuba iNkathi YeziNguquko yenza ukuba amaBhayibheli ezilimi zomdabu atholakale kabanzi enyakatho namaphakathi neYurophu, iPortugal yona yaqhubeka ilawulwa ithonya leNkantolo Yamacala Ezihlubuki. Uma nje umuntu ayetholakala eneBhayibheli lolimi lwakhe kwakungase kuholele ekubeni ayiswe eNkantolo Yamacala Ezihlubuki.a

Cishe u-Almeida wathuthela eNetherlands esanda kweva eminyakeni engu-12 ngoba efuna ukuphuma kuleso simo esicindezelayo. Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, eneminyaka engu-14 nje kuphela, wathatha uhambo oluya e-Asia olunqamula eBatavia (manje eyiJakarta), e-Indonesia, ngaleso sikhathi eyayiyisikhungo sokuqondisa se-Dutch East India Company eNingizimu-mpumalanga ye-Asia.

Umhumushi Oyibhobhodleyana

Ngasekugcineni kohambo lwakhe oluya e-Asia, ukuphila kuka-Almeida kwashintsha. Ngesikhathi ehamba ngomkhumbi phakathi kweBatavia neMalacca (manje eyiMelaka) entshonalanga yeMalaysia, wazithela phezu kwencwajana yamaProthestani eyayibhalwe ngeSpanishi enesihloko esithi Diferencias de la Cristiandad (Ukwahlukana KweLobukholwa). Ngaphezu kokuhlasela izimfundiso zenkolo ezingamanga, le ncwajana yayinamazwi amhlaba umxhwele ngokukhethekile u-Almeida omncane: “Ukusebenzisa ulimi olungaziwa ebandleni, ngisho noma kudunyiswa uNkulunkulu, akuzisizi ngalutho izilaleli ezingakuqondi okushiwoyo.”—1 Korinte 14:9.

Konke kwakumcacela kahle u-Almeida: Ukuze amaphutha enkolo ahlale obala, kwakufanele iBhayibheli liqondwe yibo bonke abantu. Lapho efika eMalacca, waba yilungu lesonto laseDashi futhi ngokushesha waqala ukuhumusha izingxenye zamaVangeli ezisusela olimini lweSpanishi ezihumushela olimini lwesiPutukezi, azinikeze “abantu ababonisa isifiso esiqotho sokwazi iqiniso.”b

Eminyakeni emibili kamuva, u-Almeida wayesekulungele ukuqala umsebenzi omkhulu ngokwengeziwe—ukuhumusha yonke imiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki esebenzisa i-Vulgate yesiLatin. Lo msebenzi wawuqeda kungakapheli nonyaka, futhi kwaba yinto emangalisa ngempela uma kucatshangelwa ukuthi wayeneminyaka engu-16 ubudala! Ngesibindi, wathumela ikhophi yaleli Bhayibheli kundunankulu ongumDashi eBatavia ukuze inyatheliswe. Kubonakala sengathi iSonto LaseDashi eBatavia lathumela le khophi e-Amsterdam, kodwa umfundisi osegugile owayeyiphathisiwe washona, futhi le khophi ka-Almeida yanyamalala.

Lapho ecelwa ukuba enze ikhophi yeBhayibheli ayelihumushile ukuze iyiswe esontweni laseDashi eCeylon (manje eyiSri Lanka) ngo-1651, u-Almeida wathola ukuthi ikhophi yokuqala yayingasabonwa endaweni yokugcina izincwadi zesonto. Akazange aphele amandla, futhi ngandlela-thile wayithola ikhophi—mhlawumbe uhlaka ayelwenze ekuqaleni—futhi ngonyaka owalandela wabukeza waqeda amaVangeli nencwadi yezEnzo. Isigungu sabefundisic saseBatavia samklomelisa ngama-guilder angu-30. Omunye wabantu ababesebenza no-Almeida wathi le mali “yayiwubala uma kuqhathaniswa nomsebenzi omkhulu ayewenzile.”

Naphezu kokungaziswa komsebenzi wakhe, u-Almeida waqhubeka nawo ngoba ngo-1654 wathumela iTestamente Elisha eliphelele ayelibukezile. Nakulokhu futhi, kwadingeka kucatshangelwe ukuthi linganyatheliswa yini, kodwa akwenziwanga lutho olutheni ngaphandle nje kokulungiselela amakhophi ambalwa abhalwe ngesandla ukuze asetshenziswe emasontweni athile.

Walahlwa INkantolo Yamacala Ezihlubuki

Phakathi neminyaka eyishumi eyalandela, u-Almeida waba matasa emsebenzini wobufundisi nokushumayela ivangeli eSontweni LaseDashi. Wagcotshwa ngo-1656 futhi indawo yokuqala ayikhonza kwakuyiCeylon, lapho acishe agxotshwa khona indlovu, futhi kamuva wakhonza eNdiya njengomshumayeli wevangeli wokuqala ongumProthestani ukuhambela lelo zwe.

U-Almeida wayeyikholwa elingumProthestani elikhonza kwelinye izwe. Ngakho, abaningi emiphakathini ayeyihambela ekhuluma isiPutukezi babembheka njengesihlubuki nembuka. Ukukulahla kwakhe angananazi ukuziphatha okubi kwabefundisi nokuyidalula kwakhe imfundiso yesonto nako kwamhilizisa kaningi nabashumayeli bevangeli abangamaKatolika. Lezi zingxabano zafinyelela umvuthwandaba ngo-1661 ngesikhathi iNkantolo Yamacala Ezihlubuki eGoa, eNdiya inika u-Almeida isigwebo sentambo ngokuba imbuka. Kwashiswa isithombe sakhe yena engekho. Mhlawumbe ethuswa ukungazibeki phansi kuka-Almeida, undunankulu wathi makabuye eBatavia ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho.

U-Almeida wayengumshumayeli wevangeli oshisekayo, kodwa akakhohlwanga ukuthi kunesidingo seBhayibheli lesiPutukezi. Empeleni, ukungabi nalwazi ngeBhayibheli—okwakusobala kakhulu phakathi kwabefundisi nabantu abavamile—kwamenza wazimisela nakakhulu ukulihumusha. Esanduleleni sepheshana lenkolo alibhala ngo-1668, u-Almeida wamemezela lokhu kubafundi bezincwadi zakhe: “Ngifisa . . . ukuba kungekudala nje nginibusise ngeBhayibheli eliphelele elibhalwe ngolimi lwenu, isipho esikhulu kakhulu nesiyigugu kunazo zonke eniyoke nisinikwe umuntu.”

U-Almeida Nekomiti Yababukezi

Ngo-1676, u-Almeida wanikeza isigungu sabefundisi saseBatavia uhlaka lokugcina lweTestamente Elisha ukuze silubukeze. Zisuka nje, umhumushi nababebukeza abazange bezwane kahle. Umbhali wemilando yokuphila kwabantu, uJ. L. Swellengrebel uthi kungenzeka ukuthi ozakwabo baka-Almeida abakhuluma isiDashi babebe nobunzima bokuqonda izincazelo ezicashile zemibhalo ethile nendlela yakhe yokuhumusha. Kwaphikiswana nangolimi akhetha ukulusebenzisa. Ingabe kwakufanele iBhayibheli lihunyushwe ngesiPutukezi esikhulunywa endaweni noma ngesiPutukezi sangempela abantu abaningi ababengase bangasiqondi kalula? Ekugcineni, into okwase kuhiliziswana ngayo ukufuna ngenkani kuka-Almeida ukuba umsebenzi wakhe uqedwe.

Umsebenzi wahamba kancane, cishe ngenxa yezingxabano noma ngenxa yokungabi namdlandla kwababukezi. Eminyakeni emine kamuva, ababukezi babesaphikisana ngezahluko zokuqala zikaLuka. Ekhungathekiswe yilokhu kwephuza kwezinto, u-Almeida wathumela enye ikhophi eNetherlands ukuze inyatheliswe, ababukezi bengazi.

Naphezu kwemizamo yesigungu sabefundisi yokuvimbela ukunyatheliswa kwaleli Bhayibheli, iTestamente Elisha lika-Almeida lanyatheliswa e-Amsterdam ngo-1681, futhi ngonyaka owalandela abantu baseBatavia bathola amakhophi alo okuqala. Ungacabanga nje ukuthi u-Almeida wadumala kanjani lapho ethola ukuthi ababukezi baseNetherlands babenze izinguquko ezithile emsebenzini wakhe! Ngenxa yokuthi ababukezi babengasazi kahle isiPutukezi, u-Almeida waphawula ukuthi kwase “kunemibhalo eyayihunyushwe kabi futhi iphikisana eyayisitha lokho okushiwo uMoya Ongcwele.”

Uhulumeni waseNetherlands naye wayengagculisekile neze, ngakho wakhipha umyalo wokuba ashiswe wonke lawo maBhayibheli. Noma kunjalo, u-Almeida wakwazi ukwenza ukuba izikhulu zikahulumeni zivume ukuba angashiswa wonke ngombandela wokuthi amaphutha amabi kakhulu wayezowalungisa ngesandla. La makhophi ayeyosetshenziswa kuze kube yilapho ebukezwa futhi.

Ababukezi eBatavia baphinde bahlangana ukuze baqhubeke nomsebenzi wabo wokubukeza imiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki futhi baqala ukulungiselela imiBhalo YesiHebheru lapho u-Almeida eyiqeda. Sesaba ukuthi wayezophelelwa isineke, isigungu sabefundisi sanquma ukugcina amakhasi asayiniwe ekhophi yokugcina esisefweni sesonto. U-Almeida akazange neze ahambisane naleso sinqumo saso.

Amashumi amaningi eminyaka ayichitha esebenza kanzima nobunzima bokuphila kuleli zwe elishisayo kwase kuyilimazile impilo yakhe. Ngenxa yempilo yakhe eyayiwohloka, ngo-1689, u-Almeida wayiyeka yonke imisebenzi ehlangene nesonto ukuze asebenzise sonke isikhathi sakhe ekuhumusheni imiBhalo YesiHebheru. Kuyadabukisa ukuthi washona ngo-1691 esematasa nesahluko sokugcina sikaHezekeli.

Uhlelo lwesibili lweTestamente Elisha olwaqedwa ngokushesha nje ngemva kokufa kwakhe, lwanyatheliswa ngo-1693. Kubonakala sengathi ababukezi ababengalwazi kahle ulimi baphinde bawona umsebenzi wakhe. Encwadini yakhe ethi A Biblia em Portugal (IBhayibheli EPortugal), uG. L. Santos Ferreira uthi: “Ababukezi . . . benza izinguquko ezinkulu emsebenzini ka-Almeida omuhle kakhulu, bashintsha futhi bona ngisho nezinto ababukezi bohlelo lokuqala ababengazonanga.”

IBhayibheli LesiPutukezi Liyaphela

Ngemva kokufa kuka-Almeida, akuzange kusaba namuntu onogqozi lokuba kubukezwe futhi kunyatheliswe iBhayibheli lesiPutukezi eBatavia. Uhlelo lwesithathu lweTestamente Elisha lika-Almeida lwaze lwaxhaswa ngezimali ngo-1711 yinhlangano yaseLondon ebizwa ngokuthi i-Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge icelwa abashumayeli baseDashi ababeshumayela eTranquebar, eningizimu yeNdiya.

Le nhlangano yanquma ukuba kube nesakhiwo sokunyathelisa eTranquebar. Nokho, lapho usendleleni eya eNdiya, umkhumbi owawuthwele izinto zokunyathelisa namaBhayibheli athile esiPutukezi wathunjwa abaphangi basolwandle baseFrance, wagcina ushiywe ethekwini laseRio de Janeiro, eBrazil. USantos Ferreira uyabhala: “Ngasizathu simbe nangendlela abaningi abayichaza ngokuthi iyisimangaliso, amabhokisi ayenezinto zokunyathelisa atholakala esenjalo kuwo lowo mkhumbi engxenyeni engaphansi yokugcina imithwalo futhi ayiswa ngawo eTranquebar.” Abashumayeli bevangeli baseDenmark bayibukeza futhi bayinyathelisa ngokukhulu ukucophelela inguqulo ka-Almeida yezincwadi zeBhayibheli ezazisele. Umqulu wokugcina weBhayibheli lesiPutukezi wakhishwa ngo-1751, cishe ngemva kweminyaka engu-110 u-Almeida aqala umsebenzi wakhe wokuhumusha iBhayibheli.

Ifa Laphakade

U-Almeida wasibona esemncane isidingo sokuba kube neBhayibheli lesiPutukezi ukuze abantu abavamile bakwazi ukuqonda iqiniso ngolimi lwabo. Waphishekela lowo mgomo ukuphila kwakhe konke ngokuzimisela okukhulu naphezu kokuphikisa kweSonto LamaKatolika, ukuzithela ngabandayo kozakwabo, izinkinga zokubukeza ezazibonakala zingapheli kanye nempilo yakhe eyayilokhu iwohloka. Ukukhuthazela kwakhe kwavuzwa.

Imiphakathi eminingi ekhuluma isiPutukezi eyayihlala lapho u-Almeida ayeshumayela khona iye yancipha futhi eminye ayisekho, kodwa iBhayibheli lakhe lisekhona. Phakathi nekhulu leminyaka le-19, i-British and Foreign Bible Society kanye ne-American Bible Society zasakaza izinkulungwane zamakhophi enguqulo ka-Almeida ePortugal nasemadolobheni aseBrazil angasogwini. Ngenxa yalokho, amaBhayibheli ahunyushwe esuselwa embhalweni wakhe wokuqala aphakathi kwamaBhayibheli asathandwa futhi asakazwa kakhulu emazweni akhuluma isiPutukezi.

Akungabazeki ukuthi abaningi kufanele bababonge abahumushi beBhayibheli bokuqala abanjengo-Almeida. Kodwa okufanele simbonge nakakhulu nguJehova, uNkulunkulu ofuna ukuxhumana nathi, “ontando yakhe iwukuba zonke izinhlobo zabantu zisindiswe futhi zifinyelele olwazini olunembile lweqiniso.” (1 Thimothewu 2:3, 4) Eqinisweni, nguye oye walondoloza iZwi lakhe futhi walenza latholakala ukuze lisizuzise. Kwangathi singalazisa futhi silitadishe ngenkuthalo njalo leli “gugu elihle kangaka” elivela kuBaba wethu osezulwini.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 21]

IGAMA LIKANKULUNKULU

Isibonelo esiphawulekayo sobuqotho buka-Almeida njengomhumushi sisekusebenziseni igama likaNkulunkulu lapho ehumusha iTetragrammaton yesiHebheru.

[Umthombo]

Cortesia da Biblioteca da Igreja de Santa Catarina (Igreja dos Paulistas)

[Ibalazwe ekhasini 18]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

I-ATLANTIC OCEAN

IPORTUGAL

ILisbon

ITorre de Tavares

[Isithombe ekhasini 18]

IBatavia phakathi nekhulu leminyaka le-17

[Umthombo]

From Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indiën, Franciscus Valentijn, 1724

[Isithombe ekhasini 19]

Ikhasi elingaphakathi elibonisa isihloko leTestamente Elisha lokuqala lesiPutukezi elanyatheliswa ngo-1681

[Umthombo]

Courtesy Biblioteca Nacional, Portugal