Ingqopha-mlando Kubathandi BeZwi LikaNkulunkulu

Ngo-1998 kwafinyelelwa ingqopha-mlando ebalulekile kubo bonke abathandi beZwi likaNkulunkulu. Phakathi nalowo nyaka, kwanyatheliswa ikhophi eyenza amakhophi anyathelisiwe e-“New World Translation” of the Holy Scriptures aba izigidi eziyikhulu. Ngenxa yalokho iye yaba elinye lamaBhayibheli asakazwe kabanzi kunawo wonke anyatheliswe kuleli khulu!

LE NGQOPHA-MLANDO ingephawuleka ngokukhethekile lapho kucatshangelwa ukuthi lapho le nguqulo ikhululwa, yagxekwa kanzima. Nokho, ayizange isinde nje kuphela kodwa iye yaphumelela, ingena ezigidini zamakhaya—nasezinhliziyweni—emhlabeni wonke! Ivelaphi le nguqulo eyingqayizivele? Obani abahilelekile? Futhi ungase uzuze kanjani ngokuyisebenzisa?

Kungani Kwadingeka Inguqulo Entsha?

Sekuyiminyaka engaphezu kweyikhulu i-Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, inhlangano engokomthetho emelela oFakazi BakaJehova, isakaza amaBhayibheli. Nokho, kungani oFakazi BakaJehova babona kudingeka ukuba kwenziwe enye inguqulo yeZwi likaNkulunkulu? Incwadi ethi So Many Versions?, kaSakae Kubo noWalter Specht, yaphawula: “Ayikho inguqulo yeBhayibheli engake ibhekwe njengeyokugcina ukunyatheliswa. Izinguqulo kumelwe zihambisane nolwazi lweBhayibheli olwandayo nokushintsha kolimi.”

Kuleli khulu leminyaka siye saqondwa ngendlela ephawulekayo isiHeberu, isiGreki nesi-Aramaic—izilimi iBhayibheli elalotshwa ngazo okokuqala. Futhi, kuye kwatholakala imibhalo yesandla yeBhayibheli emidala nenembe kakhulu kunaleyo eyayisetshenziswa izizukulwane zangaphambili zabahumushi beBhayibheli. Ngakho, namuhla iZwi likaNkulunkulu lingahunyushwa ngokunembe kakhulu kunanini ngaphambili! Kwakungesizathu esihle-ke ukuba kumiswe iKomiti Yezwe Elisha Yokuhumusha IBhayibheli ukuze yenze umsebenzi wokuhumushela iBhayibheli ezilimini zanamuhla.

Ngo-1950 kwanyatheliswa INguqulo Yezwe Elisha YemiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki ngolimi lwesiNgisi. Isihloko ngokwaso sasihluke kakhulu kwezivamile, silahla ukubizwa kwezingxenye zeBhayibheli ngokuthi itestamente “Elidala” netestamente “Elisha.” Phakathi neshumi leminyaka elalandela, izingxenye zemiBhalo YesiHeberu zanyatheliswa kancane kancane. Ngo-1961 kwakhululwa umqulu walo lonke iBhayibheli ngesiNgisi.

Obani ngempela abahumusha leli Bhayibheli eliphawulekayo? INqabayokulinda (yesiNgisi) ka-September 15, 1950, yathi: “Amadoda akha ikomiti yokuhumusha aye aveza isifiso sawo . . . sokungaziwa, futhi awafuni ikakhulukazi ukuba amagama awo aziswe esaphila noma ngemva kokufa kwawo. Injongo yenguqulo iwukuphakamisa igama likaNkulunkulu weqiniso ophilayo.” Abagxeki bathi lowo msebenzi kufanele uvele nje ubhekwe njengomkhiqizo wezimfunda-makhwela, kodwa akubona bonke ababa naleso simo sengqondo esibonisa ukungacabangi. U-Alan S. Duthie wabhala: “Uma sazi ukuthi obani abahumushi noma abanyathelisi benguqulo ethile yeBhayibheli, ingabe kuyasisiza ukuba sinqume ukuthi leyo nguqulo yinhle noma yimbi? Hhayi ngokuqondile. Ayikho into engathatha isikhundla sokuhlola izici zenguqulo ngayinye ngokwayo.”a

Izici Eziyingqayizivele

Izigidi zabafundi ziye zafunda futhi zathola ukuthi i-New World Translation ayigcini ngokufundeka kahle kodwa futhi inembe kakhulu. Abahumushi bayo babesebenza besuka olimini lokuqala lwesiHeberu, isi-Aramu nesiGreki, besebenzisa amakhophi angcono kakhulu angatholakala.b Kuye kwaqikelelwa ngendlela engavamile ukuba kuhunyushwe umbhalo wakudala ngokwezwi nezwi ngangokunokwenzeka kodwa ngolimi oluyoqondakala kalula. Ngenxa yalokho, ezinye izazi ziye zayincoma le nguqulo ngenxa yobuqotho nokunemba kwayo. Ngokwesibonelo, i-Andover Newton Quarterly ka-January 1963 yathi: “Inguqulo yeTestamente Elisha iwubufakazi bokuthi kule nhlangano kunezazi ezikufanelekelayo ukusingatha ngobuhlakani izinkinga eziningi zokuhumusha iBhayibheli.”

Abahumushi benza iBhayibheli laqondwa kabusha. Imibhalo yeBhayibheli eyayingaqondwa ngokucacile ngaphambili yacaca ngokuphawulekayo. Ngokwesibonelo, umbhalo odidayo kuMathewu 5:3 othi, “babusisiwe abampofu emoyeni,” wahunyushwa ngendlela enengqondo ethi: “Bayajabula abaqaphela isidingo sabo esingokomoya.” I-New World Translation ayiguquguquki lapho ihumusha amagama ayinhloko. Ngokwesibonelo, igama lesiGreki elithi psy·kheʹ lahunyushwa ngokuthi “umphefumulo” endaweni ngayinye elivela kuyo. Ngenxa yalokho, abafundi bangaqonda ngokushesha ukuthi, ngokuphambene nezinkolelo-mbono zenkolo, umphefumulo uyafa!—Mathewu 2:20; Marku 3:4; Luka 6:9; 17:33.

Ukubuyisela Igama LikaNkulunkulu

Isici esivelele se-New World Translation sihilela ukubuyiselwa kwegama likaNkulunkulu, elithi Jehova. Emakhophini asendulo eBhayibheli lesiHeberu, igama laphezulu limelelwa ongwaqa abane abangase baguqulwe babe ngu-YHWH noma JHVH. Leli gama elimhlukanisayo livela izikhathi ezithi azibe ngu-7 000 kulokho okubizwa ngokuthi iTestamente Elidala lilodwa. (Eksodusi 3:15; IHubo 83:18) Ngokusobala, uMdali wethu wayehlose ukuba abakhulekeli bakhe balazi futhi balisebenzise lelo gama!

Nokho, ukwesaba okusekelwe enkolelweni eyize kwabangela ukuba amaJuda ayeke ukusebenzisa igama laphezulu. Ngemva kokufa kwabaphostoli bakaJesu, abakopishi bemiBhalo YesiGreki baqala ukufaka amagama esiGreki athi Kyʹri·os (Nkosi) noma The·osʹ (Nkulunkulu) esikhundleni segama likaNkulunkulu siqu. Kuyadabukisa ukusho ukuthi abahumushi banamuhla baye baliqhubekisela phambili leli siko elingamhloniphi uNkulunkulu, bakhipha igama likaNkulunkulu emaBhayibhelini amaningi, baze bafihla nanokuthi uNkulunkulu unegama. Ngokwesibonelo, kuJohane 17:6 kunamazwi kaJesu athi: “Ngilibonakalisile igama lakho.” Nokho, i-Today’s English Version iwahumusha ngokuthi: “Ngikwenze waziwa.”

Ezinye izazi zivikela isenzo sokukhishwa kwegama laphezulu ngenxa yokuthi ayaziwa indlela eqondile yokuliphimisela. Nokho, amagama eBhayibheli avamile anjengelithi Jeremiya, Isaya nelithi Jesu ahunyushwa njalo ngezindlela ezingasondeli kangako endleleni yokuqala yokuwaphimisela yesiHeberu. Njengoba ukuthi Jehova kuyindlela efanelekayo yokuhumusha igama laphezulu—nevamile kubantu abaningi—kubonakala kungeqotho ukwenqaba ukuyisebenzisa.

Ngesibindi, iKomiti Yezwe Elisha Yokuhumusha IBhayibheli yathatha isinyathelo sokusebenzisa igama elithi Jehova kokubili ezingxenyeni zemiBhalo yesiHeberu neyesiGreki. Yayandulelwe izinguqulo zezithunywa zevangeli zakuqala ezazihumushela abantu baseMelika Ephakathi, eSouth Pacific naseMpumalanga. Nokho, ukusetshenziswa okunjalo kwegama likaNkulunkulu akuyona nje into yobuciko bolwazi. Ukwazi igama likaNkulunkulu kubaluleke kakhulu ukuze simazi njengomuntu. (Eksodusi 34:6, 7) I-New World Translation iye yakhuthaza izigidi zabafundi ukuba zilisebenzise igama lakhe!

Ukufinyelela Abantu Abangakhulumi IsiNgisi

Phakathi kuka-1963 no-1989, i-New World Translation yatholakala, iphelele noma ingxenye yayo, ngezilimi eziyishumi ezengeziwe. Nokho, umsebenzi wokuhumusha wawunzima, kokunye uthatha iminyaka engu-20 noma ngaphezulu. Khona-ke, ngo-1989 kwamiswa uMnyango Wezinkonzo Zokuhumusha endlunkulu yomhlaba wonke yoFakazi BakaJehova. Ngaphansi kokuqondiswa iKomiti Yokubhala YeNdikimba Ebusayo, lo mnyango wasebenzela ukusheshisa umsebenzi wokuhumusha iBhayibheli. Kwasungulwa indlela yokuhumusha ehlanganisa ukucwaningwa kwamagama eBhayibheli ngobuchwepheshe be-computer. Isebenza kanjani le ndlela?

Lapho iKomiti Yokubhala isigunyaze ukuhunyushelwa kweBhayibheli olimini olusha, imisa iqembu lamaKristu azinikezele ukuba lihumushe. Amaqembu angenza izinguqulo ezinokulinganisela kunalezo ezingenziwa umuntu osebenza yedwa. (Qhathanisa nezAga 11:14.) Ngokuvamile, ilungu ngalinye leqembu linolwazi ekuhumusheni izincwadi zeNhlangano. Lelo qembu libe seliqeqeshwa kakhulu ngokuphathelene nezimiso zokuhumusha iBhayibheli kanye nokusebenzisa izinhlelo ze-computer ezenzelwe leyo njongo ngokukhethekile. I-computer ayenzi umsebenzi wokuhumusha ngokwawo, kodwa ingenza iqembu lithole ukwaziswa okubalulekile futhi ilisize likwazi ukugcina umbhalo wezinqumo elizenzayo.

Umsebenzi wokuhumusha iBhayibheli unezingxenye ezimbili. Engxenyeni yokuqala, abahumushi banikwa uhlu lwamagama namazwi asetshenziswe kuyi-New World Translation yesiNgisi. Amagama esiNgisi ahlobene, anjengokuthi “atone,” “atonement,” nelithi “propitiation,” abekwa ndawonye, kuqasheliswa abahumushi ngezincazelo zawo ezihlukene ezifihlekile. Bakha uhlu lolimi lomdabu lwalawo magama. Nokho, ngezinye izikhathi umhumushi angase akuthole kunzima ukuhumusha ivesi elithile. Isimiso sokucwaninga se-computer sinikeza umhumushi ukwaziswa okuphathelene namagama esiGreki nawesiHeberu futhi simenza akwazi ukubheka nezincwadi ze-Watch Tower Society.

Lapho umsebenzi uthuthukela engxenyeni yesibili, lawo magama olimi lomdabu abe esefakwa emibhalweni yeBhayibheli nge-computer. Lokhu kwenza kuhumusheke ngokunembile nangokungaguquguquki. Nokho, imibhalo eyakheka ngale nqubo ‘yokucingwa nokufakwa’ kwamagama ayifundeki. Kumelwe kwenziwe umsebenzi omkhulu wokulungisa nokubeka kabusha amavesi eBhayibheli ukuze afundeke kahle.

Le ndlela yokuhumusha iye yabonakala iphumelela ngokuphawulekayo. Elinye iqembu lakwazi ukuhumusha yonke imiBhalo YesiHeberu ngeminyaka emibili kuphela. Qhathanisa leli qembu nalelo elasebenza ngolimi oluthi alufane ngaphandle kosizo lwe-computer. Kwalithatha iminyaka engu-16. Manje, imiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki isinyatheliswe ngezilimi ezingu-18 ezengeziwe kusukela ngo-1989. I-New World Translation manje itholakala, iyonke noma ingxenye yayo, ngezilimi ezingu-34. Ngakho amaphesenti angaphezu kuka-80 oFakazi BakaJehova okungenani anemiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki ngolimi lwawo.

I-United Bible Societies ibika ukuthi ezilimini ezingu-6 500 zomhlaba, izingxenye zeBhayibheli zitholakala ngezilimi ezingu-2 212 kuphela.c Ngakho, abahumushi abangaba yikhulu basebenzela ukwenza i-New World Translation yemiBhalo YesiHeberu ngezilimi ezingu-11 neyemiBhalo YesiGreki ngezilimi ezingu-8. Intando kaNkulunkulu “iwukuba zonke izinhlobo zabantu zisindiswe futhi zifinyelele olwazini olunembile lweqiniso.” (1 Thimothewu 2:4) Akungabazeki ukuthi i-New World Translation izoqhubeka inendima ebalulekile kulokhu.

Ngakho-ke siyajabula ngokuthi le nguqulo iye yadlula inani eliyingqopha-mlando lamakhophi ayizigidi eziyikhulu, futhi sithandazela ukuba kunyatheliswe izigidi eziningi ngokwengeziwe ngesikhathi esizayo. Sikukhuthaza ukuba uzihlolele yona ngokwakho. Uzozijabulela izici eziningi ezikhethekile: izinhlamvu zamagama ezicacile, izihloko zamakhasi, izikhombo ezingakusiza ukuba uthole amavesi ajwayelekile, ibalazwe eliningiliziwe nesithasiselo esithakazelisayo. Okubaluleke nakakhulu, leli Bhayibheli ungalifunda uqiniseka ukuthi liwadlulisela ngokunembile amazwi kaNkulunkulu ngolimi lwakho.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 29]

“Inguqulo yeTestamente Elisha iwubufakazi bokuthi kule nhlangano kunezazi ezikufanelekelayo ukusingatha ngobuhlakani izinkinga eziningi zokuhumusha iBhayibheli.”—ANDOVER NEWTON QUARTERLY, JANUARY 1963

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 30]

“Izinguqulo kumelwe zihambisane nolwazi lweBhayibheli olwandayo nokushintsha kolimi.”

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 31]

IZAZI ZINCOMA I-NEW WORLD TRANSLATION

NGOKUPHATHELENE ne-Nguqulo Yezwe Elisha YemiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki, u-Edgar J. Goodspeed, umhumushi ‘weTestamente Elisha’ kuyi-American Translation, encwadini ka-December 8, 1950 wabhala: “Nginesithakazelo enkonzweni eyenziwa abantu benu, nokusabalala kwayo emhlabeni wonke, futhi ngiyithande kakhulu inguqulo ezwakalayo, eqondile necacile. Ibonisa ulwazi olunzulu nolunengqondo, njengoba ngingakufakazela lokho.”

Isazi sesiHeberu nesiGreki u-Alexander Thomson sabhala: “Ngokusobala le nguqulo iwumsebenzi wezazi ezinekhono nezihlakaniphile, eziye zazama ukuveza umqondo wangempela wombhalo wesiGreki ngezinga ulimi lwesiNgisi elingakwazi ukuwuveza ngalo.”—The Differentiator, April 1952, amakhasi 52-7.

UProfesa Benjamin Kedar, isazi sesiHeberu sakwa-Israel, ngo-1989 sathi: “Ekucwaningeni kwami kolimi ngokuphathelene neBhayibheli lesiHeberu nezinguqulo, ngivame ukubhekisela enguqulweni yesiNgisi eyaziwa ngokuthi i-New World Translation. Ngokwenza kanjalo, ngithola imizwa yami iqinisekiswa ngokuphindaphindiwe ukuthi le nguqulo ibonisa umzamo oqotho wokwenza umbhalo uqondwe ngokunembe ngangokunokwenzeka.”