IBhayibheli Elilotshwe Ngolimi Lokuphila Kwansuku Zonke

“UMA ukholelwa ukuthi iBhayibheli liyizwi likaNkulunkulu kubantu, lokho kusho ukuthi uNkulunkulu ukhuluma nathi. . . . Uma inkolo yakho ithinta konke ukuphila kwakho, khona-ke ulimi [lweBhayibheli] kumelwe kube ulimi lokuphila kwansuku zonke.” Sabhala kanjalo isazi u-Alan Duthie encwadini yaso ethi Bible Translations: And How to Choose Between Them.

Abathandi beZwi LikaNkulunkulu bavumelana nalokho ngenhliziyo yonke. Bakukholelwa ngokuqinile ukuthi “yonke imiBhalo iphefumulelwe uNkulunkulu futhi inenzuzo yokufundisa, yokusola, yokuqondisa izinto, yokuyala ekulungeni.” (2 Thimothewu 3:16) IBhayibheli aliyona neze incwadi yamazwi enkolo ayisidala futhi ayisicefe. “Liyaphila futhi linamandla,” linikeza amakhambi angempela ezinkingeni zokuphila kwansuku zonke. (Heberu 4:12) Nokho, ukuze lencwadi engcwele iqondwe futhi isetshenziswe abafundi bayo kumelwe ibe ngolimi lokuphila kwansuku zonke. Kakade, lokho okubizwa ngokuthi iTestamente Elisha akulotshwanga ngesiGreki sezinga eliphezulu esasisetshenziswa izazi zefilosofi ezinjengoPlato, kodwa kwalotshwa ngesiGreki esivamile, sansuku zonke esasibizwa ngokuthi isiKoine. Yebo, iBhayibheli lalotshelwa ukuba lifundwe futhi liqondwe abantu abavamile.

Ukuze kufezwe lenjongo, eminyakeni yamuva kuye kwakhiqizwa izinguqulo eziningi ngezilimi zanamuhla ezihlukahlukene. Ngokwengxenye enkulu umphumela uye waba ngozuzisayo ngempela. ImiBhalo iye yenziwa yatholakala ngokwengeziwe engxenyeni enkulu yomphakathi. Noma kunjalo, eziningi zalezizinguqulo ezintsha zisilela ngokudabukisayo uma kuziwa ekunembeni okungabandlululi nasekungaguquguqukini. Ngokwesibonelo, abanye bathambekela ekusithibezeni izimfundiso zeBhayibheli ezicacile ngokuphathelene nesimo sabafile, umphefumulo womuntu, negama likaNkulunkulu weqiniso.

Ngakho abathandi beZwi likaNkulunkulu bayakwamukela ukukhululwa kwe-Nguqulo Yezwe Elisha YemiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki ngolimi lwesiZulu. OFakazi BakaJehova bamemezela ukukhululwa kwalenguqulo yosuku lwanamuhla eMihlanganweni YesiGodi Yokwesaba UNkulunkulu. Njengoba ingathonyiwe izivumo zokholo, inembe ngendlela eyingqayizivele ekuhumusheni kwayo, ngaleyondlela ikwenza kube nokwenzeka ukuliqonda ngokujulile iBhayibheli okuyinto esikhathini esingaphambili ababengakwazi ukuyifinyelela labo ababengajwayelene nezilimi zasendulo. Nokho ungase uzibuze, iwumsebenzi kabani lenguqulo ephawulekayo?

Abahumushi Abakhazimulisa UNkulunkulu

Nakuba INguqulo Yezwe Elisha YemiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki ingase ibe yintsha kubantu abakhuluma isiZulu, eqinisweni ibilokhu ikhona kusukela ngo-1950. Ngalesosikhathi yakhululwa ngolimi lwesiNgisi yi-Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society—iNhlangano YeBhayibheli yezizwe zonke enomlando omude wokusakaza iBhayibheli. Isihloko salenguqulo entsha—esiwukwehluka okudinga isibindi endleleni eyisiko yokuhlukanisa iBhayibheli libe itestamente “elisha” ‘nelidala’—sasingeyodwa nje ezindleleni eziningi lenguqulo eyayizoba ngehluke ngazo. INqabayokulinda yesiNgisi ka-September 15, 1950, yathi: “Amadoda akha ikomiti yokuhumusha aye azwakalisa isifiso sawo . . . sokuba ahlale engaziwa, futhi ngokukhethekile awafuni ukuba amagama awo asakazwe lapho esaphila noma ngemva kokufa. Injongo yalenguqulo iwukuphakamisa igama likaNkulunkulu ophilayo, weqiniso.”

I-New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, uhlelo oluwumqulu owodwa lwalo lonke iBhayibheli, yakhululwa ngo-1961. Futhi nakuba amagama abahumushi bayo elokhu engaziwa kuze kube ilolusuku, akukho okungabazekayo ngokuqondene nezisusa zabo noma ukujula kokuzinikela kwabo. Isandulela sohlelo luka-1984 sathi: “Ukuhumusha imiBhalo Engcwele kusho ukubeka ngolunye ulimi imicabango namazwi kaJehova uNkulunkulu . . . Abahumushi balenguqulo, abesaba futhi abathanda umBhali Waphezulu wemiBhalo Engcwele, bazizwa benomthwalo wemfanelo okhethekile kuYe wokuba badlulisele imicabango nezimemezelo zakhe ngokunembe ngangokunokwenzeka.”

Naphezu kwezinhloso zawo ezinhle, ingabe amalungu ekomiti ayekufanelekela ukwenza lomsebenzi? Ezinye izazi ezinganelisekile zaphikisa ngokuthi ngaphandle kokuba kuvezwe amagama abahumushi nokufaneleka kwabo kwezemfundo, lenguqulo kumelwe ichilizelwe eceleni ngokushesha njengewumsebenzi wezimfundamakhwela. Kodwa akuzona zonke izazi eziye zathatha ukuma okunjalo okungenangqondo. “Ingabe ukwazi ukuthi bangobani abahumushi noma abasakazi benguqulo ethile yeBhayibheli kuyasisiza ekunqumeni ukuthi leyonguqulo ingeyezinga elihle noma cha? Akunjalo ngokuqondile. Ayikho into engathatha isikhundla sokuhlola izici zenguqulo ngayinye ngokwayo,” kubhala u-Alan S. Duthie.a

Izinkulungwane zabafundi zenze lokho kanye. Kuze kube manje sekunyatheliswe amakhophi angu-81 500 000 e-Nguqulo Yezwe Elisha ngezilimi ezingu-12 emhlabeni wonke. Yini eye yatholwa abafundi bayo abaningi?

Inguqulo Engcwelisa Igama LikaNkulunkulu

KuMathewu 6:9, uJesu wafundisa abafundi bakhe ukuba bathandaze bathi: “Baba wethu osemazulwini, malingcweliswe igama lakho.” Kodwa, ezinguqulweni eziningi, uNkulunkulu uyisiqu esingenagama, esibizwa kuphela ngesiqu esithi “Nkulunkulu” noma “Nkosi.” Nokho, ekuqaleni kwakungenjalo. UNkulunkulu wayebizwa ngokucacile cishe izikhathi ezingu-7 000 emiBhalweni YesiHeberu ngegama lakhe siqu elithi “Jehova.” (Eksodusi 3:15; IHubo 83:18) Eminyakeni yakamuva ukwesaba okusekelwe ekukholelweni ezeni kwabangela abantu abangamaJuda ukuba bayeke ukusebenzisa igama laphezulu. Ngemva kokufa kwabaphostoli bakaJesu, lombono oyinkolelo-ze wangena ebandleni lobuKristu. (Qhathanisa nezEnzo 20:29, 30; 1 Thimothewu 4:1.) Abakopishi bezingxenye zesiGreki zemiBhalo baqala ukufaka esikhundleni segama likaNkulunkulu siqu, elithi Jehova, amagama esiGreki elithi Kyʹri·os nelithi The·osʹ, asho ukuthi “Nkosi” nokuthi “Nkulunkulu.”

Ngokujabulisayo, INguqulo Yezwe Elisha iye yathatha isinyathelo sesibindi sokubuyisela igama elithi Jehova emiBhalweni YamaKristu YesiGreki (“iTestamente Elisha”), okuyigama elivela lapho izikhathi ezingu-237. Lokhukubuyisela akusekelwe ekuzithandeleni kwabahumushi, kodwa kunalokho, kusekelwe ekucwaningeni okunengqondo kokucophelela. Ngokwesibonelo, uLuka 4:18 ucaphuna amazwi ka-Isaya 61:1. Embhalweni wokuqala wesiHeberu, igama elithi Jehova lalivela kulelovesi ku-Isaya.b Khona-ke, ngokufanelekile, e-Nguqulweni Yezwe Elisha uLuka 4:18 uhunyushwe ngokuthi: “Umoya kaJehova uphezu kwami, ngoba ungigcobe ukuba ngimemezele izindaba ezinhle kwabampofu.”

Ukuhumusha okunjalo futhi kusiza abafundi ukuba bahlukanise uJehova uNkulunkulu neNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa, uJesu Kristu. Ngokwesibonelo, izinguqulo eziningi zihumusha uMathewu 22:44 njengothi: “INkosi yathi eNkosini yami.” Kodwa ubani okhuluma nobani? Eqinisweni, lelivesi liyingcaphuno evela kumaHubo 110:1, elinegama laphezulu embhalweni wesiHeberu wokuqala. Ngakho-ke INguqulo Yezwe Elisha ihumusha lelivesi ngokuthi: “UJehova wathi eNkosini yami: ‘Hlala ngakwesokunene sami ngize ngibeke izitha zakho phansi kwezinyawo zakho.’” Ukuqonda umehluko owenziwa imiBhalo phakathi kukaJehova uNkulunkulu neNdodana yakhe akuyona indaba ethinta ingqondo kuphela. (Marku 13:32; Johane 8:17, 18; 14:28) Kubalulekile ekusindisweni komuntu. IzEnzo 2:21 zithi: “Wonke umuntu obiza igama likaJehova uyosindiswa.”

Ukunemba Nokucaca

Kukhona izici ezengeziwe ezivelele ze-Nguqulo Yezwe Elisha. Kwakhethwa umbhalo wesiGreki oyinhloko ocubungulisisiwe kaWestcott noHort njengesisekelo esiyinhloko salenguqulo. Kwabe sekunakekelwa ngesineke ukuba kuhunyushwe isiGreki sokuqala ngokunembe nangokungaguquguquki ngangokunokwenzeka ngolimi olulula nolwanamuhla. Ukwenza kanjalo akulondolozanga nje kuphela ubumnandi nokucaca kwemibhalo yokuqala yeBhayibheli kodwa futhi kwenza kwaba nokwenzeka ukuqondakala kwayo okujulile.

Ngokwesibonelo cabangela umbhalo okweyabaseRoma 13:1, lapho umphostoli uPawulu enxusa khona amaKristu ukuba ‘azithobe emagunyeni aphakeme,’ noma kohulumeni bezwe. Izinguqulo eziningi ziqhubeka zithi labohulumeni “bagcotshwe uNkulunkulu” noma “bamiswe uNkulunkulu.” (King James Version; Jerusalem Bible) Abanye ababusi baye basebenzisa ukuhumusha okunjalo ukuze bavune ukubusa kwabo konya. Kodwa ngokuhumusha kwayo ngokwezwi nezwi nangokunembile okuyizici eziyiphawulayo, INguqulo Yezwe Elisha ihumusha lelivesi ngokuthi “amagunya akhona ami ezikhundleni zawo ezilinganiselwe ebekwe uNkulunkulu.”c Manje sekungaqondakala ukuthi nakuba uNkulunkulu engabakhethi ngokwakhe ababusi bezwe, uyabavumela abantu abanjalo ukuba bathathe izikhundla zegunya eziqhathanisekayo nezabanye—kodwa ngaso sonke isikhathi eziphansi kwesakhe.

INguqulo Yezwe Elisha futhi ilwela ukuveza umahlukwana omncane ovezwa isimo sesenzo sesiGreki. Ezilimini eziningi zanamuhla, izenzo ziyahlanganiswa ukuze kuvezwe inkathi yesenzo—okuwukuthi inkathi edlule, eyamanje, noma ezayo. NgesiGreki izenzo futhi ziveza ukuthi luhlobo luni lwesenzo oluhilelekile—ukuthi singesesikhashana, siphelile, noma siyaqhubeka yini. Cabangela amazwi kaJesu kuMathewu 6:33. Isenzo sesiGreki esisho ukuthi “funa” sidlulisela umqondo wesenzo esiqhubekayo. Kanjalo umongo ophelele wamazwi kaJesu uvezwa ekuhumusheni okuthi: “Khona-ke, qhubekani nifuna kuqala umbuso nokulunga kwakhe, futhi zonke lezi ezinye izinto ziyonezelwa kini.” Ngokufanayo, uMathewu 7:7 uhunyushwe ngokuthi: “Qhubekani nicela, niyophiwa; qhubekani nifuna, niyothola; qhubekani ningqongqoza, niyovulelwa.”—Bheka futhi eyabaseRoma 1:32; 6:2; Galathiya 5:15.

INguqulo Yezwe Elisha yenza umzamo omkhulu wokuhumusha amagama ayinhloko ngendlela engaguquguquki nefanayo. Ngokwesibonelo, igama lesiGreki elithi psy·khe,ʹ lihunyushwe ngokuthi “umphefumulo” endaweni ngayinye lapho livela khona. Ngenxa yalokho, abafundi bangabona ngokushesha ukuthi, ngokuphambene nemibono yenkolo, umphefumulo awuwona ongenakufa. Ungabhubha, ufe.—Mathewu 2:20; Marku 3:4; Luka 6:9; 17:33.

Ukwenza IZwi LikaNkulunkulu Litholakale Emhlabeni Wonke

Ukukhululwa kwemiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki ngesiZulu kumane nje kuyisiqalo. Sekuhleliwe ukuba ngesikhathi esifanele kuhunyushwe lonke iBhayibheli. Nokho, ingabe abafundi bangaqiniseka ukuthi inguqulo yesiZulu iyonemba futhi ingaguquguquki njengozakwabo wesiNgisi?

Ngokuqinisekile. Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi umsebenzi wokuhumusha ubuqondiswa ngokuseduze yi-Watch Tower Society. Ngokuhlakanipha, kwanqunywa ukuthi ukuhunyushwa kweBhayibheli okwenziwa kwamanye amazwe kungasingathwa kangcono kakhulu uma kwenziwa amaqembu. Kanjalo emazweni amaningi emhlabeni wonke kwasungulwa amaqembu ahumusha iBhayibheli. Kwamiswa futhi nomnyango obizwa ngokuthi iTranslation Services endlunkulu ye-Watch Tower Society, eBrooklyn, eNew York, ukuba uhlangabezane nezidingo zalawomaqembu, uphendule imibuzo, nokuba uqinisekise ukuthi kunokuvumelana ezinhlelweni zezilimi ezihlukahlukene ze-Nguqulo Yezwe Elisha. I-Watch Tower Society futhi iye yakha ithuluzi eliwusizo kakhulu, okuwukuthi, isimiso se-computer sokusiza abahumushi beBhayibheli. Nokho lokhu kuseyiqiniso: Umsebenzi wokuhumusha usamdinga kakhulu umuntu. Kodwa ukusebenzisa i-computer kuye kwawenza waba lula kakhulu umgomo ophakeme obekelwe amaqembu ahumusha iBhayibheli, wokuhumusha INguqulo Yezwe Elisha ngokunemba nangokungaguquguquki okufanayo njengoba kwenza inguqulo yokuqala yesiNgisi. Phakathi kokunye, lesisimiso sokuhumusha sibonisa indlela igama ngalinye lesiHeberu nelesiGreki elihunyushwe ngayo ohlelweni lwesiNgisi—okuwusizo olukhulu kubahumushi ekukhetheni amagama olimi lwabo.

Ukuphumelela kwalamalungiselelo kungabonakala ngokushesha ngokumane nje ubheke imiphumela. Sikunxusa ukuba uyihlole INguqulo Yezwe Elisha YemiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki. Ungayithola kubasakazi balomagazini. Futhi uyojabulela nezici zayo eziningi ezikhethekile: amagama abhalwe ngezinhlamvu ezicacile, ezifundekayo; izihloko ezingenhla ekhasini ngalinye, ezikusiza ukuba uwathole ngokushesha amavesi ajwayelekile; amabalazwe aningiliziwe; nesithasiselo esihlaba umxhwele. Okubaluleke nakakhulu, leliBhayibheli ungalifunda ngokuqiniseka kokuthi lidlulisela ngokunembile wona kanye amazwi kaNkulunkulu ngolimi lwansuku zonke.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 24, 25]

Izici ze-Nguqulo Yezwe Elisha:

Kwanakekelwa ngesineke ukuba kuhunyushwe isiGreki sokuqala ngokunembile nangokwezwi nezwi ngangokunokwenzeka ngolimi olulula, losuku lwanamuhla

Izinhlamvu ezifundeka kalula zenza ukufunda kujabulise

Izihloko ezingenhla ekhasini ngalinye zenza kube lula ukuthola amavesi eBhayibheli avamile ngokushesha

Amabalazwe aningiliziwe asiza abafundi ukuba bandise ukuqonda kwabo isimo sezwe leBhayibheli

Ukucaca ‘kwe-Nguqulo Yezwe Elisha’ kuwusizo olukhulu enkonzweni yobuKristu

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 24]

By courtesy of the Director and University Librarian, The John Rylands University of Manchester

[Isithombe ekhasini 23]

Ababhali beBhayibheli abanjengomphostoli uPawulu babhala ngolimi lokuphila kwansuku zonke