“IBhayibheli Lomunwe Owodwa”

NGEMVA kokukhubazeka okwabangelwa ukugula, uJoseph Schereschewsky wayekwazi ukubhala ngomshini kuphela, esebenzisa umunwe owodwa. Noma kunjalo wawufinyelela umgomo wakhe—wokuhumushela iBhayibheli olimini lwesiShayina, olunye lwezilimi okunzima ngomuntu wakwelinye izwe ukuba alwazi.

Nakuba ayengumJuda ngokozalo, uSchereschewsky wahlola futhi wamukela ubuKristu lapho esekhulile. Ekugcineni waba isithunywa sevangeli eChina. Elapho, wahlanganyela emisebenzini eminingi yokuhumusha, kusukela ngo-1866 waqhubeka kwaze kwaba seminyakeni yokuqala yekhulu lama-20. Ngenxa yesizinda sakhe sobuJuda, uSchereschewsky wayesazi kangcono isiHeberu kunezazi ayesebenza nazo. Ngakho-ke, waphathiswa umsebenzi wokuhumusha yonke imiBhalo YesiHeberu. Ngasekupheleni komsebenzi wakhe wesikhathi eside, wakhipha nenguqulo yeBhayibheli eliphelele elinezikhombo ngesiShayina.

Njengomhumushi weBhayibheli, uJoseph Schereschewsky wakumelela ngentshiseko ukutholakala kwezinguqulo ngolimi oluvamile. Kodwa umsebenzi wakhe wawungelula neze. I-Book of a Thousand Tongues, ithi usizo alunikeza ekuhunyushweni kweBhayibheli lesiShayina luyingqayizivele, “ngenxa yokuthi umsebenzi wakhe wawumkhulu futhi wafezwa naphezu kokukhubazeka.”

Ngemva kokuba izandla zikaSchereschewsky sezikhubazekile, waqhubeka nomsebenzi wakhe. Ukubhala ngomshini kwakudinga umzamo wangempela, njengoba izandla zakhe zazingasasebenzi ngendlela evamile. Ngakho-ke waqamba le nguqulo yakhe ngokuthi iBhayibheli lomunwe owodwa. USchereschewsky wakhuthazela iminyaka engu-25 ukuze aliqede naphezu kokukhubazeka kwakhe. Ngokuphikelela, waba nengxenye ekwenzeni iZwi likaNkulunkulu liqondakale ngesiShayina—ulimi olukhulunywa abantu abaningi kunanoma iluphi olunye.

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 11]

Both images: Courtesy of American Bible Society Archives