In Depth:  Wycliffe Bible Translators

Imagine being in rural Kenya last March, where the Upper Pokomo people gathered in eager anticipation. After years of waiting, a joyous procession arrived carrying boxes wrapped like precious gifts. Inside lay something more valuable than gold: the New Testament in the Upper Pokomo language.

As the packages were opened, singing and dancing broke out. Then, for the very first time, God’s word was read aloud in the Upper Pokomo language. The moment was unforgettable. The Scriptures were no longer distant for the Upper Pokomo people, but they could finally hear God speak directly to them in the language they dream in, laugh in, and cry in.

One of the first translators of the Bible for the Aghem people in Cameroon was murdered during a violent attack on his village on 20 October.

He is the second member of the translation team killed in recent months. Angus Fung, a literacy coordinator in the same village in the Wum area of Cameroon, was murdered a few months prior to the October attack.

In October Wycliffe Bible Translators released its annual figures on the progress being made in Bible translation worldwide.

698 languages now have the complete Bible (up from 683 in 2018), and 1,548 languages have a complete New Testament (up from 1,534). A further 1,138 have some translated portions of the Bible (up from 1,133).

A decade-long Scripture translation project has culminated in the publication of the New Testament in the Tanzanian language of Nyakyusa, Wycliffe Bible Translators reported in July.

The launch event happened in Kyela Town, Mbeya Region, Tanzania. Despite steady rains and localised flooding, people came from throughout the Mbeya Region and abroad for a day of celebration.

The double dedication of the Wamey New Testament in Guinea and Senegal at the turn of the year represents over 30 years of translation work by Wycliffe Bible Translators and SIL Senegal.

The New Testament is available in both print and audio forms, and has been enthusiastically received, with people responding positively to the message during the translation process.

The launch on 29 December of a dictionary in the Gusilay language in preparation for a Bible translation, was greeted with joy by one Gusilay speaker, noting ‘you can’t eat with someone else’s language and be satisfied’.

The dictionary, featuring 9,000 words, is the first time that the language has been extensively collected, written down, analysed and published. David and Janet Wilkinson spearheaded the language work among the Gusilay. David said: ‘Bible translation is a long process with lots of steps along the way. Although it’s unusual for a dictionary to be completed before translation even begins, in this case it has proved a vital initial stage.’