KIGALI, Rwanda — When you hold a book in your hands you probably do not realise what went on over the years to get that book printed and into your hands. That may be more or less true for all books; but most books are completed within a relatively short time compared with a translation of the Bible.
With a Bible you can be sure that much happened during the period it was being prepared – even more happened in the many years leading up to the point where the translation began. Every Bible translation has its own history, but thankfully, not every history contains the tragic elements that are part of the making of the Kinyarwanda Bible.
For the last 20 years, the Bible Society of Rwanda has been involved in making a new translation of the Bible into the national language, Kinyarwanda, following modern translation principles that result in an accurate and clearly-understood edition which is the hallmark of the UBS. Now we are coming to the end of the time of preparation, and soon we will be able to hold the new Kinyarwanda Bible in our hands.
There exists a previous translation which continues to be bought in great quantity – a revised edition of this was produced only a few years ago. And there are plans to make another slight revision of this text (the ‘Bibliya Yera’ version) for a new printing, and to produce a large pulpit Bible in large lettering, which would also be useful for the visually impaired.
The New Testament of this version was published more than ten years ago, and it was then thoroughly revised by the team that was working on the Old Testament, as well as the revision work for the Bibliya Yera. In early 1994, the end of these translation projects was in sight when the tragic genocide which shocked the world occurred.
One ethnic group attacked another, many moderates were killed because of their views, and a brutal slaughter ensued which seemed to last for ages, the repercussions of which will be felt for years to come throughout this region of Africa. Today, there are still more killings, still groups not satisfied with the political set-up, people who refuse to consider peace. But if you walk the streets of Kigali now, there is little evidence to show that its streets were once running with blood. Of the then translation team, two were murdered, one narrowly and miraculously escaped, and the expatriate coordinator had to return to his country with his family.
Now all the books of both canons have been completed and the last stages of the translation work have been reached. These are often the most demanding, dotting the i’s, ensuring that key terms such as ‘LORD of Hosts’ or ‘Tent of the Covenant’ are rendered correctly by their Kinyarwanda equivalents, that names like Joshua or Isaiah are spelt the same wherever they occur, that opening quotation marks are all closed correctly, that no verse and no verse number is forgotten.
At the end of all this, the translation team still wants to do a final read of the text from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21, including all titles, introductions to books, section headings, references and footnotes, to eliminate any inconsistencies, pick up any lapses, big or small. Despite this, a few mistakes are bound to creep in, and as with ‘Bibliya Yera’ a revision will be needed in a few years’ time, and then maybe another one; but all that is normal for any new Bible.
Maybe in three years’ time, Rwandan Christians will be able to hold this new Bible in their hands, knowing they have a translation which is clear, accurate and modern. They might not even remember the history of its making; the witnesses might have gone, they might want to forget the past and forge the future.
What will matter to them is what lies between the covers, and that God
will speak anew to the people of Rwanda through his Holy Word. Maybe, also,
the new interconfessional Bible will encourage churches to work together
and build mutual trust and support for each other and for their national
Bible Society. (WR 330/16 - 4.98)