High hopes for revised Segond Bible

By Jan van Binsbergen, General Secretary, Francophone Bible Society of Belgium

Various editions of Belgiums new revised Segond Bible

BRAINE-LE-CHATEAU, Belgium — The revised Segond Bible, the culmination of a project lasting more than 16 years, finally went on sale in Belgium on May 31. More than 100 people attended a launch party at the new Bible House just outside Brussels, and those who purchased the revised Segond Bible received a free CD containing the Bible text and explanatory material.

An insight into the project was provided by Christian Bonnet, General Secretary of the French Bible Society, and Jean-Claude Verrechia, a leading member of the committee which oversaw the translation work and professor of New Testament Studies at the Adventist Theological College in Collonges, France.

Full-scale revision

This project was initially designed to be a relatively modest undertaking involving making additions to the 1978 Colombe Segond version. It developed into a full-scale text revision, however, when a detailed investigation undertaken by around 50 specialists from all Francophone countries, including several Roman Catholics, revealed that a clearer, more precise translation using modern vocabulary and style was required, with the Colombe Segond version having been found to be less accurate in some respects than Louis Segond’s original 1880 translation.

New software technology also provided the opportunity to add a wide range of tools, including study notes, historical information, a concordance, colour maps, an index, general introductions and introductions to each book.

The committee collaborated closely with more than 120 Christian leaders and with UBS translation consultants and were able to respond to advice and suggestions, including a request from the African Bible Societies to add a concordance. The diverse nature of the committee, representing all the main strands of Protestantism, ensured that the finished product, which is available in three different formats, respects both the intelligence and the beliefs of potential users.

An incident soon after the launch gave a foretaste of the potential impact of the revised Segond Bible. A pastor at a Belgian church was preparing to deliver his sermon, but had been unable to find a version of the Bible which really expressed what he felt his text was saying.

Ideal

He was sitting next to a young man who had already purchased a copy of the new Bible. He glanced at it, and realised that it was ideal for his purposes. He used the Bible when preaching, and the young man then purchased a second copy to present to the pastor.
Those involved in the project feel that they have paved the way for the success of this version by working both for and with potential users, and are now praying that it will become a tool for the extension of God’s work.