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Thursday October 25, 2007

New Translation of the Bible into Tzeltal of Bachajón

José Lopez, México, December 4, 2006

Eleven years of intense work on the part of translators from the United Bible Societies Taxi Heathrow Airport (SBU in Spanish), missionaries and pastors of the Tzeltal churches, came to fruition when more than four thousand persons gathered in the ample garden of the “Alfa and Omega” Presbyterian Seminary to, at long last, receive the Word of God in a language they can understand.

The Reverend Abner López, General Director of the Bible Society of Mexico, the principal promoter of the project, expressed to all his joy because of the work accomplished and promised to continue the same work with other languages of the country. Four years earlier, the Society had presented the Bible in the Zotzil Chamula language.

Luis Enrique Pérez Bedolla, Director of Ministers of Worship for the Office of Religious Matters of the country’s Department of the Interior, pointed out that this represents a great achievement by the churches of the area, as well as for the culture and history of the people of Chiapas.

In turn, Dr. Antonio Lara, Regional Secretary for the Americas of the United Bible Societies, said that it is, once again, the fulfillment of the institution’s motto: “To have the Bible in a language that all can read and understand.”

Present were the Secretaries of the Bible Societies of various countries, to be part of the occasion, along with representatives of the American Bible Society, the Geneva Global Agency, the Reformed Christian Churches, the Assemblies of God and the Presbyterian Church, who expressed their pleasure with such a grand event.   

The three hour long service was filled with emotion, expressions of gratitude and songs of praise by the congregation, the choral group and an Evangelical Mariachi. The choral group of 110 voices, in their typical dress, delighted all those present with the singing of hymns in their native Tzeltal of Bachajón language.

In a colorful ceremony a few days before, the Reverend Cornelio Midence, of the Bible Society of Guatemala, had presented the translation of the Bible into the Quechí language.

Thanks to the efforts of translators, missionaries, indigenous pastors and the help of many brothers and sisters through the United Bible Societies and other Christian ministries, God speaks, in more and more ways, through the languages of our peoples.