Wolɔ̃ Mawu Ƒe Nya La

ZI GEÐE la, woɖea nya veviwo gɔme ɖe gbegbɔgblɔ geɖewo me bene ame akpa gãtɔ wu nate ŋu ase wo gɔme. Nya vevi aɖe ŋutɔŋutɔe le Biblia, si nye Mawu ƒe Nya la me. Togbɔ be woŋlɔ Biblia ƒe geɖewoe nye esia hã la, “woŋlɔ [eme nyawo] ɖi le míaƒe nufiafia ta,” eye wònaa akɔfafa kple etsɔmemɔkpɔkpɔ sua mía si.—Romatɔwo 15:4.

Eya ta susu le eme be Biblia la, si me gbedeasi vevitɔ kekeake le la, nanɔ gbegbɔgblɔ geɖewo me. Le ŋutinya katã me la, amewo ku kutri vevie heɖe Biblia la gɔme, togbɔ be dɔléle sesẽwo ɖe fu na wo, dziɖuɖuwo ɖo asi wo dzi, alo wotsɔ ku do ŋɔdzi na wo gɔ̃ hã. Nu ka tae? Elabena wolɔ̃ Mawu ƒe Nya la. Nudzɔdzɔ siwo gbɔna la nye Biblia gɔme ɖeɖe ƒe ŋutinya ɖedzesia ƒe akpa sue aɖe.

“Eŋlisiawo Srɔ̃a Kristo Ƒe Se La Nyuie Wu Le Eŋlisigbe Me”

Esime wodzi John Wycliffe le ƒe 1330 lɔƒo me la, Latingbe mee wogblɔa mawunya le le sɔlemewo me le England. Gake Eŋlisigbe ye ame akpa gãtɔ dona le woƒe gbe sia gbe nuƒoƒo me. Woɖoa dze kple wo nɔewo le Eŋlisigbe me, eye eya ke mee wodoa gbe ɖa na Mawu le gɔ̃ hã.

Wycliffe si nye Katoliko nunɔla la bi ɖe Latingbea dodo me. Ke hã, ebui be mesɔ be woazã Latingbe, si wògblɔ be enye gbe si ame ŋkutawo dona la, atsɔ afia Ŋɔŋlɔawo o. Eŋlɔ be: “Ele be woafia Mawu ƒe sea ŋuti sidzedze le gbegbɔgblɔ si gɔme woate ŋu ase bɔbɔe wu la me, elabena Mawu ƒe nyae wònye fiam wole.” Eya ta Wycliffe kple eƒe hadɔwɔlawo ɖo ƒuƒoƒo aɖe be yewoaɖe Biblia gɔme ɖe Eŋlisigbe me. Dɔ sia wɔwɔ xɔ ƒe 20 sɔŋ.

Katoliko Sɔlemeha la meda asi ɖe Biblia gɔme ɖeɖe ɖe gbe bubu me dzi o. Agbalẽ si  nye The Mysteries of the Vatican ɖe nu si tae sɔlemeha la meda asi ɖe edzi o la me be: “Ana be hameviwo nava tsɔ ale si ƒe alafa gbãtɔ me Kristotɔwo ƒe nufiafiawo gɔme sese le bɔbɔe kple ale si wonɔa agbee la asɔ kple ale si Katolikoha la ƒe nufiafiawo le egbea . . . Vovototo gã si le Ame si ɖo Kristotɔnyenye gɔme anyi ƒe nufiafiawo kple [papa] si ɖo eɖokui kplɔlagãe la tɔwo dome ava dze ƒãa na amewo.”

Papa Gregory XI wɔ gbeƒãɖeɖe atɔ̃ tsɔ tsi tsitre ɖe Wycliffe ŋu. Gake esia mena Biblia gɔmeɖela sia na ta o. Eɖo eŋu be: “Eŋlisiawo srɔ̃a Kristo ƒe se la nyuie wu le Eŋlisigbe me. Mose ŋutɔ degbe mee wòse Mawu ƒe sea le, eye nenema kee wònɔ le Kristo ƒe apostoloawo hã gome.” Le ƒe 1382 me, do ŋgɔ teti na Wycliffe ƒe ku la, gbegɔmeɖelawo ƒe ƒuƒoƒo si wɔa dɔ kplii la ɖe Eŋlisigbe me Biblia blibo gɔmeɖeɖe gbãtɔ ɖe go. Le ƒe ewo megbe la, Wycliffe ƒe dɔwɔhatiwo dometɔ ɖeka ɖe gɔmeɖeɖe si xexlẽ le bɔbɔe wu la ɖe go.

Esi wònye be agbalẽtamɔ̃ menɔ anyi ɣemaɣi o ta la, ele be woatsɔ asi aŋlɔ gɔmeɖeɖe ɖe sia ɖe, si nye dɔ si axɔ ɣleti ewo sɔŋ! Ale si wòate ŋu adzɔ be Biblia naɖo ame geɖewo gbɔ la te ɖe sɔlemeha la dzi ale gbegbe be bisiɔpgã aɖe do ŋɔdzi na amewo be woaɖe ame ɖe sia ɖe si axlẽe la ɖa le haa me. Ƒe 40 le Wycliffe ƒe ku megbe, le papa ƒe aɖaŋuɖotakpekpe aɖe me la, hakplɔlawo na woho eƒe ƒuwo hetɔ dzo wo, eye wotsɔ eƒe afiawo kɔ ɖe Swift tɔsisi la me. Gake ame siwo nyateƒea ƒe tsikɔ nɔ wuwu la di Wycliffe ƒe Biblia la vevie. Mawusubɔsubɔ ŋuti nufialagã William M. Blackburn gblɔ be: “Wogbugbɔ ŋlɔ Wycliffe ƒe Biblia geɖewo hema wo le agbɔsɔsɔ gã aɖe me, si na wòsu dzidzime siwo kplɔe ɖo la hã si.”

Biblia Si Lãkplɔvi Gɔ̃ Hã Ate Ŋu Axlẽ

Le ƒe 200 ko me la, Eŋlisigbe si Wyclife zã la va zu tsigãdzinu. Eɖe fu na mawunyagblɔla ɖekakpui aɖe si nɔ afi si gogo Bristol la vevie be ame ʋɛ aɖewo koe te ŋu sea Biblia la gɔme. Ɣeaɖeɣi la, mawunyagblɔla William Tyndale see nunyala aɖe gblɔ be anyo wu be Mawu ƒe sea manɔ ame si o tsɔ wu be papa manɔ anyi o. Tyndale ɖo eŋu gblɔ be ne Mawu ɖe mɔ na ye la, eteƒe madidi o yeakpɔ egbɔ be Biblia ŋuti sidzedze geɖe nasu lãkplɔvi gɔ̃ hã si wu agbalẽnyala.

Latin Vulgate mee Wycliffe ɖe Biblia gɔme tso hetsɔ asi gbugbɔ ŋlɔ Ŋɔŋlɔawo. Le ƒe 1524 me la, Tyndale si ʋu tso England va Germany la te Biblia gɔme ɖeɖe tso Hebrigbe kple Helagbe me tẽ, eye wòbia tso agbalẽtaƒe aɖe si le Cologne si be wòata wo na ye. Eteƒe medidi o, Tyndale ƒe futɔwo va nya be ele Biblia gɔme ɖem eye woƒoe ɖe Cologne dunyahemegãwo ƒe sewɔha la nu be wòaɖo asi etata dzi ahaxɔ esiwo wota xoxo la le amewo si.

Tyndale si yi Worms le Germany hegbugbɔ yi eƒe dɔa dzi. Esia megbe kpuie la, wotsɔ Tyndale ƒe Hela Ŋɔŋlɔawo, si gɔme wòɖe ɖe Eŋlisigbe me la ƒe ɖewo de tɔdziʋu le adzame yi England. Le ɣleti ade ko me la, wodzra Biblia sia ƒe tata geɖewo, si na be bisiɔpwo wɔ  takpekpe aɖe kpata heɖe gbe be woatɔ dzo Biblia mawo.

Be woaxe mɔ na Biblia xexlẽ ƒe takeke kple nu si yɔm woawo ŋutɔwo le be Tyndale ƒe aglãdzedze nu la, London ƒe bisiɔp bia tso Aƒetɔ Thomas More si be wòaŋlɔ nu atsɔ atsi tsitre ɖe Tyndale ƒe gɔmeɖeɖea ŋu. Nu si koŋ ɖe fu na More wue nye ale si Tyndale zã nya “hame” ɖe “sɔlemeha” teƒe, kple “ametsitsi” alo “hamemegã” ɖe “nunɔla” teƒe. Nya siawo tɔ gbe papa ƒe ŋusẽ eye wona nya ku ɖe vovototo si le nunɔlawo kple hameviwo dome la ŋu. Thomas More he nya ɖe ale si Tyndale ɖe Helagbe me nya a·gaʹpe gɔme be “lɔlɔ̃” ke menye “dɔmenyonunana” o la hã ŋu. Agbalẽ si nye If God Spare My Life gblɔ be: “Esia hã nye afɔku na sɔlemeha la, elabena dɔmenyonunana gɔme ɖeɖe bubui ava gblẽ ga gbogbo si gbegbe wokpɔna tso ame kukuwo ƒe nu vɔ̃ kɔklɔ ɖa kple domenyinuwo tsɔtsɔ ake sɔlemeha la keŋkeŋ ƒe ɖoɖo si dzi wotona blea xɔsetɔwo nu be ana dziƒoyiyi ƒe mɔ naʋu na wo la me.

Thomas More do dzotɔtɔ “aglãdzelawo” ɖe ŋgɔ, si na womia ve na Tyndale wòku eye wotɔ dzo eƒe ŋutilã ɖe ati ŋuti le October 1536 me. Gake le Thomas More ya gome la, wova tso ta le enu emegbe le esi fia la megakpɔ ŋudzedze ɖe eŋu o ta. Gake Roma Katolikoha la va ɖe gbeƒãe le ƒe 1935 me be ezu ame kɔkɔe, eye le ƒe 2000 me la, Papa John Paul II de bubu More ŋu be enye dunyahelawo ƒe ame kɔkɔe gãtɔ.

Womede bubu sia tɔgbi aɖeke Tyndale ya ŋu o. Gake do ŋgɔ na eƒe ku la, Tyndale xɔlɔ̃ Miles Coverdale tsɔ Biblia ƒe akpa vovovo siwo gɔme Tyndale ɖe la ƒo ƒu ɖekae wòzu Biblia blibo, si nye Eŋlisigbe me Biblia gbãtɔ si gɔme woɖe tso gbegbɔgblɔ gbãtɔwo me! Fifia, lãkplɔvi ɖe sia ɖe ate ŋu axlẽ Mawu ƒe Nya la. Ke Biblia siwo gɔme woɖe ɖe gbegbɔgblɔ bubu siwo to vovo na Eŋlisigbe me ya ɖe?

“Nu Si Dze Abe Manya Wɔ Kura O Ene”

Togbɔ be ƒometɔwo kple xɔlɔ̃wo gbe nya na Britaintɔ mawunyadɔgbedela Robert Morrison hã la, esi wònye be eɖoe kplikpaa be yeƒe didi si nye be woata Biblia bliboa ɖe Chinagbe me nava eme ta la, eɖo tɔdziʋu ɖo ta China le ƒe 1807 me. Gbegɔmeɖeɖedɔ si wòdi be yeawɔ la menɔ bɔbɔe o. Charles Grant, si nye East India Adzɔha ƒe tatɔ ɣemaɣi la gblɔ be: “Dɔ ma nye nu si dze abe manya wɔ kura o ene.”

Esi Morrison va ɖo China la, ese be wode se na Chinatɔwo be wo dometɔ si afia wo degbea amedzro aɖe la, ku ke wòaku. Be Morrison nakpɔ eya ŋutɔ kple ame siwo lɔ̃ be yewoafia gbeae ƒe agbe ta la, enɔ xɔme hegbe dodo hena ɣeyiɣi aɖe. Nyatakaka aɖe gblɔ be “le nusɔsrɔ̃ ƒe eve megbe la, enya Chinagbe (Mandarin) kple gbetagbe bubu aɖewo dodo  hete ŋu xlẽa wo heŋlɔa wo” gɔ̃ hã. Le ɣeyiɣi mawo katã me la, fiagã la de se be ame sia ame si ata Kristotɔwo ƒe agbalẽ aɖe la, woawui. Togbɔ be enɔ alea hã la, Morrison te ŋu wu Biblia bliboa gɔme ɖeɖe ɖe Chinagbe me nu le November 25, 1819 dzi.

Kaka ƒe 1836 naɖo la, wota Biblia bliboa ɖekaɖeka 2,000, Kristotɔwo ƒe Hela Ŋɔŋlɔawo ɖekaɖeka 10,000, kple Ŋɔŋlɔawo ƒe akpa vovovo siwo le Chinagbe me la ɖekaɖeka 31,000 sɔŋ. Lɔlɔ̃ na Mawu ƒe Nya la na wote ŋu wɔ “nu si dze abe manya wɔ kura o ene.”

Suɖui Me Biblia Aɖe

Kwasiɖa eve le Amerikatɔ mawunyadɔgbedela Adoniram Judson kple srɔ̃a, Ann, ƒe srɔ̃ɖeɖe le February ƒe 1812 me megbe la, wozɔ mɔ legbe aɖe, eye mlɔeba la, wova tsi Burma * le ƒe 1813 me. Enumake wote Burmagbe, si nye gbe sesẽtɔ kekeake siwo le xexea me dometɔ ɖeka la sɔsrɔ̃. Le gbea sɔsrɔ̃ hena ƒe ʋɛ aɖewo megbe la, Judson ŋlɔ be: “Míeɖoe be míasrɔ̃ gbegbɔgblɔ si ame siwo le anyigba ƒe yɔyrɔe nu, siwo ƒe nuŋububu to vovo kura tso míatɔ gbɔ la dona . . . Nyagɔmeɖegbalẽ aɖeke menɔ mía si o, eye nyagɔmeɖela aɖeke menɔ anyi si aɖe nya kui ɖeka pɛ gɔ̃ hã me na mí o.”

Gbegbɔgblɔ sɔsrɔ̃ me kuxiwo mena Judson na ta o. Ewu Kristotɔwo ƒe Hela Ŋɔŋlɔawo gɔmeɖeɖe ɖe Burmagbe me nu le June 1823 me. Emegbe aʋa dzɔ le Burma. Esi wosusu be ŋkutsalae Judson nye ta la, wolée de ga hetsɔ gakpowo blae te ɖi be wòagaʋã o. Francis Wayland ŋlɔ le agbalẽ si wòŋlɔ le ƒe 1853 me tso Judson ŋu la me be “nu gbãtɔ siwo Aƒetɔ Judson bia Aƒenɔ Judson esi woɖe mɔ na woa kple evea wodo go heɖo dze le Eŋlisigbe me la dometɔ ɖekae nye Nubabla Yeye Biblia si gɔme wòɖe heŋlɔ kple asi.” Esi wonɔ vɔvɔ̃m be ava dze fufu alo aƒo dza le teƒe si woɖii ɖo ta la, Ann tsɔe de suɖui me hetɔ enu hetsɔe va na srɔ̃a le gaxɔa me. Togbɔ be nɔnɔmeawo mede wo dzi kura o hã la, wote ŋu kpɔ asinuŋɔŋlɔ Biblia la ta.

Le ɣleti geɖewo megbe la, woɖe asi le Judson ŋu le gaxɔa me. Ke hã, eƒe dzidzɔkpɔkpɔa menɔ anyi eteƒe didi o. Hafi ƒe ma nawu enu la, asrã vɔ̃ɖi aɖe va dze Ann dzi eye wòku le kwasiɖa ʋɛ aɖewo megbe. Le ɣleti ade pɛ ko megbe la, dɔ vɔ̃ɖi aɖe si womate ŋu ada o la va wu via nyɔnuvi Maria si xɔ ƒe eve ko la hã. Togbɔ be nudzɔdzɔ siawo gbã dzi na Judson vevie hã la, egayi eƒe dɔa dzi. Eva wu Biblia bliboa gɔme ɖeɖe nu mlɔeba le ƒe 1835 me.

Ðe Nèlɔ̃a Mawu Ƒe Nya La?

Menye nu yeye ye lɔlɔ̃ si gbegɔmeɖela siawo ɖe fia ɖe Mawu ƒe Nya ŋu la nye o. Le blema Israel la, hakpala la dzi ha na Yehowa be: “Aleke gbegbe nyemehelɔ̃a wò se lae o! Nye ŋugbledede wònye ɖaa.” (Psalmo 119:97) Menye ŋutinyagbalẽ wɔdɔɖeamedzi aɖe koe Biblia nye o. Gbedeasi vevi aɖe ŋutɔe le eme. Ðe nèna Mawu ƒe Nya la nye nu vevi na wò eye nèxlẽnɛ edziedzia? Àte ŋu aka ɖe edzi be ne èxlẽnɛ hedzea agbagba wɔna ɖe nu siwo nèsrɔ̃na le eme dzi la, “[àkpɔ] dzidzɔ le ewɔwɔ me.”—Yakobo 1:25.

[Etenuŋɔŋlɔ]

[Nya si ɖe dzesi si le axa 8]

“Eŋlisiawo srɔ̃a Kristo ƒe se la nyuie wu le Eŋlisigbe me.”—JOHN WYCLIFFE

[Nɔnɔmetata si le axa 9]

William Tyndale kple Tyndale Biblia ƒe axa aɖe

[Afi Si Míexɔ Mɔɖeɖe Tso]

Tyndale: From the book The Evolution of the English Bible

[Nɔnɔmetata siwo le axa 10]

Robert Morrison kple Biblia si gɔme wòɖe ɖe Chinagbe me

[Afi Si Míexɔ Mɔɖeɖe Tso]

In the custody of the Asian Division of the Library of Congress

Robert Morrison, engraved by W. Holl, from The National Portrait Gallery Volume IV, published c.1820 (litho), Chinnery, George (1774-1852) (after)/Private Collection/Ken Welsh/The Bridgeman Art Library International

[Nɔnɔmetata si le axa 11]

Adoniram Judson kple Biblia si gɔme wòɖe ɖe Burmagbe me

[Afi Si Míexɔ Mɔɖeɖe Tso]

Judson: Engraving by John C. Buttre/Dictionary of American Portraits/Dover

[Picture Credit Lines on page 8]

Wycliffe: From the book The History of Protestantism (Vol. I); Biblia: Courtesy of the American Bible Society Library, New York