WILLIAM BEDELL muzungu wa mu bupopweshi byo ayile ku Ireland mu 1627, wamwene bintu byamupezhezhe maana. Ireland, kyalo mwavula Bakatolika, bekilamanga ku bupopweshi bwa ku Britain bwa Polotesitanti. Bafumine mu bupopweshi bwa Polotesitanti bajinga na Baibolo ye batuntulwile mu milaka yamba bantu mu byalo byonse bya mu Europe. Nangwa byonkabyo, kafwako muntu nangwa umo wakebelenga kutuntulula Baibolo mu mulaka wa Irish ne.

Bedell walangulukile’mba bantu bamba mulaka wa Irish “kechi twafwainwa kwibalengulula na mambo a kubula kuyuka Kizungu ne.” Onkao mambo, wafuukwilepo kutuntulula Baibolo mu mulaka wa Irish. Pano bino, bamukainyenga bingi ku ba Polotesitanti. Mambo ka?

Bedell wafuukwilepo kufunda mulaka wa Irish. Watundaikilenga baana ba sukulu kwingijishanga mulaka wa Irish byo aikele mukulumpe pa Trinity College mu Dublin ne byo aikele bishopu mu Kilmore. Mfumu Mutanshi wa Mukazhi ku England aye Elizabeth walengele Trinity College na mulanguluko wa kuba’mba ataane bantu bakonsha kufunjisha bantu byambo bya mu Baibolo mu mulaka wabo. Bedell ye walengejile kuba’mba kino kyubiwe.

Mu mpunzha ya Kilmore, bantu bachechetu bo baambanga mulaka wa Irish. Onkao mambo, Bedell wibikileko kukwasha bantu kwamba mulaka wa Irish. Waambile byambo byonka byaambilepo mutumwa Paulo biji pa 1 Kolinda 14:19, byaamba’mba: “Mu kipwilo, kyawama naamba byambo bitanu byo bakonsha kumvwa mo byatala pa kuba’mba nebafunjishe bakwetu, kukila kwamba byambo biumbi jikumi mu lujimi ungi,” mu mulaka ye babula kuyukisha.

Bantu ba mukafulumende baesekele mashinda onse kuba’mba bamulekeshe. Bashayuka bamo baambanga’mba, kwamba mulaka wa Irish “kwabikilenga Kafulumende mu kizumba” kabiji bakwabo nabo baambilenga’mba, “Kafulumende kechi watemenwe uno mulanguluko ne.” Bamo baambanga’mba bena England bakebelenga’mba mulaka wa Irish abule kuyukanyikwa. Balengele mizhilo yakainyenga bantu kwamba mulaka wa Irish ne kusankilapo bisho byabo ne kwibakanjikizha kufunda Kizungu ne kulondela bisho bya Kizungu ne mo bobila bintu.

Bedell kechi walondejile mizhilo yabo ne. Mu ma 1630, watendekele kutuntulula Baibolo wa mu mulaka wa Irish kufuma mu Baibolo wa katataka wa Kizungu. Wakebelenga kutuntulula Baibolo mu mulaka wamba bantu bavula. Wamwene’mba bayanji kechi bakonsha kutaana Binembelo bya kwibakwasha kukekala na bumi bwa myaka ne myaka,  inge kya kuba batwajijila kwikala na Baibolo mu mulaka ye babula kuyuka ne.—Yoano 17:3.

Bedell kechi ye wajinga mutanshi kumvwa bino ne. Myaka 30 Bedell saka akyangye kwingila uno mwingilo, bishopu mukwabo aye William Daniel wamwene byo kyakatazhanga bantu kufunda Baibolo “mu mulaka ye babula kuyuka.” Daniel watuntulwile Binembelo bya Kingiliki bya Bwina Kilishitu mu mulaka wa Irish. Bedell watendekele kutuntulula Binembelo bya Kihebelu. Baibolo wanembele Bedell muji ne byambo byanembele William Daniel. Onkao mambo, Baibolo watuntulwile Bedell, ye Baibolo mutanshi kutuntululwa yense mu mulaka wa Irish, ko kuba’mba uno ye yenkatu Baibolo wajingako mu mulaka wa Irish kabiji waikele myaka 300.

Bedell wayukile bingi Kihebelu waichile bantu babiji bayuka mulaka wa Irish kuba’mba bamukwasheko pa kutuntulula Baibolo wa Irish kufuma mu Kizungu. Byo batwajijile kwingila uno mwingilo, Bedell waingijile na muntu umo nangwa babiji kupitulukamo kyepelo pa kyepelo. Pa kuba’mba bayukilepo bikwabo, batalanga mu Baibolo wa bena Italy wa Greek Septuagint ne manyusikilipiti a kala a Kihebelu atuntulwile shayuka wa bya bupopweshi aye Swiss Giovanni Diodati.

Abano bantu balondelanga bibabuulanga bantuntuluzhi ba Baibolo wa King James (bamo pa bano Bedell wibayukile) kabiji wabikilemo jizhina ja Lesa mu Binembelo byavula bya mu Baibolo. Nabiji pa Kulupuka 6:3, jizhina ja Lesa bejinembele’mba “Iehovah.” Manyusikilipiti anembele Bedell bealamina mu Butala bwa Mabuku bwa Marsh, Dublin, mu Ireland.—Monai kakitenguluzha kaamba’mba “Bedell Bamuvuluka ne Kumusanchila.”

Bedell wapwishishe kunemba Baibolo mu 1640. Pano bino, kechi wamulupwile ne. Mambo ka? Mambo  bamumanyikilenga. Aba balengulwilenga Bedell banembele bintu byatama pa byo atuntulwile, kuba’mba bantu balengulule Baibolo wanji. Kabiji bamukwachile ne kumukasa. Bedell bamupumine bingi ne kumusha na bizabila bya mashi ku bantu bashikilwe Bazungu bajingako mu 1641. Bamba mulaka wa Irish bamupokolweleko Bedell pa kakimye kacheche nangwa kya kuba wajinga Muzungu mambo bamwene byo atemenwe bantu. Nangwa byonkabyo, bashilikale basatukile, bamukashijile mu kaleya katama bingi. Akino kyamulengejile kufwa bukiji mu 1642. Kechi washinkilweko kimye kyo balupwile Baibolo ne.

Bintu byanembele Bedell byashi bikonaike kimye kyo balukukile nzubo yanji ne kwiyonauna. Pano bino, mulunda nanji walupwilemo bintu byonse byo atuntulwile. Mu kuya kwa moba, Narcissus Marsh waikele bishopu wa Armagh kabiji pulishiti ye banemekele bingi mu Chechi wa ku Ireland, watambwile byo batuntulwile. Shayuka wa bya sayansi aye Robert Boyle ye wamupele mali kabiji mu 1685 walupwile Baibolo wanembele Bedell.

Baibolo wanembele Bedell kechi bamusampenye mwaya ntanda ne. Nangwa byonkabyo, wakwashishe bantu kumvwisha Baibolo kikatakata bantu bamba mulaka wa Irish, kechi mu Ireland monkatu ne, bino ne mu Scotland ne mu mapunzhatu akwabo avula. Aluno babena kufunda bulongo pe Lesa byo batanga Mambo a Lesa mu mulaka wabo.—Mateo 5:3, 6.

Baibolo wanembele Bedell watwajijila kukwasha bantu batemwa bukine ne lelo jino. Muntu umo wamba mulaka wa Irish, wafunjile byamba Baibolo waambile’mba: “Byo twatangile Baibolo wanembele Bedell, twaumvwine byambo bya mu Baibolo mu mulaka wetu. Akino ke kintu kyawama kyalengejile amiwa ne kisemi kyami kufunda bukine buji mu Binembelo.”