VANU VASHAKELE KUTHZIMBALETHA MUTHZIMBU: Kujeneka kukola kwa mavulu avapangethele na vaka-kulwitha kuvathele kunyongetha Mbimbiliya. Oloni vaka-kunungulula vamo vashakele kuthzimbaletha muthzimbu wa mu Mbimbiliya. Thimbu imo vethekele kulingitha Mbimbiliya ilitombole na vilongetha vyavo kutuvakana kulongetha viyendeka Mbimbiliya. Vyakumwenako evi:

• Mitambela ya kulemethela: Thimbu kanda chita cha myaka cha mu chivali nechi cha mu chiwana chishangumuke, vaka-kuthoneka mavulu atanu a maputukilo a mu Mbimbiliya vavwethzeleleleko majwi a kwendeka ngwavo: “Mukatungila mutula ku Aargaareezem” ku mukanda wa Kutuhuka 20:17. VaSamaliya vashakele ngwavo Vithoneka vikundwiye chipangi chavo cha kutunga tembele ha “Aargaareezem,” nambe ngwetu ha Munkinda wa Ngelizime.

• Chilongetha cha vinjambi vatatu: Munima ya myaka ya kweta ku 300 kutunda havamanethelele kuthoneka Mbimbiliya, Muka-kuthoneka vya vinjambi vatatu wavwethzelelele majwi amo ku mukanda wa 1 Yowano 5:7. Wathonekele ngwendi: “Mwilu mwakala Tate na Lijwi na Mundthzindthzime wa Kujela. Vyoshe evi vitatu vyapwa chuma chimo”. Ou mukana kuwakelemo mu vithoneka vya kulivanga. Muka-kulilongetha vya Mbimbiliya Bruce Metzger ngwendi: “Kushwa mu chita cha myaka cha vu 6,” awa majwi “vawathonekele lwalwingi mu mavulu akuthzenga amu chiLatin chalaja ne chi chivanathiwithako.”

• Lithzina lya Njambi: Vaka-kunungulula Mbimbiliya vavangi vatundithile lithzina lya Njambi mu Vithoneka mwafwa ya vilinga vya vulothzi vya vaYunda. Vengithilemo majwi a kufwa ngwe “Njambi” nambe “Shukulu.” Awa majwi avanapangetha mu Mbimbiliya kuvawapangethele lika kuli Ishamatanga, oloni vanawapangetha na kuli vanu nkala na ku tumponya va mu vulombelo vwa makuli na kuli Liyavolo vene.—Yowano 10:34, 35; 1 Kolinte 8:5, 6; 2 Kolinte 4:4. *

MUYOVOKELELEMO MBIMBILIYA: Chakulivanga, nameme vivanunglulwile vaka-kunungulula Mbimbiliya vamo kuvyaswile, oloni kwakele vamo vaje vapwile vitongwe mu kutondethetha viñanda. Mukati ka chita cha  myaka cha vu 6 na cha vu 10, vaMasoretes vanungulwile Vithoneka vya chiHevelu na kupanga mavulu a kuthzenga aje vatumbula ngwavo Masoretic. Vakele na kulava majwi na vithona mangana kethi mukale tupenga mu viñanda vivathonekele. Nga kuvakulahela ngwavo ñanda imo ya mu livulu muvatundithile viñanda yathungama, vakele na kuifundika. Ava vaMasoretes kuvashakele kuthzimbaletha muthzimbu wa mu Mbimbiliya. Muka-kulilongetha Moshe Goshen-Gottstein, wathonekele ngwendi: “Kutengulula viñanda vya mu Mbimbiliya, wapwile mulonga wakama manene.”

Cha mu chivali, kulithala kwa mavulu a kuthzenga a kuthañulu, kunalingitha vaka-kulilongetha manene vya mbimbiliya vakwate tupenga. Chakumwenako, ha myaka yaingi, vantwama va mu vulombelo valongethele ngwavo vithoneka vyavo vya chiLatin vyatundile mu Mbimbiliya ya kulivanga. Oloni ku mukanda wa 1 Yowano 5:7, navo vavwethzeleleleko majwi a makuli aje atunavanga kwendeka mu ñanda eyi. Aka kapenga vakathonekele na mu Mbimbiliya ya Vundele ivakulahela manene vanu ya King James Version. Oloni mavulu akwavo a kuthzenga a kuthañulu amwethele vyuma muka? Bruce Metzger wathonekele ngwendi: “Ñanda ya makuli ivanavwethzelela ku [1 Yowano 5:7] kuyakele mu mavulu akwavo a kulivanga (Syriac, na Coptic, na Armenian, na Ethiopic, na Arabic, na Slavonic), kuvanga lika mu chiLatin.” Ngechi mu Mbimbiliya yaiha ya King James Version na viMbimbiliya vikwavo vanatundithamo aje majwi avavwethzelelelemo.

Mavulu a kuthzenga a kuthañulu amwetha ngwavo muthzimbu wa mu Mbimbiliya kuwathzimbalele ndi? Omwo vawanene mavulu a kuthzenga a kuthañulu a Dead Sea Scrolls mu 1947, vaka-kulilongetha vya Mbimbiliya vakele na kwetheketha na vithoneka vya chiHevelu vya Masoretic na vije vyakele mu livulu lya kuthzenga vije vivathonekele myaka 1000 kunima. Umo hali ava vaka-kutondethetha vya mavulu a kuthzenga a Dead Sea Scrolls ngwendi livulu limo lya kuthzenga “limwetha mwamuvwa ngwavo vaje valingile chipangi cha kunungulwila viñanda vya Mbimbiliya vya chiYunda vya kulivanga mu mavulu eka a kuthzenga kupangetha mavoko ha myaka ya kutuvakana 1000, kuvavwethzeleleko nambe kutundithako majwi amo.”

Mu Layimbulali ivatumbula ngwavo Chester Beatty ya ku Dublin, Ireland mwakele mavulu a kuthzenga a kuthañulu a papyri muje mwakele mikanda yaingi ya Vithoneka vya chiNgiliki vya vaka-Kilisitu, na mavulu akwavo a kuthzenga a kuthañulu a mu chita cha mu chivali.—Munima ya myaka 100 kutunda havamanethelele kuthoneka Mbimbiliya. Ndikishinali ya The Anchor Bible Dictionary ngwayo: “Nameme mithzimbu yakala mu mavulu vatumbula ngwavo Papyri ikakwatha vanu vathzivithithe mwamuvwa vithoneka, oloni nayo imwetha vuthunga vwa vyuma vivanathoneka mu Mbimbiliya.”

VUVWA VUNATUNDUMO: Vwingi vwa mavulu a kuthzenga a laja kuwaviyithile vivanathoneka mu Mbimbiliya, oloni anakwatha vanu vathoneke vyuma vya kuthungama. Frederic Kenyon wendekele ha Vithoneka vya ChiNgiliki vya Vaka-Kilisitu ngwendi: “Kukwethi livulu lili na vukaleho vwavungi vwa viñanda vya kuthañulu ngwe Mbimbiliya, cho lalo kukwethi muka-kulilongetha wa vuthunga atha kuvyana ngwendi yapwa ya vuthunga.” Muka-kulilongetha William Henry Green nendi wendekele ha Vithoneka vya chiHevelu ngwendi: “Kwendeka lika vuthunga, kukwethi viñanda vya kuthañulu vivathoneka mu kuthungama ngwe vya mu Mbimbiliya.”