Indlela IBhayibhile Eyafikelela Ngayo Kuthi

Ingummangaliso ngokwenene into yokuba iBhayibhile ide yafikelela kuthi ingakhange yonakaliswe. Yagqitywa ukubhalwa ngaphezu kweminyaka eli-1 900 eyadlulayo. Yabhalwa kwizinto ezonakalayo—ephepheni elenziwe ngengcongolo nasezikhumbeni zezilwanyana—ibe yabhalwa ngeelwimi ezithethwa ngabantu abambalwa kakhulu namhlanje. Kwakhona, abantu abadumileyo, njengabalawuli neenkokeli zonqulo, bazama zonke iindlela zokuyitshabalalisa iBhayibhile.

YASINDA njani iBhayibhile phantsi kwezi meko, yaza yaba yeyona ncwadi ibalaseleyo eluntwini? Makhe sihlolisise iinkalo nje ezimbini.

Yakhuseleka Ngenxa Yokwenziwa Kwemibhalo Emininzi

AmaSirayeli eyayisezandleni zawo imisongo yokuqala yeBhayibhile, ayigcina ngenyameko aza ayikhuphela yaba yimibhalo emininzi. Ngokomzekelo, ookumkani bamaSirayeli baxelelwa ukuba bakhuphele ‘umbhalo womthetho bethabatha kulowo uphathwa ngababingeleli, abaLevi.’—Duteronomi 17:18.

AmaSirayeli amaninzi ayekuthanda ukufunda iZibhalo, eqonda ukuba ziliLizwi likaThixo. Ngoko imibhalo ekhutshelwayo yayicokiswa ngababhali abaqeqeshwe kanobom. Omnye wabo babhali boyik’ uThixo ogama linguEzra, kuthiwa “wayengumkhupheli olichule womthetho kaMoses, owawuvela kuYehova uThixo kaSirayeli.” (Ezra 7:6) AmaMasorete awakhuphela iZibhalo zesiHebhere, okanye “iTestamente Endala” phakathi kwenkulungwane yesithandathu neyeshumi yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo, ada abala gama ngalinye elikumbhalo okhutshelweyo ukuze aqinisekise ukuba akukho zimpazamo. Ukucokisa okunjalo kwanceda ekuqinisekiseni ukuba imibhalo ikhutshelwa ngokuchanileyo yaye kwanceda nasekukhuseleni iBhayibhile nangona yayineentshaba ezazikufuna ngamehlw’ abomvu ukuyitshabalalisa.

Ngokomzekelo, ngowe-168 B.C.E., umlawuli waseSiriya uAntiochus IV waba sephulweni lokutshabalalisa zonke iZibhalo zesiHebhere awayenokuzifumana kwelasePalestina. Ingxelo engembali yamaYuda ithi: “Nawuphi na umsongo womthetho abawufumanayo babewukrazula baze bawutshise.” IThe Jewish Encyclopedia ithi: “Amagosa awayeyalelwe ukuba atshabalalise le misongo ayengqongqo gqitha . . . Umntu owayebonwa ephethe le ncwadi ingcwele . . . wayegwetyelw’ ukufa.” Kodwa iZibhalo zasinda kuloo nkohlakalo yamaYuda asePalestina nalawo akumazwe akufuphi.

Akusathethwa ke ngeZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike, okanye “iTestamente entsha.” Yathi igqitywa nje ukubhalwa, yabe seyithe saa kuyo yonk’ indawo. Thatha ngokomzekelo incwadi yeVangeli eyabhalwa nguYohane e-Efese okanye kufuphi nalapho. Kwathi kungaphelanga nama-50 eminyaka emva koko, kwabhaqwa inxalenye yombhalo waloo Vangeli eYiputa ekumakhulukhulu eekhilomitha ukusuka apho. Oko kubonisa ukuba imibhalo ephefumlelweyo yayifikelela kumaKristu akwimimandla ekude isandul’ ukugqitywa ukukhutshelwa.

Ukusasazwa ngokubanzi kweLizwi likaThixo nako kube negalelo ekusindeni kwalo ukutyhubela iinkulungwane emva kwexesha likaKristu. Ngokomzekelo, kwakhutshwa ingxelo yokuba ngentseni yomhla kaFebruwari 23 ngonyaka wama-303 C.E., uMlawuli waseRoma uDiocletian wayebukele njengoko amajoni akhe ayebhodloza iingcango zecawa, etshisa neZibhalo. UDiocletian wayecinga ukuba uza kubuncothula neengcambu ubuKristu ngokutshabalalisa kwakhe imibhalo engcwele. Ngosuku olulandelayo, wayalela ukuba kubo bonke ubuKhosi baseRoma kutshiswe esidlangalaleni yonke imibhalo yeBhayibhile. Kodwa eminye imibhalo yasinda yaye kwaqhutyekwa kusenziwa emitsha. Kangangokuba sithetha nje, kusekho inxalenye enkulu yemibhalo emibini yeBhayibhile yesiGrike  eyakhutshelwa kungekudala emva kwaloo ngqushu yabangelwa nguDiocletian. Enye iseRoma; enye ikuMzi Wogcino-Zincwadi waseBritani eLondon, eNgilani.

Nangona kungekafunyanwa namnye umbhalo-ngqangi wantlandlolo weBhayibhile, amawakawaka emibhalo yeBhayibhile epheleleyo neenxalenye zayo aye asinda ukuza kuthi ga namhlanje. Eminye yawo midala kakhulu. Ngaba isigidimi esasikwimibhalo yantlandlolo sitshintshile ekukhutshelweni kwayo? Umphengululi uW. H. Green wathi ngeZibhalo zesiHebhere: “Alithandabuzeki elokuba ayikho enye incwadi yamandulo eye yakhutshelwa ngokuchane ngale ndlela.” Ngokubhekisele kwiZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike, enye ingqonyela edumileyo ephanda ngemibhalo-ngqangi yeBhayibhile, uMhlekazi uFrederic Kenyon, yabhala yathi: “Umahluko okhoyo phakathi kwemibhalo yantlandlolo naleyo ikhoyo namhlanje mncinane kakhulu kangangokuba ufana nongekhoyo, yaye nawaphi na amathandabuzo asenokuba ebekho okuba iZibhalo ziye zatshintshwa ngandlel’ ithile atshitshile ngoku. Ngoku iqinisekile into yokuba iincwadi zeTestamente Entsha ziyinyaniso yaye zigqibelele.” Kwakhona wathi: “Sinokutsho siqinisekile ukuba ukuchana kweBhayibhile kuye kwalondolozwa ngokugqibeleleyo. . . . Ayikho enye incwadi yamandulo eye yalondolozwa ngale ndlela.”

Ukuguqulelwa KweBhayibhile

Into yesibini eyenze ukuba iBhayibhile ibe yeyona ncwadi ibalaseleyo eluntwini kukufumaneka kwayo ngeelwimi ezininzi. Oku kuvisisana nenjongo kaThixo yokuba abantu bazo zonke iintlanga neelwimi bamazi yaye bamnqule “ngomoya nenyaniso.”—Yohane 4:23, 24; Mika 4:2.

Inguqulelo yokuqala eyaziwayo ziZibhalo zesiHebhere yinguqulelo yeSeptuagint yesiGrike. Yayenzelwe amaYuda athetha isiGrike ahlala ngaphandle kwePalestina ibe yagqitywa malunga neenkulungwane ezimbini ngaphambi kobulungiseleli bukaYesu basemhlabeni. IBhayibhile epheleleyo, kuquka iZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike, yaguqulelwa kwiilwimi ezininzi kwiinkulungwane nje ezimbalwa emva kokugqitywa kwayo. Kodwa kamva, ookumkani kwanababingeleli ababemele ukuba benza konke okusemandleni abo ukwenza iBhayibhile ifumaneke ebantwini, yaba ngabo kanye abayichasayo. Bazama ukugcina imihlambi yabo isebumnyameni ngokomoya ngokuthi bangavumi ukuba iLizwi likaThixo liguqulelwe kwiilwimi eziqhelekileyo.

Noko ke kukho amaqhawe angazange oyike ngokoyikiswa yiCawa nanguRhulumente, awaxolela ukubeka ubomi bawo esichengeni ukuze aguqulele iBhayibhile kwiilwimi ezahlukahlukeneyo. Ngokomzekelo, ngowe-1530, uWilliam Tyndale oliNgesi, owafunda eOxford, wenza inguqulelo ekuthiwa yiPentatiki, equlethe iincwadi ezintlanu zokuqala zeZibhalo zesiHebhere. Nangona wachaswa kakhulu, waba ngumntu wokuqala ngqa ukuguqulela iBhayibhile ukusuka kwisiHebhere eyisa esiNgesini. Kwakhona lo kaTyndale waba ngumguquleli wokuqala wesiNgesi ukusebenzisa igama elithi Yehova. Umphengululi weBhayibhile waseSpeyin uCasiodoro de Reina wayephiliswa ubomi bentshontsho ngabatshutshisi bamaKatolika njengoko wayesenza inguqulelo yokuqala yeBhayibhile yeSpanish. Waya eNgilani, eJamani, eFransi, eHolani naseSwitzerland, ngoxa wayeqhubeka nalo msebenzi wada wayigqiba inguqulelo yakhe. *

Namhlanje iBhayibhile isaguqulelwa kwiilwimi ezingakumbi, yaye kupapashwa izigidi ngezigidi zayo. Ukusinda kwayo ide ibe yeyona ncwadi ibalaseleyo eluntwini kubonisa ukuba wayechan’ ucwethe umpostile uPetros xa wathetha la mazwi aphefumlelweyo athi: “Ingca iyabuna, nentyatyambo iyavuthuluka, kodwa ilizwi likaYehova lihlala likho ngonaphakade.”—1 Petros 1:24, 25.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

 [Ibhokisi/Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 14]

NDIFANELE NDIFUNDE YIPHI INGUQULELO?

Iilwimi ezininzi zineenguqulelo eziliqela zeBhayibhile. Ezinye iinguqulelo zisebenzisa ulwimi olunzima lwamandulo. Ezinye aziguqulelwanga ngokwegama negama ukuze kube lula ukuzifunda ngoxa zingachananga. Sekunjalo, ezinye ziguqulela igama negama.

INguqulelo Yehlabathi Elitsha YeZibhalo Ezingcwele yesiNgesi epapashwe ngamaNgqina kaYehova, yaguqulelwa ngokusuka kwiilwimi zantlandlolo yikomiti engathandi ukuba amalungu ayo aziwe. Ngoko kuye kwasetyenziswa le nguqulelo ukuze kuguqulelwe kwezinye iilwimi ezimalunga nama-60. Kodwa ke abaguquleli bezo lwimi baye bakuthelekisa oko kubhalwe kuyo nolwimi lwantlandlolo. Injongo yeNguqulelo Yehlabathi Elitsha kukuguqulela ngokusuka ngqo kulwimi lwantlandlolo kangangoko kunokwenzeka ngaphandle kokuguqula intsingiselo. Abaguquleli bafuna ukuba abafundi banamhlanje bayiqonde iBhayibhile ngendlela ababeyiqonda ngayo abafundi bamandulo.

Ezinye iingcali ngeelwimi ziye zahlolisisa iinguqulelo zeBhayibhile zale mihla—kuquka INguqulelo Yehlabathi Elitsha—ukuze zibone enoba zichanile na. Enye yezo ngcali nguJason David BeDuhn, unjingalwazi wezifundo zonqulo kwiYunivesithi iNorthern Arizona eUnited States. Ngowama-2003 wapapasha incwadi enamaphepha angama-200 ethetha “ngeeBhayibhile ezisithoba ezisetyenziswa kakhulu ngabantu abathetha isiNgesi.” * Wahlolisisa iindinyana ezithile ekuphikiswana ngazo, kuba kulapho kanye kubonakala khona ukuba umguquleli utyekele kweliphi icala. Kwindinyana nganye, wathelekisa umbhalo wesiGrike nenguqulelo nganye yesiNgesi, ekhangela apho kuguqulwe khona intsingiselo. Wabona ntoni?

Lo kaBeDuhn uthi abantu abaninzi kuquka abaphengululi beBhayibhile bacinga ukuba umahluko ngeNguqulelo Yehlabathi Elitsha (NW) kukuba ixhasa iinkolelo zabaguquleli bayo. Kodwa yena uthi: “Umahluko omkhulu ungenxa yokuba iNW iguqulelwe ngokuchanileyo.” Nangona uBeDuhn engavumelani nendlela ezinye iindawo eziguqulelwe ngayo kwiNguqulelo Yehlabathi Elitsha, uthi le nguqulelo “yeyona ichanileyo kunezinye.” Uthi yinguqulelo “esemagqabini.”

UGqr. Benjamin Kedar, ongumphengululi ongumHebhere wakwaSirayeli, wathetha into efanayo ngokuphathelele INguqulelo Yehlabathi Elitsha. Ngowe-1989 wathi: “Le ncwadi ibonakalisa umzamo wokunyaniseka wokuphucula indlela yokuqonda umbhalo ochane kangangoko kunokwenzeka. . . . Andizange ndifumane naluphi na utyekelo lokutshintsha intsingiselo.”

Khawukhe uzibuze, ‘Iyintoni injongo yam yokufunda iBhayibhile? Ngaba ndifuna iBhayibhile ekulula ukuyifunda kodwa engachananga? Okanye ndifuna ukufunda iingcinga ezisondele kangangoko kunokwenzeka kumbhalo wantlandlolo?’ (2 Petros 1:20, 21) Ukhetho lwakho luya kuxhomekeka kwinjongo onayo ngokufunda iBhayibhile.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso]

“INguqulelo Yehlabathi Elitsha YeZibhalo Ezingcwele” ifumaneka ngeelwimi ezininzi

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 12, 13]

Imibhalo-ngqangi yamaMasorete

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 13]

Iphepha elinencwadi kaLuka 12:7 ethi, “. . . musani ukuba noloyiko; nixabiseke ngaphezu koongqatyana abaninzi”

[Inkcazelo Ngemifanekiso ekwiphepha 13]

Foreground page: National Library of Russia, St. Petersburg; second and third: Bibelmuseum, Münster; background: © The Trustees of the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin