Bhaibheri Rokutanga rechiPutukezi Basa Raida Kutsungirira

“MUNHU anotsungirira achabudirira.” Mashoko aya ari papeji yokutanga yekabhuku kanotaura nezvechitendero kakanyorwa naJoão Ferreira de Almeida muzana remakore rechi17. Hapana mashoko angapfuura iwayo pakurondedzera murume akatsaurira upenyu hwake kuti ashandure nokubudisa Bhaibheri muchiPutukezi.

Almeida akaberekwa muna 1628 muTorre de Tavares, musha uri kuchamhembe kwePortugal. Akakura ari nherera muguta guru rePortugal, Lisbon, achichengetwa nababamunini vake vaiva mufundisi. Zvinonzi paaigadzirira kuzova mupristi, Almeida akawana dzidzo yepamusoro iyo yakaita kuti anyatsoziva mitauro yakawanda achiri muduku.

Zvisinei, kudai Almeida akaramba ari muPortugal pamwe angadai asina kushandisa unyanzvi hwake kushandura Bhaibheri. Zvinhu pazvakanga zvichichinja mune zvechitendero kuchamhembe uye nechepakati peEurope, vanhu vachiva nemaBhaibheri mumutauro wavo, Portugal yakaramba yakadzvinyirirwa noKubvunzurudza kwevaKaturike. Kungowanikwa uine Bhaibheri mumutauro wako kwaigona kuita kuti umiswe pamberi pedare roKubvunzurudza. *

Almeida akatamira kuNetherlands paakanga aine makore 14, zvichida achitiza kudzvinyirirwa uku. Achangosvika, akatanga rwendo rwokuenda kuAsia, achipfuura nokuBatavia (yava kunzi Jakarta), kuIndonesia, muzinda wekambani yainzi Dutch East India yaiva kuSoutheast Asia.

Mushanduri Wechiduku

Ava kusvika kuAsia, Almeida akachinja zvikuru muupenyu hwake. Ari muchikepe chaibva kuBatavia chichienda kuMalacca  (yava kunzi Melaka) kumadokero kweMalaysia, akabva aita mahwekwe nekabhuku kechiProtestant kaiva muchiSpanish kaiva nomusoro waiti Diferencias de la Cristiandad (Kusiyana Kuri muchiKristudhomu). Kunze kwokushora dzidziso dzenhema dzechiKaturike, kabhuku kacho kaiva nemashoko akafadza wechiduku Almeida okuti: “Kutaura muchechi nomutauro usingazivikanwi, kunyange pakurumbidza Mwari, hakuna zvakunobatsira kumuteereri asingaunzwisisi.”—1 VaKorinde 14:9.

Almeida akanzwisisa zvaireva mashoko iwayo zvokuti: Kuita kuti Bhaibheri rinzwisiswe nevanhu vose ndiyo chete nzira yokufumura nhema dzezvitendero. Paakasvika kuMalacca, akatanga kupinda chechi yeDutch Reformed achibva atanga kushandura zvikamu zveEvhangeri kubva muchiSpanish achiisa muchiPutukezi, achizvipa “vaya vairatidza kuti vaida kuziva chokwadi nomwoyo wose.” *

Papera makore maviri, Almeida akatanga rimwe basa guru rokushandura Magwaro ose echiKristu echiGiriki kubva muLatin Vulgate. Basa iri akaripedza gore risati rakwana. Uku kwaiva kugona basa zvinodadisa kwomunhu ane makore 16! Asingambotyi, akatumira rimwe chete kuna gavhuna wokuBatavia kuti ape mvumo yokuti ribudiswe. Nokudaro, Reformed Church yokuBatavia yakaendesa Bhaibheri racho kuAmsterdam, asi mufundisi akanga akwegura akanzi arichengete akafa uye Bhaibheri raAlmeida rakabva ratsakatika.

Muna 1651 Almeida akakumbirwa kuti anyore rimwe oripa chechi yeReformed yaiva kuCeylon (yava kunzi Sri Lanka). Apa ndipo paakaziva kuti Bhaibheri rokutanga rakanga risipo pakati pemamwe mabhuku aichengetwa nechechi. Haana kuora mwoyo uye sezvineiwo akawana rimwe raakambonyora, zvichida rokutanga-tanga, uye gore rakatevera racho akapedza kunyora nokudzokorora Evhangeri nebhuku reMabasa. Dare raitonga muchechi yokuBatavia rakamutenda nemari yaisvika maguilders 30. Imwe yeshamwari dzaAlmeida yakati, “Yaiva mari isina zvayaitenga tichitarisa basa guru raakanga aita.”

Pasinei zvapo nokuti haana kukudzwa, Almeida akaenderera mberi, zvokuti akanga apedza kunyora nokudzokorora Testamende Itsva muna 1654. Kechipiri, nyaya yokubudiswa kwaro yakataurwa asi hapana zvakanyatsoitwa kunze kwokunyora noruoko maBhaibheri mashomanana aizoshandiswa mune mamwe machechi.

Kutongerwa Rufu neDare Raibvunzurudza

Mumakore gumi akatevera Almeida akanga ari mushishi kubatsira vatendi somumishinari weChechi yeReformed. Akagadzwa somufundisi muna 1656, akatanga kushanda kuCeylon kwaakapotsa atsikwa nenzou, uye akazoshanda kuIndia somumwe wemamishinari okutanga echiPurotesitendi akashanyira nyika iyoyo.

Almeida aiva muPurotesitendi aishandira kune imwe nyika. Nokudaro vakawanda vaigara munyika dzaakashanyira dzaitaurwa chiPutukezi vaimuona somunhu akaramba kutenda uye somutengesi. Kushora pachena kwaaiita tsika dzakaipa dzaiitwa nevafundisi nokufumura dzidziso dzechechi kwakaitawo kuti nguva zhinji apesane nemamishinari echiKaturike. Kupesana uku kwakazonyanya kuipa muna 1661 apo dare Raibvunzurudza muGoa, kuIndia, rakatongera Almeida rufu nemhosva yokudzidzisa zvaipesana nezvaitendwa nevoruzhinji. Mufananidzo waiva nechiso chake wakapiswa asipo.  Ashamiswa nokusatya kwaAlmeida, gavhuna wechiDutch akakurumidza kumushevedza kuti auye kuBatavia.

Almeida aiva mumishinari aishanda nesimba, asi haana kukanganwa kuti Bhaibheri raidiwa muchiPutukezi. Kutaura chokwadi, zvakanga zviri pachena kuti vafundisi nevamwe vanhu vose vaisaziva Bhaibheri, uye izvi zvakaita kuti atsunge kuita basa rake. Mumashoko okutanga eturakiti rechitendero rakanyorwa muna 1668, Almeida akazivisa vaverengi vake kuti: “Ndinotarisira kuti . . . nokukurumidza ndichakupai Bhaibheri mumutauro wenyu, chipo chikuru nepfuma inokosha yamusati mambopiwa chero naani zvake.”

Almeida neDare Raiongorora

Muna 1676, Almeida akapa dare raitonga muchechi yokuBatavia Testamende Itsva yaakapedzisira kunyora kuti riongorore kana zvaakanga anyora zvaiva zvakakodzera. Kubvira pakutanga chaipo, Almeida nevaiongorora shanduro yake vakanga vasingawirirani. Munyori wenhau dzoupenyu hwevanhu J. L. Swellengrebel, anotsanangura kuti shamwari dzaAlmeida dzaitaura chiDutch dzingadaro dzakatadza kunzwisisa zvimwe zvaakanyora nezvidavado zvaaishandisa. Paivawo nemakakatanwa pamutauro waaishandisa. Bhaibheri raifanira kuva mumutauro upi, muchiPutukezi chaitaurwa nevanhu vose here kana kuti chimwe chepamusoro chaizotadza kunzwisiswa nevakawanda? Pakupedzisira, chido chaAlmeida chokupedza kushandura chakaita kuti vagare vachirwisana.

Basa rainonoka kufamba, zvimwe nokuti vaisawirirana kana kuti vaiongorora vaisada kuongorora zvaaive ashandura. Papera makore mana, vaongorori vakanga vasiri kubvumirana pane zvaiva muzvitsauko zvokutanga zvebhuku raRuka. Almeida aona kuti hapana chiri kufamba, akatumira zvaakashandura kuNetherlands kuti zvinobudiswa vaongorori vasingazvizivi.

Pasinei zvapo nokuti dare raitonga rakaedza kuti Bhaibheri iri risabudiswe, Testamende Itsva yake yakadhindwa muAmsterdam muna 1681, uye maBhaibheri okutanga akasvika kuBatavia gore rakatevera racho. Fungidzira kuora mwoyo kwakaita Almeida paakaona kuti zvaakashandura zvakanga zvachinjwa-chinjwa nevaongorori vokuNetherlands! Nemhaka yokuti vaongorori vakanga vasinganyatsozivi chiPutukezi, Almeida akaona kuti vakanga vawedzera “vachishandura zvisinganzwisisiki uye zvaipesana zvichidzikatidza zvaitaurwa noMudzimu Mutsvene.”

Hurumende yeDutch hainawo kufadzwa uye yakarayira kuti maBhaibheri acho ose aparadzwe. Kunyange zvakadaro, hurumende yakabvuma zvakataurwa naAlmeida zvokuti ichengete mamwe mashoma paine chibvumirano chokuti aizogadzirisa nemaoko maiva makakanganiswa zvakanyanya. MaBhaibheri aya aizoramba achishandiswa kusvikira pava neakagadziriswa.

Vaongorori vokuBatavia vakaungana zvakare kuti vaenderere mberi nebasa ravo rokuongorora Magwaro echiKristu echiGiriki uye vakatanga kugadzirira kuongorora mabhuku eMagwaro echiHebheru Almeida paakapedza kuashandura. Richityira kuti aizoguma aramwa, dare rechechi raitonga rakaita kuti mapeji akagadziriswa aiva asayinwa achengetwe maichengeterwa zvinhu zvinokosha muchechi. Pasina mubvunzo, Almeida akapikisana nazvo.

Kusvika panguva iyi, utano hwaAlmeida hwakanga hwadzikira nemhaka yokushanda zvakaoma kwemakore akawanda nokupisa kwokunze. Nemhaka yokuti utano hwake hwakaramba huchidzikira, muna 1689 Almeida akarega mabasa omuchechi achibva azvipira kuti ashandure Magwaro echiHebheru. Zvinosuruvarisa kuti akafa muna 1691 paakanga achishandura chitsauko chokupedzisira chaEzekieri.

Testamende Itsva yakagadziridzwa kechipiri, yaakapedza ava pedyo nokufa, yakabudiswa muna 1693. Zvinoita sokuti zvaakashandura zvakakanganiswazve nevaongorori vaisanyatsoziva mutauro. Mubhuku rake rinonzi A Biblia em Portugal (Bhaibheri muPortugal), G. L. Santos Ferreira anoti: “Vaongorori . . . vakachinja zvakanyanya zvinhu zvakanga zvashandurwa nounyanzvi naAlmeida, vachiminamisa nokushatisa kushandura kwakanaka kwakanga  kusina kubatwa-batwa nevakanga vaongorora pakugadziridza kwokutanga.”

Kupedzwa Kwakaitwa Bhaibheri rechiPutukezi

Pakafa Almeida, chido chokugadziridza nokubudisa Bhaibheri rechiPutukezi muBatavia chakabva chanyangarika. Sangano rokuLondon rinonzi Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge ndiro rakapa mari yokuti Testamende Itsva yaAlmeida igadziridzwe kechitatu muna 1711. Rakanga rakumbirwa nemamishinari okuDenmark aishanda kuTranquebar kumaodzanyemba kweIndia.

Sangano iroro rakatanga kambani yokudhinda mabhuku muTranquebar. Zvisinei, ngarava yakanga iine michina yokudhinda nemamwe maBhaibheri echiPutukezi yaibva kuLondon ichienda kuIndia yakatorwa nevanopamba zvikepe vokuFrance ikazosiyiwa pachiteshi chengarava cheRio de Janeiro, kuBrazil. Santos Ferreira anonyora kuti: “Pasina chikonzero chinonzwisisika uye mumamiriro ezvinhu akanzi nevakawanda chishamiso, mabhokisi aiva nemichina yokudhinda akawanika asina kana kumbobatwa ari nechepasi munzvimbo inochengeterwa zvinhu mungarava uye vakapfuurira norwendo rwavo nengarava iyoyo vachienda kuTranquebar. Mamishinari okuDenmark akanyatsogadziridza ndokubudisa mabhuku eBhaibheri akashandurwa naAlmeida akanga asara. Bhaibheri rakakwana muchiPutukezi rakabudiswa muna 1751, anoda kukwana makore 110 kubva pakatanga Almeida basa rokushandura Bhaibheri.

Nhaka Isingaperi

Kubva achiri muduku, Almeida akanzwisisa kuti Bhaibheri raifanira kuwanika muchiPutukezi kuitira kuti vanhu vose vanzwisise chokwadi mumutauro wavo. Akashanda nesimba muupenyu hwake hwose kuti aite chinangwa ichocho, pasinei nokuti Chechi yeKaturike yairwisana naye, shamwari dzake dzaisazvifarira, aiva nematambudziko okugadziridza aiita seasingaperi, uyewo utano hwake hwairamba huchiipa. Kutsungirira kwake kwakaita kuti Bhaibheri riwanike pakupedzisira.

Iye zvino misha yakawanda yaitaura chiPutukezi yaiparidzirwa naAlmeida yakaparara zvishoma nezvishoma uye haisisiko asi Bhaibheri rake richiripo. Muzana remakore rechi19, masangano anoti British and Foreign Bible Society neAmerican Bible Society akapa vanhu vokuPortugal nevanogara mumaguta okuBrazil ari pedyo negungwa zviuru zvemaBhaibheri eshanduro yaAlmeida. Nemhaka yaizvozvi, nanhasi maBhaibheri akanyorwa achibva pashanduro yokutanga yaAlmeida ndemamwe ari kushandiswa zvikuru munyika dzose dzinotaura chiPutukezi.

Hapana mubvunzo kuti vakawanda vanotenda zvikuru vanhu vakatanga kushandura Bhaibheri vakaita saAlmeida. Asi tinofanira kunyanya kutenda Jehovha, Mwari anoda kukurukura, “anoda kuti vanhu vemarudzi ose vaponeswe uye vasvike pakuva nezivo yakarurama pamusoro pechokwadi.” (1 Timoti 2:3, 4) Zvinotonyanya kukosha ndezvokuti ndiye akachengetedza Shoko rake uye akaita kuti riwanike kuti tibatsirwe. Nguva dzose ngatikoshese uye tishingaire kudzidza nezve“pfuma inokosha” iyi yakabva kuna Baba vedu vokudenga.

[Mashoko Omuzasi]

[Bhokisi/Mufananidzo uri papeji 21]

ZITA RAMWARI

Muenzaniso unokosha unoratidza kuti Almeida aiva mushanduri akavimbika kushandisa kwaakaita zita raMwari achishandura Tetragrammaton yechiHebheru.

[Kwazvakatorwa]

Cortesia da Biblioteca da Igreja de Santa Catarina (Igreja dos Paulistas)

[Mepu iri papeji 18]

(Kana uchida mashoko azere, ona bhuku racho)

ATLANTIC OCEAN

PORTUGAL

Lisbon

Torre de Tavares

[Mufananidzo uri papeji 18]

Batavia muzana remakore rechi17

[Kwazvakatorwa]

Kubva muOud en Nieuw Oost-Indiën, Franciscus Valentijn, 1724

[Mufananidzo uri papeji 18, 19]

Peji yeTestamende Itsva yokutanga yechiPutukezi, yakabudiswa muna 1681

[Kwazvakatorwa]

Courtesy Biblioteca Nacional, Portugal