EMHLANGANWENI lokhetsekile lobewuseNagoya, eJapan, nga-April 28, 2013, Anthony Morris lolilunga leSigungu Lesibusako wakhipha simemetelo lesijabulisako sekukhululwa kwencwadzi lensha yesiJapan lenesihloko lesitsi: “The Bible—The Gospel According to Matthew.” Bantfu lebebakhona kulomhlangano nalebebawubukela ngema-video kuletinye tindzawo bebangetulu kwa-210 000. Ngemuva kwekuva lesimemetelo, bakhombisa injabulo ngekushaya tandla sikhatsi lesidze.

LeliVangeli laMatewu lishicilelwe kabusha lisuselwa ku-“New World Translation.” Nobe kunjalo, lencwadzi lenemakhasi langu-128 yehlukile kuletinye. UMzalwane Morris wachaza kutsi yentelwe kusita bantfu ensimini yesiJapan. Yehluke ngani lencwadzi? Kungani beyidzingeka? Bantfu bative njani ngayo?

Bantfu labanyenti bamangala nababona indlela lencwadzi yaMatewu lebhalwe ngayo. Tinhlavu tesiJapan tingabhalwa tiye etulu nobe tivundle, futsi etincwadzini letinyenti, lokufaka ekhatsi netincwadzi tetfu, emagama abhalwa avundle. Nobe kunjalo, kulencwadzi lensha emagama abhalwe aya etulu, lokuyindlela lefana naleyo lesetjentiswa emaphephandzabeni lamanyenti aseJapan nakuletinye tincwadzi. Kubantfu labanyenti baseJapan, lendlela yekubhala ifundzeka melula. Ngetulu kwaloko, tihlokwana letivame kuba ngenhla kwemakhasi setibhalwe ekhatsi kulemibhalo kuze bafundzi bawabone kamelula emaphuzu layinhloko.

Bazalwane nabodzadze baseJapan bacala kufundza lencwadzi yaMatewu ngaleso sikhatsi. Lomunye dzadze loseminyakeni yabo-80 budzala watsi: “Sengiyifundze kanyenti incwadzi yaMatewu, kodvwa lendlela yekubhala leya etulu kanye naletihlokwana kungisite kutsi ngiyicondze kahle iNshumayelo yaseNtsabeni.” Lomunye dzadze losemusha wabhala watsi: “Ngayifundza yonkhe lencwadzi yaMatewu ngesikhashana nje. Ngiyetayele indlela yekubhala emagama avundle, kodvwa bantfu labanyenti baseJapan banconota indlela yekubhala leya etulu.”

Yini leyenta kutsi lencwadzi yinye yeliBhayibheli ibe lusito kakhulu ensimini yesiJapan? Nanobe bantfu labanyenti baseJapan bangalati kangako liBhayibheli, banaso sifiso sekulifundza. Labanyenti labangazange sebalibone liBhayibheli sebatawuba nencenye yalo futsi bayifundze.

Kungani kwakhetfwa incwadzi yaMatewu? Bantfu labanyenti baseJapan nabeva ligama lelitsi “liBhayibheli,” bacabanga ngaJesu Khristu. Ngako kwakhetfwa incwadzi yaMatewu ngobe inemlandvo weluhla lwemndeni wakuboJesu, kutalwa kwakhe, iNshumayelo yakhe ledvumile yaseNtsabeni kanye netiphrofetho letibalulekile latisho mayelana nemalanga ekugcina. Leti tihloko letikhanga bantfu labanyenti baseJapan.

 Bamemeteli baseJapan bacala kuyihambisa ngekutimisela lencwadzi lensha emtini ngemuti nakubantfu lebebabuyela kubo. Lomunye dzadze wabhala watsi: “Nyalo senginematfuba lamanyenti ekuniketa bantfu labasensimini yetfu liVi laNkulunkulu. Ecinisweni, entsambama ngalelolanga lalomhlangano lokhetsekile, ngahambisa ikhophi yalencwadzi yaMatewu!”

Bamemeteli bayihambisa njani lencwadzi lensha? Bantfu labanyenti baseJapan bayawati emavi lanjengalatsi ‘lisango lelincane,’ ‘ematje laligugu ningawajiki etingulubeni,’ nalatsi “ningacali nikhatsateke ngelilanga lelilandzelako.” (Matewu 6:34; 7:6, 13) Bayamangala kutsi lamavi ashiwo nguJesu Khristu. Nababona lamavi kulencwadzi yaMatewu, bantfu labanyenti batsi: “Bengisolo ngifisa kufundza liBhayibheli kanye nje.”

Bamemeteli nababuyela kubantfu labemukele ikhophi yalencwadzi, bavame kutfola kutsi sebayifundze yonkhe lencwadzi nobe incenye yayo. Lenye indvodza leseminyakeni yabo-60 budzala yatsi kulomunye ummemeteli: “Ngiyifundze kanyenti lencwadzi futsi ngadvudvuteka. Ngicela ungifundzise lokunyenti ngeliBhayibheli.”

Lencwadzi yaMatewu ihanjiswa nasetindzaweni tawonkhewonkhe. Ngesikhatsi lomunye dzadze ashumayela, waniketa lomunye sisi lowemukela lencwadzi likheli lakhe le-e-mail. Ngemuva nje kweli-awa, losisi watfumelela lodzadze umlayeto watsi sewuyifundzafundzile lencwadzi futsi ufisa kwati lokunye lokunyenti. Ngemuva kweliviki, losisi wachutjelwa sifundvo seliBhayibheli kwekucala, futsi ngekushesha wacala kuya emihlanganweni yelibandla.

Sekutfunyelelwe emakhophi langetulu kwa-1 600 000 alencwadzi yaMatewu emabandleni laseJapan. Inyanga ngayinye, BoFakazi bahambisa emashumi etinkhulungwane temakhophi ayo. Setfulo salencwadzi siveta indlela bashicileli bayo labativa ngayo nasitsi: “Setsemba kutsi kufundza lencwadzi kutawukwenta ulitsandze kakhulu liBhayibheli.”