Brother Peter Gewitz, a member of the Scandinavia Branch Committee, released the New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures in Greenlandic on October 30, 2021. The Bible was released during a special virtual program that was transmitted live via JW Stream to 413 viewers, including 164 viewers in Greenland. The Bible was made available in digital format. Printed copies will be made available in the future.

The Watchtower has been translated into Greenlandic since 1973. Approximately 57,000 people speak the language, which belongs to the Inuit family of languages spoken across the Arctic region. The release of this edition is a special blessing for the 134 publishers who serve in the Greenlandic field.

Greenlanders generally have great respect for the Bible. In 1766, the son of a Norwegian missionary was the first to translate the Christian Greek Scriptures into Greenlandic. In 1822, a Danish missionary translated Genesis and included God’s name, Jehovah, in the main text. It was not until 1900 that all the books of the Bible were available in Greenlandic, and it was not until 2000 that the complete Bible was available in one volume.

During the release program, Brother Gewitz said, “When you read this translation, you can read it with confidence, knowing that it is an accurate translation of God’s inspired Word into modern-day Greenlandic.” This includes more accurate descriptions of human emotions. For example, John 11:38 refers to Jesus’ feelings when he was at Lazarus’ tomb. Some Greenlandic Bibles state that Jesus “became angry” or was “offended” during that emotional experience. The New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures more precisely states that Jesus “deeply sighed.”

We are confident that the clarity and accuracy of this translation will assist Greenlandic readers to more effectively “get the sense” of the Bible’s guidance.—Matthew 13:51.