Kubayini kunamaBhayibheli ahlukahlukene kangaka namhlanjesi? Uyiginya njani yeemBhayibheli ezitjhezi, zisithikamezo namkha zilisizo? Ukwazi ngomsuka wazo kungakuvula amehlo.

Ngubani owatlola iBhayibheli kokuthoma, begodu yatlolwa nini?

IBhayibheli lihleleke kabili. Ingcenye yokuthoma ineencwadi ezi-39, ‘ezimlayezo kaZimu.’ (Roma 3:2) UZimu wasebenzisa amadoda athembekileko bonyana atlole iincwadezi eminyakeni engaba-1 100, kusukela ngomnyaka ka-1513 B.C.E bekuyokufika ku-443 B.C.E. Kanengi bebatlola ngelimi lesiHebheru, ngikho ingcenye leyo ibizwa ngemiTlolo yesiHebheru namkha iTestamende eliDala.

Ingcenye yesibili ineencwadi ezima-27, nazo ‘zililiZwi lakaZimu.’ (1 Thesalonika 2:13) Nakilokhu uZimu wenza soneso. Wasebenzisa abafundi bakaJesu abathembekileko batlola iincwadezi ngesikhathi esifitjhani khulu, ekuminyaka engaba-60, kusukela ngomnyaka ka-41 C.E bekuyokufika ngo-98 C.E. Batlola ngelimi lesiGirigi, ngikho nengcenye leyo ibizwa ngokuthi miTlolo yamaKrestu yesiGirigi, yaziwa nangokuthi yiTestamende eliTjha.

Nasele zizoke incwadezi zima-66, zenza liBhayibheli elipheleleko, okuliliZwi lakaZimu. Alo bekenzelwani-ke amanye la amaBhayibheli? Kuneenzathu ezintathu nanzi.

• Ukwenzela abantu bakwazi ukufunda iBhayibheli ngamalimi abawamunyako.

• Ukususa imitjhapho eyenzwa bakopululi kunye nokubuyisela imitlolo yeBhayibheli eyindabuko.

• Nokuthuthukiswa kwelimi lekadeni.

Tjhetja indlela amaphuzu la abandakanyeke ngayo emaBhayibhelini amabili naka.

Kwathi sekudlule iminyaka ema-300 yoke, ngaphambi kokufika kwakaJesu, izazi zamaJuda zathoma ukutjhugululela imiTlolo yesiHebheru esiGirigini. IBhayibheli leyo yaziwa ngokuthi yi-Septuagint yesiGirigi. Bewuyini umnqopho wayo? Beyenzelwe ukusiza amaJuda amanengi ebewakhuluma isiGirigi kunokukhuluma isiHebheru bonyana akwazi ukungatjhidi ‘emitlolweni ecwengileko.’—2 Thimothi 3:15.

IBhayibheli ye-Septuagint yasiza neengidigidi zabantu ebebangasiwo amaJuda kodwana bebakhuluma isiGirigi bezwa umlayezo weBhayibheleli. Basizakala njani? UProfesa W.  F.  Howard, uthi, “Phakathi nekhulu lokuthoma, iBhayibheli le yathoma ukusetjenziswa liSondo lamaKrestu, kangangokuthi amamitjhinari wakhona bewatjhumayela ngayo emasinagogeni, akufakazela ngemitlolo ukuthi ‘uJesu abakhuluma ngaye unguKrestu.’” (IzEnzo 17:3, 4; 20:20) Isazi seBhayibheli u F.  F.  Bruce, sinaba ngokuthi lelo libanga elenza amaJuda amanengi aphelelwa “yitjiseko yeBhayibheli le-Septuagint.”

Abafundi bakaJesu bathi nabafumana iincwadi zeTestamende lamaKrestu eliTjha, bazihlanganisa nemiTlolo yesiHebheru, lathoma mhlokho iBhayibheli elipheleleko esinalo namhlanjesi.

Eminyakeni ema-300 ngemva kokwenziwa kweBhayibheli, uJerome osisazi wakhupha iBhayibheli yesiLathini, eyaziwa nge-Latin Valgate. AmaBhayibheli ahlukahlukeneko wesiLathini besele akhona, alo kubayini bekusatlhogwa etja godu? I-International Standard Bible Encyclopedia ithi, uJerome bekafuna ukulungisa “imiqondo engasiyo, imitjhapho, namezwi angezelelweko nakhitjhiweko.”

Minengi khulu imitjhapho eyalungiswa nguJerome. Kusese njalo, iimphathimandla zekolo zenza umonakako omkhulu ukuyidlula yoke! Zagandelela yokuthi iBhayibheli ye-Vulgate, kube ngiyo yodwa esetjenziswako, kwaphela amakhulu weminyaka kusolo kunjalo. Kunokuthi zisize abantu bazwisise iBhayibheli, zakhetha i-Valgate yesiLathini, zibe zazi kuhle ukuthi abantu abanengi bebangalazi ilimi lesiLathini.

Kukunje, abantu basaraga nokuwatjhugulula amaBhayibheli. Sinesibonelo se-Syriac Peshitta. Eyenziwa ngeminyaka yabo-500. Nakuthoma iminyaka yabo-1400, izinto zagaya ngomunye umhlathi kwanjesi, abantu abavamileko besele bafumana amaBhayibheli ngelimi labo lendabuko.

UJohn Wycliffe wenarheni yamaNgisi, eminyakeni yabo-1400, wathoma ukukhupha iBhayibheli yesiNgisi ebeyikwazi ukufundwa ngiwo woke umuntu enarheni yekhabo. Kwaba ngisweso nangoJohannes Gutenberg, iindlela zakhe zokugadangisa zavulela izazi amathuba wokwenza bezigadangise amaBhayibheli amatjha wamalimi ahlukahlukeneko ebewakhulunywa e-Yurobhu yoke.

Nakwanda abatjhugululi belimi lesiNgisi, nabanyefuli baphakamisa imibuzo ngokuthi, sikhona na isidingo sokubuyelelwa kwamaBhayibheli ahlukahlukeneko khisibe akhuluma ilimi linye? Eminyakeni yabo-1800, ilunga lesiqhema sabafundisi uJohn Lewis oliNgisi, wathi, “Ilimi likhamba liphelelwe sikhathi, yeke kuqakathekile ukuvuselela ilimi elidala likhambisane neLimi lamva nje elikhulunywa ngiwo woke umuntu nelizwisiswa sizukulwana esiphila namhlanjesi.”

Namhlanjesi, izazi zeBhayibheli zisemathubeni amahle wokuvuselela amaBhayibheli wekadeni. Bawazwisisa ngcono amaBhayibheli welimi lekadeni, begodu basese nawo namaBhayibheli aziincwadi ezincani ezitholakele mva nje. Lokhu kubasiza bakghone ukubona ukuthi ngikuphi okubetha emhlolweni nabakususela emitlolweni yendabuko yeBhayibheli.

Yeke kusiza khulu ukuba namaBhayibheli atjhugululwe kabutjha la. Siyavuma, kusatlhoga avulelwe amehlo amanye wawo. * Kodwana nange amaBhayibheli la abuyekeziweko ihloso yokwenziwa kwawo iphehlwa kuthanda uZimu, umsebenzi onjalo usizuzisa kwemhlolo.