IGIHE umukuru mu vy’idini w’Umwongereza yitwa William Bedell yaja muri Irlande mu 1627, yarabonye ikintu gitangaje cane. Naho Irlande igwiriyemwo abagatolika, yasanze itegekwa n’Ubwongereza kino kikaba ari igihugu kigwiriyemwo abaporoti. Abaporoti baharanira amahinduka mu vy’idini bari bamaze gushira Bibiliya mu ndimi zitandukanye zakoreshwa i Buraya. Ariko vyasa n’uko ata wushaka kuyishira mu rurimi rwo muri Irlande.

Bedell yabona ko abantu bo muri Irlande “batari bakwiye kwirengagizwa kugeza bamenye icongereza.” Yaciye atangura guhindura Bibiliya mu rurimi rwo muri Irlande. Ariko abaporoti baramurwanije cane. Kubera iki?

Bedell yariyemeje kwiga urwo rurimi. Igihe yaba umuyobozi wa kaminuza bita Trinity College iri i Dublin mu nyuma na ho akaba musenyeri w’i Kilmore, yaguma ahimiriza abanyeshure kuvuga urwo rurimi. Nkako, igihe Umwamikazi Elizabeth wa mbere wo mu Bwongereza yatanguza iyo kaminuza, yari afise intumbero y’uko yosohoye abapasitori bashoboye kwigisha Bibiliya abo atwara mu rurimi rwabo kavukire. Bedell nta ko atagize ngo ivyo bishoboke.

Kuri diyoseze y’i Kilmore, ururimi rwo muri Irlande rwavugwa n’abantu benshi. Bedell rero yasavye ashimitse ko hoboneka abamenyeshamana bazi urwo rurimi. Yishimikije amajambo intumwa Paulo yavuze mu 1 Abakorinto 14:19, ahagira hati: “Mw’ishengero nopfuma mvuga amajambo atanu n’umuzirikanyi wanje kugira nigishe n’abandi ku munwa, hako mvuga amajambo ibihumbi cumi mu rundi rurimi,” ni ukuvuga mu rurimi abantu benshi batazi.

Abategetsi bakomakomeye nta ko batakoze ngo bamuburabuze. Abahinga mu vya kahise berekana ko hari abavuze ko gukoresha urwo rurimi vyari “bigeramiye igihugu” abandi na bo bavuga ko kwari “ukurwanya inyungu za Leta.” Hari ababona ko Ubwongereza ari bwo bwahungukira abantu bo muri Irlande bagumye mu kutamenya. Nkako, harashinzwe amategeko yabasaba guheba ururimi rwabo n’imico yabo bakiga icongereza bakongera bagakurikiza imico yo mu Bwongereza.

Bedell ntiyaciwe intege n’abo bantu batwaza umukazo. Mu ntango z’imyaka ya 1630, yaratanguye gushira mu rurimi rwo muri Irlande Bibiliya yari iherutse gusorwa mu congereza (ikaba ari King James Version yo mu 1611). Yashaka ko hoboneka Bibiliya abantu benshi batahura.  Yarababazwa cane no kubona abantu batobato badashobora gusoma Bibiliya ngo batahure ingene boronka ubuzima budahera kubera yari mu rurimi badatahura.—Yohani 17:3.

Bedell si we yatanguye kubona ico kintu. Hari haciye nk’imyaka 30 uwundi musenyeri yitwa William Daniel abonye ingene bigoye gutahura Bibiliya igihe “iri mu rurimi utazi.” Daniel yari yarashize Isezerano rishasha mu rurimi rwo muri Irlande. Bedell wewe yaciye atangurira kw’Isezerano rya kera. Bibiliya ikunze kwitwa iya Bedell irimwo igice yahinduye be n’icari cahinduwe na William Daniel. Iyo Bibiliya, akaba ari na yo yabaye iya mbere yuzuye yo mu rurimi rwo muri Irlande, yahavuye imara imyaka 300 ari yo yonyene iboneka muri urwo rurimi.

Bedell yarasavye abantu babiri b’imvukira bavuga ururimi rwo muri Irlande ngo bamufashe gushira Bibiliya muri urwo rurimi bayikuye mu congereza. Bedell yari umuhinga mu giheburayo. Uko igikorwa cabo catera imbere, we hamwe n’umuntu umwe canke babiri yizigira barasuzumye bitonze umurongo umwumwe wose. Barisunze Bibiliya yo mu gitaliyano yahinduwe n’umunyatewolojiya w’Umuswise yitwa Giovanni Diodati, hamwe na Bibiliya y’ikigiriki yitwa Septante be n’igisomwa ca kera ca Bibiliya yo mu giheburayo.

Abagize uwo mugwi bakurikije akarorero k’abahinduye Bibiliya yitwa King James Version (benshi muri bo bikaba bishoboka ko Bedell yari abazi) bashira izina ry’Imana ahatari hake muri iyo Bibiliya. Nk’akarorero, muri Kuvayo 6:3, bakoresheje izina “Iehovah.” Igisomwa Bedell ubwiwe yiyandikiye carazigamwe mu bubiko bumwe bw’ibitabu (Marsh’s Library) buri i Dublin muri Irlande.—Raba uruzitiro ruvuga ngo “Barashimye ivyo Bedell yakoze.”

Bedell yahejeje igikorwa ciwe nko mu 1640. Ariko ntiyashobora guca asohora iyo Bibiliya. Kubera iki? Kimwe coco, bari bakimurwanya. Abamurwanya baravuze nabi uwo yari yashinze ico gikorwa, bizigiye ko bica bitukisha ivyo bakoze. Mbere babigiranye amayeri baratumye afatwa maze arapfungwa. Ngo amagorwa ntasiga ayandi, mu 1641 haradutse akagwi k’inkozi z’ikibi karwanya Abongereza. Abantu bo ng’aho muri Irlande baramaze igihe bakingira Bedell naho yari Umwongereza kubera babona ko abitwararika vy’ukuri. Ariko rero abasoda b’abaroberi bahavuye bamuta mw’ibohero rimeze nabi cane. Nta gukeka ko ivyo biri mu vyasongereye isibe bigatuma apfa mu 1642. Ntiyigeze abona iyo Bibiliya isohorwa.

Bibiliya ya Bedell yarahatswe kuzimangana igihe basakambura inzu yiwe maze bakayisambura. Igishimishije, hari umugenzi wiwe yashoboye kurokora ivyo yanditse vyose. Mu nyuma, ivyo bintu vyarashitse mu minwe ya Narcissus Marsh, uwahavuye aba musenyeri mukuru w’i Armagh na kizigenza w’idini ryo muri Irlande. Umuhinga yitwa Robert Boyle yaramuhaye uburyo maze abigiranye umutima rugabo arasohora Bibiliya ya Bedell mu 1685.

Si abantu bose bakiriye neza Bibiliya ya Bedell. Naho ari ukwo, yari intambwe ntoya ariko ihambaye yatumye abantu barushiriza gutahura Bibiliya na canecane abavuga ururimi rwo muri Irlande. Ariko ntiyafashije abo muri Irlande gusa yarafashije n’ababa muri Ekose be n’ahandi henshi. Ico gihe barashobora kwumva ko biyegereje Imana mu gusoma Ijambo ryayo mu rurimi rwabo kavukire.—Matayo 5:3, 6.

Gushika n’ubu Bibiliya ya Bedell iracafasha abakunda ukuri. Umugabo umwe ata gihe kinini cane amaze yiga Bibiliya avuga ururimi rwo muri Irlande, agira ati: “Igihe twaba dusomye Bibiliya ya Bedell, twarumva amajambo y’Imana mu rurimi rwacu kavukire. Ico ni co kintu nyamukuru cahavuye gituma jewe n’umuryango wanje tumenya ibintu vyiza igitangaza biri muri Bibiliya.”