By Joyce de Jongh, Netherlands-Flemish Bible Society
'Sorry, but I can't translate this for you.' Daniel, our interpreter, apologizes. 'I only speak Spanish.'
I am in Belisario Dominquez, a small village in the Mexican state of Chiapas. Together with two colleagues from the NBG, I am attending the official presentation of the Bible translation into Tojola, one of the more than 360 indigenous languages in this country. For the first time, there is a Bible in this language!
There is singing and praying, and the director of the Mexican Bible Society expresses his gratitude for the translators' dedication. Now the translators themselves are speaking, in the Tojola Ball. And so Daniel is not speaking…
The opposite is true for the more than two thousand people who have come to the celebration. Some left as early as half past one in the morning to be here. They are wearing traditional festive attire: women in colorful dresses—bright pink, orange, green, and gold thread—and men with the characteristic sombreros. For centuries, there was only a Spanish Bible for them, but most do not speak that language. That is why the irony of Daniel's words does not escape me: today, Spanish speakers are at a disadvantage.
Unique Mayan language
Tojolabal is spoken by about 60.000 people, primarily in the mountainous state of Chiapas. It is a Mayan language, without official grammar or spelling. Therefore, before even a single word could be translated, language rules had to be established.
Various biblical concepts are also absent from Maya culture. For instance, the Maya do not have a monotheistic concept of God, so how do you explain that the God in the Bible is the One? Descriptions had to be sought that did justice to both the original text and Maya culture. Thus, heaven became 'the eye that looks at the world', and God's kingdom 'the place where God gives his commands'.
Finally, I understand God's love
Work on the Tojolabal translation lasted sixteen years, and the NBG was involved from the beginning. "Without the support of donors from the Netherlands, this Bible would not have existed," Jaime López Vázquez, director of the Mexican Bible Society, tells me.
Over the years, there have been their share of setbacks. For instance, one of the translators died from complications of diabetes, and another translator went blind. The fact that he can attend this presentation means a great deal to him.
When he was eleven years old, missionaries came to his village. His mother became a Christian and memorized the Bible verses that were read in church – in Spanish. She did not fully understand them, but she could roughly guess the meaning.
When her son joined the translation team and read Bible verses aloud in Tojolabal for the first time, she began to cry. "Now I finally understand how great God's love is," she had said.
The Bible in your heart
Meanwhile, the ceremony reaches its climax: the boxes of Bibles are opened and distributed. People leaf through them and begin to read. Boxes of Bibles are ready for the pastors to take back to their villages.
They are also given so-called Proclaimers, solar-powered audio players on which the Bible is read aloud in Tojolabal. In this region, where many people are illiterate, this is a practical tool.
'This celebration marks the culmination of a 15-year process,' says Brian Renes, who was involved in the translation project as a consultant for the United Bible Societies. 'At the same time, it is also a beginning, because from now on this Bible will truly be used. The Bibles we are distributing today are seeds of the Gospel. People can get to know God, because He speaks in the language of their hearts.'
Even if that is Spanish or Tojolabal.
Thanks to your support
Translating the Bible is a process that takes years. This is especially true in languages like Tojolabal, which does not yet have an official grammar or spelling, and where there are no words for Biblical concepts such as 'atonement' or 'heaven'. That is why we are so grateful to regular donors who make these long-running Bible translation projects possible.
Thanks to your support, someone in Mexico is reading the Bible for the first time today – in the language of his heart. Together, we bring the Bible closer!