Agarabi New Testament (AGDWBT)

Overview

The New Testament in the Agarabi language of Papua New Guinea, published in 2010 by the Bible Society of Papua New Guinea in partnership with Wycliffe Bible Translators. [1] The translation carries the vernacular title Yisasini Kama Vaya and is the first Scripture translation produced for the Agarabi-speaking community of Eastern Highlands Province. [2] Agarabi (also known as Agarabe or Bare) belongs to the Kainantu branch of the Trans-New Guinea language family and is spoken in the Agarabi Rural Local-Level Government area of Eastern Highlands Province by an estimated 57,500 people. [3] Translation work among the Agarabi began when Lorna Luff, one of the first Wycliffe Bible Translators/SIL members to work in Papua New Guinea from 1956, started language work with the Agarabi in 1959; Jean Goddard from the United States joined her in 1961, and together they produced much of the New Testament in rough draft form. [4] After Luff retired to Australia in the late 1980s and Goddard moved to assist other translation teams, Ron and Michelle Olson arrived in 1995 to continue the project. [4] In June 2009, the last book of the Agarabi New Testament passed SIL's quality-control testing, and the completed translation was formally dedicated on 22 May 2011 in the village of Kanimpa. [4] The print edition was subsequently made available through a partnership that includes the Digital Bible Society, the Bible League of Canada, and Open Doors International, extending its reach to diaspora and international audiences. [1]

Language and People

Agarabi (ISO 639-3: agd) is spoken by approximately 27,000 people in Papua New Guinea, Map 10. [Glottolog: agar1252]

Publishing and Organizations

Created by Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc. Published by Wycliffe Bible Translators USA. Translation type: First.

References