Dhivehi New Testament (DIVWBT)

Overview

The Dhivehi New Testament, known as Kithaabul Muqaddhas, is a translation of scripture into the national language of the Republic of Maldives, written in the Thaana script [1]. Efforts to translate the Bible into Dhivehi date back to 1810, when Scottish linguist John Leyden coordinated the translation of the four Gospels with the support of the Bible Society while serving at Fort William College in Calcutta [2][3]. By July 1810 the Gospel of Matthew through chapter 18 had been completed, and before Leyden's death from fever in Java in August 1811 he had delivered manuscripts of all four Gospels in Maldivian [2]. However, these manuscripts were never published and their fate remains unknown [2]. It took nearly two centuries before a Gospel was finally published; Luke was the first book of Scripture to be completed in Dhivehi, published in 2005 [3]. The present New Testament translation was produced by Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc. and published in 2004 [4].

Language and People

Dhivehi (ISO 639-3: div) is spoken by approximately 340,500 people in India, Map 9. [Glottolog: dhiv1236]

Publishing and Organizations

Published by Wycliffe Bible Translators USA.

References