Kitaaba Woyyuu — Guji Oromo Complete Bible (Ethiopia)
Overview
Kitaaba Woyyuu ("Holy Book" in Guji Oromo — woyyuu means "holy/good/excellent") is the complete Bible in the Guji Oromo language of southern Ethiopia, published in 2025 by The Word for the World International with contributions from the Bible Society of Ethiopia, available via YouVersion/Bible.com (ID 4125; abbreviation: GUJ), eBible.org (online and PDF), and Davar Audio Bibles (OT audio). The translation team used the Good News Bible (English), Amharic translations, the Oromo Bible from Wollega, and the New Jerome Biblical Commentary as source materials. A Guji Oromo New Testament was first published in 2007 by the Bible Society of Ethiopia, which subsequently printed 200,000 copies — the 2025 full Bible extends this foundation to the complete canon.
Language and People
Guji Oromo (ISO 639-3: gax; autonym: Guji) is an Afroasiatic language: Afroasiatic → Cushitic → Eastern Cushitic → Oromo branch. Oromo (also called Afan Oromo or Oromiffa) is the largest language of Ethiopia and one of the most widely spoken Cushitic languages. The gax ISO code covers the Borana-Arsi-Guji cluster — southern Oromo varieties that differ phonologically and lexically from the northern Wollega Oromo variety (gaz). The Guji sub-variety is spoken in East and West Guji Zones of Oromia.
The Guji Oromo community inhabits:
- East Guji Zone and West Guji Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia — southern Oromia, bordering the Gedeo and Borena zones
- Communities extending toward the Kenya border
Estimated speakers: approximately 2 million Guji Oromo speakers (Joshua Project; Ethnologue data for gax total: 4.5 million across all Borana-Arsi-Guji varieties).
Cultural Context
The Guji are traditionally agro-pastoralists with a strong oral tradition. Like other Oromo communities, the Guji practice the gada age-grade governance system, recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2016. The Guji zone saw significant Christian growth in the late 20th century alongside the broader Ethiopian evangelical expansion, creating demand for vernacular scripture. The 2025 full Bible completion represents a decades-long investment — from the 2007 NT through the complete canon.
Publishing and Organizations
Published by The Word for the World International (thewordfortheworld.org) and Bible Society of Ethiopia (biblesocietyethiopia.org). Audio OT available via Davar Audio Bibles (davar_id: GAXBSK.01440).