Gonja Bible (GJNGIL)

Overview

The Gonja Bible is the complete Bible in the Gonja language, published in 2015 and dedicated on February 6, 2016. [1] The Gonja New Testament was first completed in 1983 by Jeanette Zwart, a WEC missionary who commenced Bible translation in Gonja in 1969, assisted by John Kipo Mahamah, one of the first Gonja Christians. [1] After the New Testament's completion, WEC withdrew from the Gonja area. In 2005, a committee of Gonja Christians established an Old Testament translation team at the Evangelical Church of Ghana's Training Center in Nyankpala, with technical support from GILLBT. [1] Four translators, including AbdulRahim Adam, Pastor Joseph Issahare, Pastor Francis Mahama, and John Kipo Mahama, worked for eleven years to complete the Old Testament in 2013. [1] Ian and Claire Gray served as Wycliffe translation consultants. [1] A print run of 2,050 copies was produced. [1]

Translators and Contributors

  • Jeanette Zwart — WEC missionary who began Gonja Bible translation in 1969 and completed the New Testament in 1983. [1]
  • John Kipo Mahamah — One of the first Gonja Christians, assisted Zwart with the NT translation. [1]
  • AbdulRahim Adam — OT translator, former Muslim converted through reading the NT. [1]
  • Pastor Joseph Issahare — OT translator, former Muslim converted through reading the NT. [1]
  • Pastor Francis Mahama — OT translator, among the earliest Gonja Christians. [1]
  • Ian and Claire Gray — Wycliffe translation consultants for the OT project. [1]

Language and People

Gonja (ISO 639-3: gjn) is spoken by approximately 310,000 people in Ghana. [Glottolog: gonj1241]

Publishing and Organizations

Published by Ghana Institute of Linguistics Literacy and Bible Translation. Translation type: New.

References