Godón Buk (TOFEBL)

Overview

The Godón Buk is a partial Bible in the Gizrra language, containing the complete New Testament along with Old Testament portions including Genesis, Ruth, 2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, Psalms, Isaiah, and Jonah. Gizrra (also known as Toga) is a Papuan language of the Eastern Trans-Fly family, spoken by approximately 2,000 people in three main villages south of the Fly River in Western Province, Papua New Guinea. [1][2] The New Testament, together with Genesis, Jonah, and Ruth, was dedicated in December 2020 after nearly three decades of translation work that began in 1993. [3]

Translation History

Translation work among the Gizrra people was initiated in 1993 by Tyndale Bible Translators missionaries Nico and Elly van Bodegraven, who arrived in Papua New Guinea in August 1992. [3] Their work encompassed language learning, development of literacy materials, and New Testament translation. Following the December 2020 dedication, Elly van Bodegraven helped two Gizrra translators begin working more independently on Old Testament translation. [3]

Language and People

Gizrra (ISO 639-3: tof) is spoken in the villages of Kulalae, Waidorro, and Kolmet, as well as two smaller villages, located between the Pahoturi River and Kura Creek, about 5 kilometres inland from the coast. [1] The language has two varieties: Western Gizrra and Waidoro. [1] It remains a stable first language used by the entire ethnic community. [1]

References