Delang New Testament — LAI 2021 Edition (XDYLAI)

Overview

The Delang New Testament is a translation of the New Testament into the Delang (Malayic Dayak) language of West Kalimantan, Indonesia, published in 2021 by Lembaga Alkitab Indonesia (LAI), the Indonesian Bible Society. This 2021 edition is a distinct publication from the earlier Yayasan Caleb and Joshua translation of the same language also, and represents LAI's own translation effort for the Delang-speaking communities of Borneo.

Language and People

Delang (ISO 639-3: xdy), also known as Malayic Dayak, is an Austronesian language of the Malayo-Polynesian branch spoken primarily in the upper Melawi River basin of West Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo). The language is closely related to other Dayak Malay varieties of the region and is sometimes grouped under the names Delang–Kayung–Banana'. Speakers number in the tens of thousands across several river communities in West Kalimantan province.

Translation and Publisher

Lembaga Alkitab Indonesia (LAI), founded in 1954, is the national Bible society of Indonesia and has been responsible for translating and publishing the Scriptures in Indonesian as well as dozens of regional languages throughout the archipelago. LAI works in partnership with the United Bible Societies global network. The 2021 Delang New Testament reflects LAI's ongoing commitment to making Scripture available to the many distinct ethnolinguistic communities of Kalimantan.

A separate earlier translation by Yayasan Caleb and Joshua (XDYYVB) exists for the same language, published as the Porjanjian Boharu Torjomahan Baso Dilakng Soari-ari and listed on YouVersion. The unfoldingWord/Wycliffe Associates version (XDYUFWH, XDYUFWL, etc.) also covers the Delang/Dayak Suhaid language group. The XDYLAI edition is the LAI institutional translation for this community.

References