Gela New Testament (NLGNEW)

Overview

The Gela New Testament (Na Rongorongo Uto nina Jesus Christ) is a 2015 revised translation in the Gela language of the Solomon Islands, published by the Bible Society in the South Pacific and copyrighted by Wycliffe Bible Translators. [1] Gela speakers were among the first in the Solomon Islands to receive a New Testament in their own language, with an earlier translation published in 1923 by the Melanesian Mission of the Anglican Church. [2] The modern translation project began in 2001 as a joint ministry of SITAG (Solomon Islands Translation Advisory Group) and BTLP-SI (Bible Translation and Literacy Partnership of the Solomon Islands). [2] Translation advisor Taylor Coombe and his wife Alison arrived in the Solomon Islands in 1998, settling in Polomuhu Village to learn Gela. [2] A team of 35 translators was trained across three Gela-speaking islands: Gela Sule, Gela Pile, and Sandfly Island. [2] The final review of the complete New Testament was finished in 2014, and the text was typeset and printed in Korea. [2] The translation was publicly celebrated on 1 May 2016 in Sale Sapa Village. [2] In addition to the full New Testament, this edition includes portions of the Old Testament (37 books total), with approximately 60% of the Old Testament completed in first draft as of 2016. [2]

Language and People

Gela (ISO 639-3: nlg) is a Southeast Solomonic language of the Oceanic branch of Austronesian, spoken by approximately 11,900 people in the Nggela (Florida) Islands of Central Province, Solomon Islands. [3] The language was first written by missionaries from the Melanesian Mission of the Anglican Church of Melanesia, who published Scripture portions in Gela as early as 1882. [3] [Glottolog: gela1263]

Publishing and Organizations

Published by Bible Society in the South Pacific.

References