Gela Bible (NLGSPC)

Overview

The Gela Bible (NLGSPC) contains Scripture portions (Gospels and Acts) in the Gela language (ISO 639-3: nlg), an Oceanic language of the Southeast Solomonic group spoken by approximately 12,000 people in the Nggela Islands of the Solomon Islands [1][2]. Gela has a long history of Bible translation: it was first written by missionaries from the Melanesian Mission of the Anglican Church of Melanesia, who published a Gela translation of Scripture in 1882, and a full New Testament followed in 1923, making Gela speakers among the first in the Solomon Islands to receive a New Testament in their own language [1][3]. The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK) printed many Melanesian Mission translations during this era [4]. A revised New Testament was completed in 2014 by a team of 35 translators working since 2001 under SITAG and BTLP-SI, with Taylor Coombe serving as translation advisor, and was celebrated in May 2016 [3].

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