Warao Short Bible (WBACLA)

Overview

The 2018 Warao "short Bible" — containing 14 complete Old Testament books plus portions of Psalms, Isaiah, and Job, together with the full New Testament — represents the culmination of over six decades of translation effort among the Warao people of the Orinoco Delta. The project was published by CLAN (Asociación Civil, Capacitación Lingüística, Antropológica y Alfabetización Nativa), a Venezuelan civil association focused on indigenous linguistic training and literacy, which also produced the 2018 Kariña (CARLAN) New Testament audio. CLAN shares organizational DNA and mission with the earlier work of Bibles International, which adopted the Warao Old Testament project in 1988. The translation history begins with missionaries Henry and Anne Osborn, who arrived in 1954 and published trial editions of Mark (1960) and Acts (1962), leading to a completed New Testament in 1974 (2,000 copies). A revised New Testament was dedicated on July 8, 2004, exactly 30 years after the original. Due to significant political difficulties in Venezuela affecting the Old Testament project, the 2018 edition was produced as a "short Bible" combining available Old Testament books with the complete New Testament. An audio version of this translation is available through Faith Comes By Hearing.

Language and People

Warao (ISO 639-3: wba), also spelled Warau or Guarao, is a language isolate — unrelated to any other known language family — spoken by approximately 49,000 people, primarily in the Orinoco Delta of Venezuela (43,000), with additional communities in Guyana (5,500) and Suriname (500). The Warao are one of the largest indigenous groups of Venezuela and one of the oldest continuously inhabited peoples of the Caribbean lowlands. Their name means "canoe people" or "boat people," reflecting their deep association with the waterways of the delta. Traditional Warao society is organized around shamanic practices and the moriche palm, which provides food, building material, and ritual significance. The language has no demonstrated relationship to any other language, making it a linguistic isolate of significant scholarly interest.

Publishing and Organizations

Published by CLAN (Asociación Civil, Capacitación Lingüística, Antropológica y Alfabetización Nativa), a Venezuelan indigenous language organization. Long-term translation support was also provided by Bibles International (BI), which had adopted the Old Testament project in 1988.

References