Zay New Testament — Wycliffe Ethiopia Bible Translation Association (ZWAWBT)

Overview

The Zay New Testament is the first printed Scripture translation in the Zay language of Ethiopia, produced by the Wycliffe Ethiopia Bible Translation Association. The New Testament was unveiled at a public celebration on June 15, 2025, in a stadium in Ziway town, attended by approximately 2,000 people — marking a historic moment for the Zay community after the translation work began approximately seven years prior. [1] The Zay New Testament was the first book-length printed material ever produced in the Zay language, which had previously been exclusively oral despite having been researched by linguists.

Language and People

Zay (ISO 639-3: zwa), also known as Laqi (or Lak'i), is an Ethiosemitic language of the South Semitic branch, classified within the East Gurage language group. It is spoken by approximately 14,000 people — the Zay people — who live on the five islands and along the shores of Lake Ziway (Zwai) in the Arsi Zone of Oromia Region, southern Ethiopia, in the villages of Gelila, Herera, Meki, and Ziway. [2] Most Zay are Ethiopian Orthodox Christians. Despite this Christian heritage, no Scripture in the Zay language had existed prior to this translation project.

Translation History

Wycliffe Ethiopia (formally the Wycliffe Ethiopia Bible Translation Association), a member of Wycliffe Global Alliance and associate member of the Evangelical Churches Fellowship Ethiopia, began the Zay New Testament translation approximately seven years before the 2025 launch. The translation process involved developing an orthography for a language that had never been written, drafting and community-testing the text, and producing audio recordings. Old Testament work is ongoing: the Wycliffe Ethiopia team has drafted the book of Exodus and recorded Joshua, Ruth, Esther, and Joel as the Old Testament program advances toward a complete Bible. [1] [3]

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