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Bible translation ministry works on 500th project in Ethiopia

At the request of local church leaders, The Seed Company opened its 500th Bible translation project in rural southwestern Ethiopia, reports MNN.

According to The Seed Company, an American missionary couple brought the Gospel to the Majang people in the early 1960s. Today, about 85% of the language group claims affiliation with Christian churches.

Yosef, a Majang mother-tongue speaker, serves as the team's first full-time translator. Translators have found that mother-tongue translation is like using a root language--greatly accelerating the Bible translation process since there is no need to learn the language and culture.

They've already completed drafts of all four Gospels and parts of Acts. The Seed Company hopes to complete the New Testament and portions of Genesis that will give the 50,000 Majang-speaking people a foundation to understand the New Testament.

Educational opportunities are rare. Few can read in this region, so the desire to read Scripture often becomes the catalyst for other social change.

The Seed Company explains that as people learn to read, their confidence increases. For example, literacy can help a parent nurse a sick child, or help a marketplace transaction stay honest. So, not only does reading the Word of God change hearts, it also changes culture by opening doors.

Local churches will launch a literacy campaign, and there are plans to produce translated Bible portions in audio for the illiterate.

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TAGS: Ethiopia The Seed Company Bible translation education Majang

[03/09/2010]

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