LAPHO umfundisi ongumNgisi uWilliam Bedell eya e-Ireland ngo-1627, wahlangana nesimo esididayo. I-Ireland, izwe elinabantu abangamaKatolika ngokuyinhloko, lalibuswa yiBrithani enabantu abangamaProthestani. Abashisekeli bezinguquko bobuProthestani base belihumushile kakade iBhayibheli ngezilimi zabantu bomdabu kulo lonke elaseYurophu. Noma kunjalo, akekho owayenesifiso sokulihumushela olimini lwesi-Irish.

UBedell wayenomuzwa onamandla wokuthi abantu base-Ireland “kumelwe banakwe kuze kube yilapho bekwazi ukufunda isiNgisi.” Wazimisela ukuhumusha iNguqulo yeBhayibheli ngolimi lwesi-Irish. Kodwa wabhekana noshushiso olunzima, olwaluvela ikakhulukazi kumaProthestani. Yini eyayibangela lokho?

UBedell waqala ukufunda ulimi lwesi-Irish. Lapho eba yinhloko ye-Trinity College eDublin nalapho kamuva eba umbhishobhi waseKilmore, wakhuthaza abafundi ukuba basebenzise isi-Irish. Empeleni lapho iNdlovukazi u-Elizabeth I yaseNgilandi isungula iTrinity College, yakwenza lokho ukuze kuqeqeshwe izikhonzi ezazingafundisa abantu bayo umyalezo weBhayibheli ngolimi abaluncela ebeleni. UBedell wazama ukukwenza lokho.

EKilmore diocese, abantu abaningi babekhuluma isi-Irish. Ngakho uBedell waphoqelela ukuba kube nezikhonzi ezikwazi ukukhuluma isi-Irish. Lokhu wayekusho ekususela emazwini omphostoli uPawulu akweyoku-1 Korinte 14:19 athi: “Ebandleni ngingamane ngikhulume amazwi amahlanu ngengqondo yami, ukuze futhi ngifundise abanye ngomlomo, esikhundleni samazwi ayizinkulungwane eziyishumi ngolunye ulimi,” okungukuthi ulimi olukhulunywa abambalwa.

Kodwa iziphathimandla zenza konke ezazingakwenza ukuze zimvimbele ekwenzeni lokho. Izazi-mlando zibonisa ukuthi abanye babenomuzwa wokuthi ukusebenzisa isi-Irish “kwakuyingozi kuHulumeni” futhi abanye babethi “kumelene nezinhlelo zikaHulumeni.” Abanye babenomuzwa wokuthi kuyolizuzisa izwe laseNgilandi ukugcina abantu base-Ireland bengazi lutho. Empeleni, kwabekwa imithetho eyayithi abantu base-Ireland kumelwe bayeke ulimi namasiko abo futhi bafunde isiNgisi balandele indlela yesiNgisi yokwenza nokuziphatha.

Imibono egxekayo ayizange imqede amandla uBedell. Ngasekuqaleni kwawo-1930 waqala ukuhumushela i-King James Version ka-1611 olimini lwesi-Irish. Wayefuna ukukhiqiza iBhayibheli elalizoqondwa abantu abaningi. Wayenomuzwa onamandla wokuthi abantu abahluphekayo babengeke bayihlole imiBhalo ukuze bathole indlela eya ekuphileni okuphakade uma nje iBhayibheli lalisalokhu liyincwadi engafinyeleleki kubo.—Johane 17:3.

 UBedell wayengeyena owokuqala ukubona lokhu. Eminyakeni engu-30 ngaphambili, omunye umbhishobhi, uWilliam Daniel, wayibona indlela okwakunzima ngayo ngabantu ukuba bafunde lokho okufundiswa iBhayibheli ngesikhathi lifika “ngolimi olungaziwa.” UDaniel wayehumushele imiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki olimini lwesi-Irish. Manje uBedell waqala umsebenzi wokuhumusha imiBhalo YesiHebheru. Inguqulo eyaziwa ngokuthi inguqulo kaBedell, ihlanganisa umsebenzi kaBedell nokaWilliam Daniel awenza ngaphambili. Njengoba isikhathi siqhubeka, inguqulo kaBedell—iBhayibheli lokuqala eliphelele ngolimi lwesi-Irish—yaba ukuphela kwenguqulo yeBhayibheli ngolimi lwesi-Irish iminyaka engu-300 eyalandela.

UBedell, isazi sesiHebheru, wathola amadoda amabili akhuluma isi-Irish ukuba amsize njengoba ehumushela olimini lwesi-Irish esusela esiNgisini. Njengoba beqhubeka nomsebenzi wabo, uBedell nomsizi wakhe oyedwa noma ababili, ngokucophelela bahlola futhi babukeza ivesi ngalinye. Babesizwa yinguqulo yesiNtaliyane eyahunyushwa isazi senkolo saseSwitzerland uGiovanni Diodati, besizwa nayi-Septuagint yesiGreki nemibhalo yesandla yasendulo yeBhayibheli lesiHebheru eyigugu.

Leli qembu lalandela indlela yokuhumusha yabahumushi be-King James Version (okungenzeka ukuthi abaningi kubo uBedell wayebazi kahle) futhi balifaka igama likaNkulunkulu ezindaweni eziningi eBhayibhelini labo. Ngokwesibonelo, ku-Eksodusi 6:3, igama likaNkulunkulu balibhala ngale ndlela: “Iehovah.” Imibhalo yokuqala kaBedell igcinwe eMarsh’s Library, eDublin, e-Ireland.—Bheka ibhokisi elithi “Kukhunjulwa UBedell.”

UBedell waqeda ukuhumusha inguqulo yakhe ngo-1640. Kodwa akakwazanga ukuyinyathelisa ngokushesha. Kungani? Phakathi kokunye, wayebhekene nokuphikiswa okukhulu. Abaphikisi bakaBedell bakhuluma  kabi umhumushi wakhe oyinhloko, benethemba lokucekela phansi umsebenzi wakhe. Ngonya babangela nokuba aboshwe. Ngaphezu kwalokho, uBedell wazithola esehlaselwa ngesikhathi i-Ireland idlubulunda ekuphathweni iNgilandi ngo-1641 okwabangela ukuchitheka kwegazi eliningi. Abantu bendawo bamvikela uBedell okwesikhathi esithile ngisho noma edabuka eNgilandi ngoba babeqaphela ukuthi ubakhathalela ngempela. Nokho, ekugcineni amasosha avukelayo amvalela ejele ngaphansi kwezimo ezimbi kakhulu. Akungabazeki ukuthi lokhu kwaba nomthelela ekufeni kwakhe ngo-1642. Akazange ayibone inguqulo yakhe inyatheliswa.

Umsebenzi kaBedell wacishe washabalala ngokuphelele lapho abantu bephequlula izinto emzini wakhe futhi bewonakalisa. Okuhle ukuthi umngane wakhe omkhulu wakwazi ukulondoloza yonke imiqulu ayeseyihumushile. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, umsebenzi wakhe watholwa uNarcissus Marsh, kamuva owaba umbhishobhi wase-Armagh kanye nombhishobhi weSonto lase-Ireland. Usosanyensi uRobert Boyle wasekela uMarsh ngokwezimali futhi ngesibindi wanyathelisa inguqulo kaBedell ngo-1685.

Inguqulo kaBedell ayizange yamukelwe kahle emhlabeni. Noma kunjalo kwakuyintuthuko encane kodwa ebalulekile ekuqondweni kweBhayibheli, ngokukhethekile kubantu abakhuluma isi-Irish—hhayi kuphela e-Ireland kodwa naseScotland nakwezinye izindawo eziningi. Manje babengakwazi ukwanelisa isidingo sabo esingokomoya njengoba befunda iZwi likaNkulunkulu ngolimi lwabo.—Mathewu 5: 3, 6

Inguqulo kaBedell iye yaqhubeka isiza abathandi beqiniso ukuba benze lokho kuze kube namuhla. Omunye okhuluma isi-Irish osanda kuthola lokho iBhayibheli elikufundisayo ngempela, uthi: “Lapho sifunda inguqulo kaBedell, sezwa amazwi eBhayibheli ngolimi esaluncela ebeleni. Lena kwakuyindlela eyinhloko eyavulela mina nomndeni wami indlela yokufunda amaqiniso amahle atholakala emiBhalweni.”