Kungani kunezinguqulo zeBhayibheli eziningi kangaka namuhla? Ingabe ucabanga ukuthi izinguqulo ezintsha zeBhayibheli ziwusizo noma zenza kube nzima ukuliqonda? Ukuthola ukuthi lezi zinguqulo zivelaphi, kungakusiza ube nomqondo ovulekile.

Ake siqale ngokuthola ukuthi ubani umlobi wokuqala weBhayibheli, nokuthi waliloba nini.

Ngokuvamile, iBhayibheli lihlukaniswe laba izingxenye ezimbili. Ingxenye yokuqala inezincwadi ezingu-39, ‘ezinamazwi angcwele kaNkulunkulu.’ (Roma 3:2) Esebenzisa umoya ongcwele, uNkulunkulu waqondisa amadoda athembekile ukuba abhale lezi zincwadi zokuqala. Kwathatha iminyaka engaba ngu-1 100 ukuloba lezi zincwadi, kusukela ngonyaka ka-1513 B.C.E. kuya ngemva konyaka ka-443 B.C.E. ImiBhalo eminingi kule ngxenye yabhalwa ngesiHebheru, ngakho ibizwa ngokuthi imiBhalo YesiHebheru, nangokuthi iTestamente Elidala.

Ingxenye yesibili inezincwadi ezingu-27, nazo ‘eziyizwi likaNkulunkulu.’ (1 Thesalonika 2:13) Esebenzisa umoya ongcwele, uNkulunkulu waqondisa abafundi bakaJesu Kristu abathembekile ukuba babhale lezi zincwadi. Kwabathatha isikhathi esifushane, iminyaka engaba ngu-60 cishe kusukela ngo-41 C.E kuya ku-98 C.E. ImiBhalo eminingi kule ngxenye yabhalwa ngesiGreki, ngakho ibizwa ngokuthi imiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki, nangokuthi iTestamente Elisha.

Sezizonke, lezi zincwadi ezingu-66 zenza iBhayibheli eliphelele​—umyalezo ovela kuNkulunkulu oya kubantu. Kodwa kungani kunezinguqulo eziningi kangaka zeBhayibheli? Nazi izizathu ezintathu eziyinhloko.

• Ukusiza abantu bakwazi ukufunda iBhayibheli ngolimi abaluncela.

• Ukukhipha amaphutha ayenziwe abakopishi beBhayibheli, kubuyiselwe imibhalo ayayiseBhayibhelini lokuqala.

•   Ukushintsha ulimi olungasasetshenziswa, kusetshenziswe oselukhulunywa abantu.

Ake sibone ukuthi lokhu kwaba kanjani izizathu zokwenza izinguqulo ezimbili zokuqala.

Eminyakeni engaba ngu-300 ngaphambi kokuphila kukaJesu emhlabeni, izazi ezingamaJuda zaqala ukuhumushela imiBhalo yesiHebheru kolunye ulimi​—isiGreki. Le nguqulo yaziwa ngokuthi i-Septuagint yesiGreki. Kungani kwenziwa le nguqulo? Ngaleso sikhathi amaJuda amaningi ayesekhuluma isiGreki kunesiHebheru, ngakho le nguqulo yayizowasiza akwazi ukunamathela ‘emibhalweni engcwele.’​—2 Thimothewu 3:15.

I-Septuagint yasiza nezigidi zabantu ababengewona amaJuda, ababekhuluma isiGreki, ukuba bathole umyalezo weBhayibheli. Kanjani? UProfesa W. F. Howard uthi: “Eminyakeni ecishe ibe ngu-2 000 eyedlule, le nguqulo yaba iBhayibheli elalisetshenziswa isonto lobuKristu, futhi izithunywa zevangeli zaziyisebenzisa lapho zihamba zingena emasinagogeni, zinikeza ubufakazi bokuthi uJesu wayenguMesiya.” (IzEnzo 17:3, 4; 20:20) Isazi seBhayibheli uF. F. Bruce sithi, lesi esinye sezizathu ezenza amaJuda amaningi aqala “ukungayithandisisi i-Septuagint.”

Kwakuthi lapho abafundi bakaJesu bethola izincwadi zemiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki, bazihlanganise nenguqulo ye-Septuagint yemiBhalo YesiHebheru, kwaze kwahlangana leli Bhayibheli eliphelele esinalo namuhla.

Ngemva kweminyaka engaba ngu-300 kwaqedwa ukulotshwa kweBhayibheli, isazi sezenkolo uJerome, sakhipha inguqulo yeBhayibheli ngolimi lwesiLatini, eyagcina seyaziwa ngokuthi i-Vulgate yesiLatini. Zase zikhona izinguqulo zesiLatini, pho kungani kwakudingeka entsha? I-The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia ithi, uJerome wayefuna ukulungisa “amaphutha ayesobala nemibhalo eyayingahunyushwanga ngokunembile, akhiphe izinto ezazifakwe emiBhalweni kodwa ezazingekho eBhayibhelini lokuqala bese ebuyisela okwakukade kusemiBhalweni yokuqala.”

UJerome walungisa inqwaba yalawo maphutha. Nokho ngemva kwesikhathi, izikhulu zesonto zakumosha konke lokho! Zakhipha isinqumo sokuthi i-Vulgate yesiLatini kube iyona kuphela inguqulo yeBhayibheli esemthethweni, futhi kwaqhubeka kunjalo amakhulu  eminyaka. Esikhundleni sokusiza abantu abavamile baqonde iBhayibheli, i-Vulgate ayizange ibasize ngoba iningi labantu lalingasazi nhlobo isiLatini.

Ngaleso sikhathi, abantu abaningi baqhubeka benza ezinye izinguqulo zeBhayibheli, njengenguqulo edumile i-Peshitta yesiSyriac eyakhishwa cishe eminyakeni engu-1 600 eyedlule. Kwathi eminyakeni engaba ngu-600 eyedlule kwenziwa imizamo emisha yokusiza abantu abavamile ukuba bathole iBhayibheli ngezilimi zabo.

ENgilandi, ngasekupheleni kweminyaka yawo-1300, uJohn Wycliffe waqala umsebenzi wokuhumusha inguqulo yeBhayibheli yesiNgisi, ulimi nabantu abavamile ababeluqonda. Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, izindlela zikaJohannes Gutenberg zokuprinta zasiza izazi seBhayibheli zakwazi ukwenza nokusakaza izinguqulo zeBhayibheli ezintsha, ngezilimi eziningana eYurophu.

Njengoba zazilokhu zanda izinguqulo zesiNgisi, abagxeki abakuthandisisanga ukuthi kwakwenziwa izinguqulo zolimi olufanayo. Umfundisi owaphila eminyakeni engaba ngu-300 eyedlule uJohn Lewis wabhala: “Ulimi luyashintsha bese lungaqondakali, ngakho kubalulekile ukuba izinguqulo ezindala ziphinde zihlolwe kabusha ukuze kufakwe ulimi oluzoqondwa abantu bangaleso sikhathi.”

Namuhla, sekulula kunangaphambili ukuba izazi zeBhayibheli zibukeze izinguqulo zakudala. Seziziqonda kangcono izilimi zeBhayibheli zasendulo futhi zinemiBhalo yeBhayibheli yesandla yakudala esanda kutholakala ezingayisebenzisa. Lokhu kuzisiza zithole indlela enembile okwakubhalwe ngayo iBhayibheli lokuqala.

Ngakho kuyazuzisa ukuthola izinguqulo ezintsha zeBhayibheli. Nokho, kumelwe siqaphe lapho sisebenzisa ezinye zazo. * Kodwa uma abahumushi beBhayibheli bemthanda ngempela uNkulunkulu, umsebenzi wabo uyosizuzisa nakanjani.