Published in the High Desert Advocate February 19th, 2021 Edition.
This Press Release by Jehovah’s Witnesses may or may not reflect the publishers’ opinion or the advertisers’ opinions.
NEW YORK— Jehovah’s Witnesses plan to release the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, in whole or in part, in 36 languages in 2021. This would mark the greatest number oft language releases of any year since their first translation was published in 1950. It also outpaces their translation efforts in 2020, where they released the Bible in 33 languages. Currently, the New World Translation is published, in whole or in part, in 195 languages.
One of many milestones in their 2020 translation work was reached on February 15, when Geoffrey Jackson, a member of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses, announced the completion of the first complete Bible in American Sign Language. Speaking at the Witnesses’ release event in Florida, Mr. Jackson said, “
Sign language translation is unique. The mostly visual language requires
additional effort as translation from text to video is necessary. Despite the
work involved, Jehovah’s Witnesses are thrilled to reach every language
group with the Bible’s message. Jamie Dunjey, Regional Spokesman for
Jehovah’s Witnesses, explains the motivation behind the extensive translation work. “How exciting that all those in our community who speak these languages can now grasp the wonderful principles found in the Bible in the language of their heart.” Translators use their time and skills because reaching every heart in the community is considered a worthwhile work.
There is a sign language congregation in Reno, Nevada. Meetings are held in American Sign Language on a streaming platform due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Members of the deaf community are welcome.
As far as we know, Jehovah’s Witnesses are the first organization or group of persons to release the complete Bible in ASL. And probably that means it’s the first complete Bible in sign language in the world (and) in the history of mankind.”
Three of the 33 Bible translations released by Jehovah’s Witnesses throughout 2020.
Another translation highlight and milestone came with the release of the New World Translation in Bislama, a
language spoken by about 10,000 people on the remote island of Vanuatu, some 1,100 miles north of Australia.
Jehovah’s Witnesses have been producing and distributing Bibles since the early 20th century. Over time, they
acquired printing rights to the King James and the American Standard versions of the Scriptures, among others.
In the 1940s, the Witnesses began working on a translation into modern English. A primary aim of their translation efforts has been the restoration of the name of God—Jehovah—to the more than 7,000 places in the Bible where other translators have substituted it with titles such as “Lord.”
Regarding the New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures (i.e., New Testament), British Bible critic Alexander Thomson wrote in 1952: “The translation is evidently the work of skilled and clever scholars, who have sought to bring out as much of the true sense of the Greek text as the English language is capable of expressing.” He concluded: “We should like to see all our readers in possession of the New World version. It will be a valuable addition to your library.”1
After reviewing the subsequent release of a portion of the Hebrew Scriptures (i.e., Old Testament), Mr. Thomson stated: “I would recommend it as an honest and straightforward effort to render Holy Writ into modern English. No attempt appears to be made to press any special doctrines or theories.”
Decades later the New World Translation continued to receive critical acclaim. In 2003, a professor of religious studies, noted in his book, Truth in Translation: “The NW [New World Translation] emerges as the most accurate of the [nine] translations compared.” He went on to note: “Most of the differences are due to the greater accuracy of the NW as a literal, conservative translation of the original expressions of the New Testament writers.”2
By 2010, the entire New World Translation was available in 52 languages, and portions of it in another 86.
In 2013, the Witnesses released a revised version of the New World Translation, which among other things, uses
updated language for enhanced readability. The simplified language also facilitated translation efforts.
The translation work is carried out by teams of volunteer translators who work in the areas where the target languages are spoken. The translation, publishing, and printing work of the Witnesses is all supported by voluntary donations. This allows the Witnesses to make the New World Translation available worldwide free of charge.
Scholars and linguists who examine the translations are often impressed.
For example, the Bislama translation released earlier this year won praise from Carol Aru, M.A., a linguist formerly associated with the University of the South Pacific and now working as a consultant. After comparing the New World Translation with some other English Bibles and the other recognized Bible in Bislama, she said: “It is not easy to translate some of the Old Testament books such as Genesis to convey the actual meaning and not [be] just a literal translation. But I note that your translation did a good job ensuring this.”
Because of Bislama’s many variations in spelling, Aru said she often finds herself making many corrections in Bislama texts, but she saw no need for that with the Bislama New World Translation.
Jehovah’s Witnesses provide their Bible translations free of charge and offer numerous translations on their official website jw.org.
How to Cope With Pandemic Anxiety: JW.ORG Offers Seven Practical Tools
Few events in modern history have harmed the emotional well-being of people around the world as has the COVID-19 pandemic. The threat of contracting or transmitting a life- threatening disease and the added challenges of anxiety and isolation have had an immeasurable impact on people of all backgrounds.
To help address this situation, the official website of Jehovah’s Witnesses, jw.org, is featuring a video entitled Virus Outbreaks—What Can You Do. The three-minute whiteboard animation offers families practical methods to cope emotionally and spiritually with the effects of the pandemic.
Since the pandemic began, jw.org has featured information designed to assist people of all ages and backgrounds to remain calm, informed, and healthy. With content in an unprecedented 1,027 languages, the site also addresses often-asked questions and points to the Bible’s assurance of a bright future.
Robert J. Hendriks III, U.S. Spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses, says: “Since the outbreak of the pandemic, many have felt that their life is slipping out of their control. The material on jw.org helps people of all ages and backgrounds to successfully govern their feelings by using the timeless wisdom found in the Bible.”
