What’s happening with the Bible

It is understandable that a Bible translated in 1997 would need to be reviewed and updated after nearly three decades. Even so, it is important to recognize the excellent work carried out by the missionaries from Wycliffe Bible Translators. Thanks to their efforts, much of the work ahead of us has already been done, allowing us to focus on reviewing and improving the translation.

The Ko’revajʉ Bible contains excellent terms and expressions for communicating God’s Word. This becomes especially evident when we teach using words from their mother tongue. People’s response is very positive: they enjoy the teaching, interact, make comments, and pay much more attention than when we use the Bible in Spanish.

Even we have been able to understand certain aspects of God’s Word better by discovering some of the terms used in Ko’revajʉ. At times, these expressions convey a meaning or depth that we do not perceive as clearly in our Spanish translation.

We are now continuing to move forward with the goal of getting beyond the PROGRESSING stage. We are learning the Ko’revajʉ language and culture alongside our friends—participating with them, observing, imitating their way of life, and learning from the way they speak.

This process is similar to what Liliana experiences when she tries to make cassava bread the way her friend does. For now, she cannot get it to turn out exactly the same, but each time she learns something new and gets a little closer to the desired result. In the same way, we started at the BASIC level and, step by step, are moving toward the PROFICIENT level in the Ko’revajʉ language and culture.

When we reach the CAPABLE level, we will have a much clearer understanding of what is happening with the Ko’revajʉ Bible. This will allow us to discern how we can participate alongside the church’s native leaders in the process of reviewing the translation of God’s Word.