When people read the Bible in a strange language, God’s message can become “Go away!” instead of “Come in!”
This week, I visited an agricultural project in Mphatso close to the Malawi border. The majority of the populace speaks only Chichewa. Chichewa and Nyungwe are neighboring languages and some people think they are the same language. But in Mphatso, when I tried to speak Nyungwe with people the result was either confusion or laughter.
Here is a sample of the differences:
| English | Nyungwe | Chichewa |
| Thank you. | Ndatenda | Zikomo |
| How are you? | Muli tani? | Muli bwanji? |
| Come in! | Pitani! | Lowani! |
| Year | Gole | Chaka |
| Dog | Mbwaya | Galu |
When I first arrived in Vila Ulongwe I kept welcoming people to my house saying, “Pitani! Pitani!” That’s the right thing to say in Nyungwe, but “Pitani!” in Chichewa means, “Go away!”
Over time Nyungwe Christians have got used to reading the Chichewa Bible since it is the only Scripture available. But my example shows that there are many potential pitfalls to using the Bible of a neighboring language.
Thanks to a new “adopter” the Nyungwe Bible translation project is now funded for twenty more days bringing the total to seventy-four days. That takes us through March 15, 2008!
The goal is to have 2008 completely adopted by the end of 2007. Find out how to adopt a day of the Nyungwe Bible Translation here: Adopt A Day.
Interesting point. We have had some trouble with the translation of Mark 6:31, which should be something like “Come with me …”, but in the language it is difficult to avoid making it come out as “Go away!” In fact, as it is only in verse 34 that it becomes clear that Jesus is with the disciples, and even there he is not named (in the Greek), it wouldn’t surprise me if many translations of verse 31 come out meaning “Go away!”