Bible translation teams use local speakers to check their work—some of whom have never attended church—and the errors they find can be funny.
In Tanzania, a group of Lugungu speakers were checking the translation of the Gospel of Luke. The Bible translation team had translated Luke 1:5 in Lugungu as: Herodi hayaabbereeri mukama wa Buyudaaya, haalingiho nyakatagara gibeetengiZaakaaliya.
Gungu (or Bagungu) people speak the Lugungu language.
The translation team thought that meant “When Herod was governor of Judea, there was a priest who was called Zechariah.” However, the translation checker understood it as: “When Herod was governor of Judea, there was a stubborn woman who was called Zechariah.”
Thankfully, the translators discovered that the word nyakatagara was not a good choice! So, the translation was changed to mulaami wa Ruhanga, which literally means, “priest of God.” Thanks to the checking process, the Lugungu speakers ensured the translation was accurate—and the team was able to enjoy a chuckle as well.
Source: wycliffe.org
Photo: thetask.net