Dari Sejarah Alkitab Indonesia
Bahasa Indonesia/Indonesian: Mengenal Visi dan Misi Lembaga Alkitab Indonesia
Daftar isi |
Foreword
Since 1954, the Indonesian Bible Society (Lembaga Alkitab Indonesia, LAI) has carried out its ministry of making available God's Word to the churches and the Christian community in Indonesia based on the vision and mission adheres to.
With a view be better informing the Christian community of its vision and mission, which is also the working ethos of all members of the United Bible Societies, the LAI is publishing this booklet. It gives a description of the ministry of the Bible Society in the areas of translation, publication and distribution of the Scriptures. The booklet also includes a brief history of the formation and early ministry of the Bible Societies, particularly of the Indonesian Bible Society.
May this booklet help the reader to get a better understanding of the work of the Indonesian Bible Society, which together with its sister Bible Societies has the aim of distributing the Holy Scriptures are widely as possible, in a format that is suitable for the target audience, in a language they can easily understand and at a price they can afford. May God's Word thereby really become Life for All.
To Dr. Daud H. Soesilo, translation consultant of the United Bible Societies, we express out heartfelt thanks for compiling this book.
On behalf of The Board of The Indonesian Bible Society
Supardan
General Secretary
I. How the Vision & Mission Began
It all began in a rather unusual way. The very first Bible Society in the world got started as a result of the extraordinary experience of a little girl by the name of Mary Jones. Almost two centuries ago Mary and her family lived near the village of Tyn-ddol in the north of Wales. Her father was a weaver who worked hard to support his family. Mary too was a hard-working girl--she fed the chicken, kept the house tidy, and helped with other outdoors tasks when needed.
Every Sunday Mary and her parents worshiped in a small chapel about 3.5 kilometers away. Mary marveled at the Bible stories that they heard read in the chapel, and thus she longed for her own copy of the Bible. However, Bibles were very expensive then, and her parents did not have much money. But nothing stopped Mary from longing for her own copy of the Bible.
Mary made up her mind to save up for a Bible. So she collected firewood, sold eggs and did odd jobs for her neighbours. It took her six long years, but finally she had enough money to buy a Bible. A school-teacher told her that a Mr. Charles who lived in Bala had Bibles for sales.
With her money and some bread and cheese to sustain her on the way, the fifteen year old Mary set out across the Welsh hills on the 40 kilometer journey to Bala. She walked barefoot on the stony country road so as to save her shoes from wearing out. Finally, after a full day's journey, she reached her destination. Early the next morning Mary went to look for Mr. Charles' house. After knocking at several doors, she finally got to meet the gentleman who had Bibles. "Sir, I would like to buy a Bible. I have saved for six years to buy a copy. Here is the money, count it if you would like."
When he heard Mary's account of the six long years of hard working and saving for the sake of getting her own copy of the Bible, Mr. Thomas Charles was taken aback and was deeply moved. "You are very fortunate, my child. This is the last copy of the Welsh Bible I have but I will let you have it," he said.
Mr. Charles saw Mary off, and he gazed after her for a long time till he could no longer see her. When she arrived at her village, Mary was welcomed by a waving and cheering crowd of villagers, all wanting see her prized possession. As she showed her Bible to them, she quietly said, "Thank you, Lord Jesus. Thank you, Mr. Charles."
Mr. Charles was so deeply moved that he told Mary's story to his friends in a meeting in London. He said, "There must be many other Mary Joneses in Wales, in England, in Scotland, in Ireland and in many distant lands who wanted their own copy of God's Word."
They all agreed, "We must do something. We must form a Society to print enough Bibles so that all who want a copy can have one. This is a sign from God that we must work very hard to prepare Bibles in many languages."
So, on March 7, 1804 the first Bible Society came to being, and it all began because of the extraordinary experience of the little girl Mary Jones. At first it was called the Bible Society of Britain and Foreign Parts, but now it is known as the British and Foreign Bible Society.
In 1814 the Dutch Bible Society (Het Nederlandsch Bijbel Genootschap) was founded, and the American Bible Society was established in 1816. Other Bible Societies soon followed.
In 1946, in order to promote consultation, mutual support and action, and to foster better cooperation in terms of human as well as other resources, the Bible Societies from around the world founded a fellowship of Bible Societies named the United Bible Societies (UBS). Presently there are 135 member societies that serve in more than 200 countries and territories around the world.
II. Bible Ministries in Indonesia
Before the Founding of the Indonesian Bible Society
Bible Society work in Indonesia began long before the founding of the Indonesian Bible Society (Lembaga Alkitab Indonesia, LAI). Reliable sources tell us that on June 4, 1814, a Bible Society was founded under the leadership of Lieutenant Governor Thomas Stamford Raffles. Known as the Bible Society in Batavia (now Jakarta) or the Bible Society in Java, it functioned as an auxiliary of the Bible Society of Britain and Foreign Parts.
When the Netherlands took over the country from Britain in 1816, this Bible Society was called the Bible Society in the Dutch East Indies (Nederlands Oost-Indisch Bijbelgenootschap), also known as the Bible Society in Batavia (Bataviaas Bijbelgenootschap). However, not much is known about the activities of this Bible Society.
What we can know for sure is that before LAI was founded, the distribution of Bibles and portions were carried out by the two oldest Bible Societies in the world namely the British and Foreign Bible Society and the Dutch Bible Society (Het Nederlands Bijbelgenootschap). Up to 1937, the Dutch Bible Society distributed Bibles through its wholesaler in Bandung, West Java; meanwhile the Manila Branch of the British and Foreign Bible Society distributed Bibles in Java and Bali through its wholesaler that was also located in Bandung. On January 1, 1938, the two wholesalers merged to one office located on Burgemeester Kuhrweg 7 (now Jalan Purnawarman), Bandung.
On November 11, 1940, as the effects of the Second World War began to be felt in SE Asia, an Indonesian lawyer named G. P. Khouw was appointed to continue the work of Bible distribution. His office was located on Nylandweg 56 (now Jalan Cipaganti), Bandung. During this difficult time, the distribution of the Bibles went on through various Bible depots all over Indonesia and through individual distribution efforts.
In 1945 the Bible distribution office in Bandung was turned over to the Dutch Bible Society, and G. P. Khouw had to move to Makasar (now Ujungpandang) in South Sulawesi. In 1950, following international recognition of Indonesia's sovereignty, the Bible ditribution office was transferred to Jalan Teuku Umar 34, Jakarta.
The Founding of LAI
In 1950 when Republic of Indonesia was received as a member to the United Nations Organization, several notable Indonesian Christian leaders met to initiate the founding of LAI so that Indonesians would be able to take full responsibility for the promotion and distribution of Bibles through the churches.
Although preparation for the founding of LAI began as early as l951, the establishment of the society not formalized until February 9, 1954, when it was officially registered in the notarized legal document number 101 by the Notary Public Elisa Pondaag.
The first board of directors of LAI included:
- Chairman: Dr. Todung Sutan Gunung Mulia
- Vice Chairman: Elvianus Katoppo
- Secretary/treasurer: Giok Pwee Khouw
- Members:
- Mrs. Tjitjih Leimena
- Rev. Petrus Dominggus Latuihamallo
- Rev. Mas Komarlin Tjakraatmadja
- Rev. Pouw Ie Gan
- Rev. Raden Saptojo Judokusumo
LAI was accepted into the fellowship of the United Bible Societies as an associate member during the UBS World Assembly in Ootacamund, India in 1952. It became a full member of UBS in April 1954 during the UBS World Assembly in Eastbourne, United Kingdom.
The following is the list of those who have served as General Secretary of LAI:
G. P. Khouw, Esq.
Ph. J. Sigar, Esq.
Rev. W. J. Rumambi
Rev. Chr. A. Kiting
And from 1988 till the present Drs. Supardan, M.A.
The Vision and Mission of LAI
As stated in the preamble of the LAI bylaws recorded in the notarized legal document number 68, November 21, 1996, by the Notary Public Lieke L. Tukgali:
- "By the blessings and mercy of the Lord God the Almighty and motivated by gratitude to serve the church, Christians and the wider community, the Indonesian Bible Society was founded in Jakarta on February 9, 1954.
- The Indonesian Bible Society is a full member of the United Bible Societies (UBS) as of April 1954. The main task of the Bible Societies is to spread the Bible as the Word of God.
- This is carried out by translating the Bible into various vernacular languages without doctrinal notes and interpretations, as well as producing and distributing them in sufficient quantities, at appropriate times and at a price people can afford.
- It is hoped that through this task people can live in hope through the understanding of the Scriptures to the end that they may accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour."
In articles 5 and 6 of the LAI bylaws, the vision and mission of LAI are made explicit:
- "This society commits itself to help, support and equip the church and Christians of all denominations as well as other organizations that make known the Good News, by providing them with Bibles and Bible portions, so that they may implement fully their ministries of fellowship, witness and service."
- "The Society plans to achieve the goal stated in article 5 by doing the following:
- 1. Translating the Bible into various languages
- 2. Producing by printing and publishing Bibles and Bible portions
- 3. Promoting, developing and motivating the use and distribution of the Bible
- 4. Fostering partnership between LAI and the society as well as the government."
Although the Indonesian Bible Society is not a church, it is a servant of all churches and Christians groups in providing Scriptures. Thus, LAI exists with the special task of translation, production and distribution of the Bibles and Bible portions in the national language of Indonesia and the various regional languages and dialects. It is the objective of the society that the Scriptures should be made available to all people in easily understood versions, in appropriate formats and at a price that they can afford.
To carry out this task, LAI has seven departments, namely Translation, Production & Printing Plant, Distribution, Finance, Church & Society, Research & Development, General Administration & Human Resources. In addition there are the Center for Computer Services and Information Bureau. The LAI main office that houses most of the departments plus the Center for Computer Services and the Information Bureau is situated on Jalan Salemba Raya 12, Jakarta. However, the Translation Department is located on Jalan A. Yani 90, Bogor, while the Production and Printing Plant is situated on Jalan Roda Pembangunan 96, Nanggewer Km. 49, Cibinong, Bogor.
LAI is represented in various parts of the country, and the LAI Representative Offices can be found in the cities of Medan, North Sumatra; Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi; Manado, North Sulawesi and Jayapura, Irian Jaya.
For the task of distribution, LAI has made an agreement with major wholesalers namely Toko Buku Yayasan Immanuel, PT Gapura Jasa Murni, PT BPK Gunung Mulia, PT Muliapurna Jayaterbit, Toko Buku Yayasan Kalam Hidup and Lembaga Literatur Baptis.
III. Translation
The first task for which the Indonesian Bible Society was founded is translation, that is to make the Holy Scriptures available to all in a translation that is faithful to the meaning of the original text (Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek) and in a language which is easily understood (Indonesian and the various vernacular languages). Indeed translation has been the backbone of Bible Society ministries, and it is still a key element in our mission.
The question may well be asked, "Why translate the Bible into the various languages? Why doesn't everyone read the Bible in the original languages?"
First of all, not too many people can master all three biblical languages. Secondly, the mandate for Bible translation is found in the Bible itself.
Mandate for Bible Translation
First, it is rooted in the incarnation, that the Word become a human being and lived here with us in a fully human situation both linguistically and culturally. Indeed in his incarnation, Jesus the living Word of God has given us a prime example (Jn 1.14, cf. also Phil 2.7). Thus, the Good News of salvation was not communicated in heavenly or angelic languages, but in a true human language that people can easily understand.
Second, on the first Pentecost the coming of the Spirit of God manifested itself in the miracle of the communication of the Good News in many languages (Acts 2.1-13). It is interesting to see how the comprehensive list of languages represented at that time encompassed the whole of the ancient Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern world.
Third, it is linked to our biblical hope, that one day God will be praised by everyone in every language (Rom 14.11).
Bible Translation in Indonesia
Bible translation in Indonesia is quite unique because the very first Matthew's Gospel translated into Malay by a Dutch tradesman names Albert Cornelisz Ruyl (1629) is the very first non-European translation of a Bible portion. As it is stated in the record of the British and Foreign Bible Society and of the United Bible Societies:
- "The first Malay Gospel, printed in 1629, is significant as the earliest example of the translation and printing for evangelistic purposes of a portion of the Bible in a non-European language."
Ruyl's rare Gospel is now housed in the Public Library of Stuttgart, Germany (Wurttembergische Landesbibliothek) and the British Museum in London, England. This publication also includes The Ten Commandments, the Song of Zechariah, the Song of the Angel, the Song of Mary, the Song of Simeon, Apostles' Creed, selected Psalms, the Lord's Prayer and a few other prayers.
The following is the list those who have laboured for Bible translation in Indonesia prior to the founding of LAI:
- Daniel Brouwerious (N.T. Malay, 1668)
- Melchior Leijdecker et al. (Bible Malay, 1733)
- Johannes Emde et al. (N.T. Malay, Surabaya dialect, 1835)
- Hillebrandus Cornelius Klinkert (N.T. Low Malay, Semarang dialect, 1863; Bible High Malay, 1879)
- William Girdlestone Shellabear et al. (N.T. Baba Malay, 1913; Bible Malay, Jawi script 1912, Roman script 1929)
- Werner August Bode et al. (N.T. Malay, East Indonesian dialect, 1938)
Notes: While waiting for the new Indonesian Bible translation, in 1958 LAI printed the so-called "emergency" edition combining Klinkert O.T. (1879) and Bode N.T. (1938) known as the Old Translation (Terjemahan Lama, TL).
Those who have laboured for Bible translation in regional languages and dialects of Indonesia are, among others:
- Gottlob Bruckner et al. (N.T. Javanese 1829, Bible 1854)
- Johann Friederich Becker et al. (N.T. Dayak Ngaju 1846, Bible 1858)
- I. Esser et al. (N.T. Sundanese 1877, Bible 1891)
- Herman Neubronner van der Tuuk et al. (N.T. Batak Toba 1878, Bible 1894)
- A. Schreiber et al. (N.T. Batak Angkola 1879)
- F. Kelling et al. (N.T. Siau/Sangihe 1883)
- Benjamin Frederick Matthes et al. (N.T. Bugis-Makasar 1888, Bible 1900)
- Ludwich Ernst Denninger et al. (N.T. Nias 1892, Bible 1911)
- E.J. van den Berg et al. (N.T. Batak Karo 1928)
- Nicolaus Adriani et al. (N.T. Pamona 1933)
- Clara M.J. Steller et al. (N.T. Sangir 1942)
- K. Riedel et al. (N.T. Mori 1948)
- Pieter Middelkoop et al. (N.T. Timor Dawan 1948)
- H. van der Veen et al. (N.T. Torajanese 1951)
- P. Voorhoeve et al. (N.T. Simalungun 1953)
- Louis Onvlee et al. (N.T. Kambera 1961, and N.T. Wewewa, 1970)
The Latest Statistics of Bible Translation in Indonesia
According to the latest record of the Indonesian Bible Society, as of December 31, 1997, out of 701 languages spoken in Indonesia as listed in Ethnologue, there are 142 languages that have either a complete Bible, a New Testament, or at least one book of the Bible. Here is the breakdown:
| Bible (O.T. + N.T.) | 16 language |
| N.T. + 40% O.T. | 6 language |
| N.T. | 32 language |
| One book | 86 language |
| Total | 142 language |
Thus, the unfinished task is still enormous.
As the UBS World Assembly in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, September 26 - October 3, 1996, has pledged, the Bible Societies will pursue a translation program in cooperation with others, which, by the year 2010, will ensure that through a first, new or revised translation:
- The entire Bible is available in an easily understood version in every language with more than 500,000 speakers;
- The New Testament is available in an easily understood version in every language with more than 250,000 speakers;
- Bible portions are available in an easily understood version in every language with more than 100,000 speakers.
Why Revision and New Translation?
First, today's Bible translators have or will have better Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek texts from which to translate. For instance, in 1947-1956 came a series of most important discoveries, namely the Dead Sea Scrolls, found in Khirbet Qumran and the areas near Masada, Nahal Hever, Wadi Murabba'at, Nahel Se'elim, Khirbet Mird and Nahal Mishmar, which contains the complete manuscripts of the Old Testament (except the Book of Esther) from the third century B.C.E. to the first century C.E.
Second, the developments and findings in the studies of biblical languages and interpretation have given a greater knowledge of the meaning of the original which will enable translators to produce a better quality translation that is faithful to the meaning of the source texts.
Third, the findings in the fields of linguistics and communication have given us a better understanding of the translator's task. For example, the advantage of the dynamic-functional equivalence translation method as applied in Today's Indonesian Version (Bahasa Indonesia Sehari-hari, BIS) and English translations such as Good News Bible (GNB) or Today's English Version (TEV) and Contemporary English Version (CEV), over against the traditional method (formal equivalence). The former has given us better translations that are both faithful to the original meaning and intent of the source texts and presented in the most natural and fluent target languages. The latter has its limitations because no two languages have identical forms throughout.
Fourth, revisions will keep up with the changes in the target language as all living languages change. As a matter of fact, unless our translations reflect the current usage, there is a good chance of communciating wrong and unintended meaning to the readers. For example, even the most popular Indonesian Bible called New Translation (Terjemahan Baru, TB) has gone through a revision and the New Testament part was released in October 1997, known as the second edition of the New Translation (Terjemahan Baru edisi kedua, TB2).
For all these reasons, it is hoped that, through the publication of revised and new translations, the Spirit of God will touch people who read the Scriptures and open their hearts and lives to Jesus Christ who is the Source of Life for all people and who gives life in all its fullness. And that is very much on target as the theme "God's Word: Life for all" has clearly expressed the motivation, hope and vision of all Bible Societies in the UBS fellowship.
IV. Production
The second task of LAI is to publish Bibles, Testaments and portions that have been translated. It is a task to move from texts to printed pages in such a way that it meets the needs of the target audience, in the format that they like and at at a price that they can afford.
We thank God for with the full support from the Indonesian government and the United Bible Societies, the first LAI printing plant was opened in February 1966. It was located in Ciluar, 2.5 kilometers away from Bogor. After operating continuously for 25 years, printing Bibles and Bible portions in Indonesian and various vernacular languages, the printing machines that were gifts from UBS, had not been functioning efficiently. In addition, there was no longer enough space to accommodate all the Bibles that had to be printed there.
By God's grace and through support from Indonesian Christians and the "Aksi Sabda" (Word Action) team, a new printing plant was completed in 1995. It is situated on Jalan Roda Pembangunan 96, Nanggewer Km. 49, Cibinong, Bogor.
The thanksgiving service for this new LAI Printing Plant was held on May 25, 1995. It was officially opened by the Indonesian Minister for Religious Affairs on October 4, 1995. The new building of this plant is 4,000 square meters, and the total land area is 11,270 square meters. Thus, this new plant is twice the size of the old building and the total land area of the first printing plant. It is sincerely hoped that this new facility will meet the expectation of the Church and Christians in terms of their needs for the Bibles.
Thanks be to God because this new printing plant has already shown pleasing results. It used to be that the production capacity ranged from 700,000 to 2,000,000 copies of Bibles and Testaments per annum. However, now we have managed to exceed the 2,000,000 mark. In addition, we printed 35,000 copies of Malay Bibles as a special order placed by the Bible Society of Malaysia.
According to the report from the Production Department the production target for the 1996/1997 budget year was 4,067,000,000 copies of Bibles and Bible portions. Though we were not able to reach the target, the figures below will show that there is a significant increase in the production of Bibles and Testaments.
| 1993/94 | 1994/95 | 1995/96 | 1996/97 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bibles | 523.991 | 443.845 | 585.885 | 750.308 |
| Testaments | 227.710 | 537.741 | 1.073.450 | 1.295.450 |
| Portions | 884.135 | 157.090 | 200.020 | 103.640 |
| N.R. Portions | 242.100 | 18.980 | 8.600 | - |
| Selections | 4.996.441 | 1.748.564 | 2.855.910 | 1.394.933 |
| N.R. Selections | 3.636.800 | 615.050 | 204.000 | 337.900 |
| Total: | 10.511.177 | 3.521.252 | 4.927.865 | 3.882.231 |
In order to improve in the areas of planning and monitoring with regard to both production process and the products, we have worked hard to improve the production process and in the development of human resources.
To provide a better service and better quality products, we are currently doing fundraising in order to acquire more printing machines and other equipments. We hope that in the near future the needs for Bibles and Bible portions may be met by the provision of good quality products, in sufficient quantities, and on time.
It is significant to note that the American Bible Society has recently given LAI the rights to produce locally the CEV Bible. The CEV is one of the most recent English versions that was prepared using the dynamic-functional equivalence method of translation.
V. Distribution
The third task of LAI is to distribute what has been translated and printed. As is the case with translation and production activities, the task of distribution of Sriptures is always carried out in cooperation with all churches and Christian organizations. It is the goal of the Bible Society to provide for the widest possible effective distribution of the Holy Scriptures to meet the needs of the church and Christians of all denominational backgrounds, ranging from children, youth, women, students, villagers and city dwellers, new readers, visually handicapped (including Bibles in Braille) to those who need Bibles in electronic media (including audio and video cassettes, computer diskettes and CDROMs).
Early on the LAI Distribution Department was involved in everything from promotional activities all the way to direct sales from the main office in Jakarta or through the Representative Offices. However, since November 1, 1992, LAI has made an agreement with major wholesalers namely Toko Buku Yayasan Immanuel, PT Gapura Jasa Murni, PT BPK Gunung Mulia, PT Muliapurna Jayaterbit in Jakarta; Toko Buku Yayasan Kalam Hidup and Lembaga Literatur Baptis in Bandung, with their respective branches all over Indonesia, for the distribution of all LAI published Scriptures.
For the 1996/1997 budget year, these wholesalers distributed 284,940 Bibles or 46.27% of the original target of 615,810 copies. This shortfall was due not only to the late payment from the wholesalers, but also due to the shortage of supplies which is often aggravated by the external factors such as filming, indexing and other ancillary services which other companies provide to LAI.
According to the report from the Distribution Department, the distribution figures depend very much on the supplies that the Production Department and Printing Plant can deliver. Since in the 1996/1997 budget year the production target was not achieved, so the Distribution Department failed to reach the target figures of 5.3 millions copies. They were able to distribute some 4 millions copies or 75.57% of the original distribution target. When the supplies from the Production Department come in late, it often results in missed opportunities for distribution, moreover it increases the bound stock. However, in this budget year, for the first time we are able to distribute 650,000 copies of Bibles. The following statistics display the figures:
| 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bibles | 549.428 | 541.075 | 448.218 | 576.456 | 652.196 |
| Testaments | 708.477 | 225.037 | 539.426 | 1.027.504 | 1.294.784 |
| Total: | 1.257.905 | 766.112 | 987.644 | 1.603.960 | 1.946.880 |
VI. Toward the Twenty-First Century
As we approach the end of the twentieth century and stand on the threshold of the third millennium, our world has become smaller, and globalization is becoming an undeniable reality. Although as a whole the daily lives of many people have improved, yet poverty, social conflict, injustice, violence, war, natural disasters and diseases are still rampant. Individualism and consumerism are on the rise. So, people of all ages ask about the meaning and purpose of life.
In this context the role of Bible Society in translation, production and distribution of the Good News of life will increase siginificantly, for God's Word is the source of life and hope for all people.
Thus, we have to begin thinking in terms of new kinds of partnerships and relationships with Christians and Christian organizations in order to face the opportunities and challenges of today and of tomorrow in providing Scriptures to all people in the language that they can easily understand, in the format that they like and at a price that they can afford.
The role of the LAI's Church and Society Department is very important in fostering new partnerships, expanding its network of domestic supporters and in increasing the fundraising capacity, through the existing programs such as Bible Friends, Supporting Hands, One in Love, Bible Sunday as well as other activities. This is more crucial than ever before especially in light of the fact that for the last two years LAI has determined to be self supporting which means it will no longer receive UBS budget appropriation for its programs and activities.
To strengthen the sense of common stewardship, LAI's Finance Department has a vital role in managing and monitoring the available resources and budget to ensure that the activities of all departments will indeed support the common goal of producing a high quality Bible translation, more economical and efficient production and the widest and most effective distribution.
In addition to the routine tasks of administering and developing human resources, the LAI Department of General Administration and Human Resources has the important role of ensuring the full participation of youth and women in the ministries and leadership of the Bible Society.
To make use of the advance and achievements in the fields of communication and information technology, the Bible Society really needs the services of the LAI Center for Computer Services and the LAI Information Bureau.
The LAI's Research and Development Department has the responsibility to undertake research and information-gathering activities to support the main tasks of the Bible Society in translation, production and distribution of Scriptures that will really meet the felt needs of people.
In particular, if we want to improve the quality of our translation, we need to actively recruit and train qualified translators, and to provide them with an on-going program of advance training. We also have to provide intensive and adequate consultancy to translation teams. This also means more preparation of scholary editions for the study of the original texts of the Bible and other helps for field translators.
In addition it is important to develop sound guidelines for the preparation of Scriptures for special audiences, for example: the blind, non-literate, children, and youth. It is also urgent to develop guidelines for translations for audio, video and electronic media and to assist in the preparation of products in those media.
More than ever before there is an urgent need to develop new partnerships with the church, seminaries, Christian organizations and institution of higher learning, because there is no single organization which has all the expertise, human resources and funds to face the great and complex challenges of the twenty-first century. Indeed the task is too large and the responsibility is too great. It is only through partnership and networking that we have the chance of accomplishing the mission that God has entrusted to us.
The Bible Society has often found itself to be a place where churches, even if divided by confessional, theological, historical, ethnic and social-cultural divisions, are unified in the single purpose of providing the Word of God to the Church and the world.
As the saying goes, "United we stand, divided we fall." Indeed we need to be united to enlarge our vision. There are many modern Mary Joneses who are still waiting for a chance to get God's Word in their respective mother tounges, in easily understood verions, in the format most suitable to them and at a price that they can afford. If we will not respond to the call, if we will not carry, by our prayers and our giving, the burden for the total mission of translation, production and distribution of the life-giving Word, then who will?
Abbreviations
- B.C.E.: Before the common era (= B.C.)
- BIS: Today's Indonesian Version (Bahasa Indonesia Sehari-hari)
- C.E.: Of the common era (= A.D.)
- CEV: Contemporary English Version
- et al.: and others
- GNB: Good News Bible (see TEV)
- LAI: Indonesian Bible Society (Lembaga Alkitab Indonesia)
- N.R.: New Readers
- N.T.: New Testament
- O.T.: Old Testament
- TB: Indonesian New Translation (Terjemahan Baru)
- TB2: Second edition of TB (Terjemahan Baru edisi ke-2)
- TEV: Today's English Version (see GNB)
- TL: Indonesian Old Translation (Terjemahan Lama)
- UBS: United Bible Societies
Selected Bibliography
- "Asia-Pacific Regional Leadership Consultation." Bible Society Publishing World Newsletter. (February, 1998):3,5.
- "Dari Ciluar ke Nanggewer." Berita LAI 5 (1995):4-5.
- Firman Allah Sumber Hidup Bagi Semua. Laporan Tahunan 1997. Tema: Keluarga yang Rukun dan Saling Membangun. Jakarta: Lembaga Alkitab Indonesia, 1997.
- "God's word: Life for All. UBS World Assembly. Mississauga, Canada, 26 September-October 3, 1996." UBS Bulletin 178/179 (1997).
- Grimes, Barbara F., ed. Ethnologue: Languages of the World. 12th ed. Dallas: Summer Institute of Linguistics, 1992.
- Mary Jones and Her Bible. Video. Swindon: British & Foreign Bible Society.
- Mississauga World Assembly. Video. Reading: United Bible Societies, World Service Center.
- Proyek Khusus Terbitan dan Penyebaran 1995. Jakarta: Lembaga Alkitab Indonesia, 1994.
- Soesilo, Daud H. Mengenal Alkitab Anda. Ed. ke-3. Jakarta: Lembaga Alkitab Indonesia, 1995.
- Swellengrebel, J.L. In Leijdeckers Voetspoor. Anderhalve Eeuw Bijbelvertaling En Taalkunde in De Indonesische Talen. Deel I. Amsterdam: Nederlands Bijbelgenootschap, 1974.
- ________. In Leijdeckers Voetspoor. Anderhalve EeuwBijbelvertaling En Taalkunde in De Indonesische Talen. Deel II. Haarlem: Nederlands Bijbelgenootschap, 1978.
- "The Bible Societies of the World. Annual Report for the Year 1996." UBS Bulletin 180/181 (1997).
Compiled and edited by
Daud H. Soesilo
Bahasa Indonesia/Indonesian: Mengenal Visi dan Misi Lembaga Alkitab Indonesia
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