The Bible Society of Ghana (BSG) released the first Bono-Twi dialect New Testament Bible on Sunday in Sunyani, the Bono regional capital.
The release of the first 5,000 copies aims to assist simple understanding of God’s Word while also preserving Bono culture, as it has been written in their own dialect.
It is also expected to make God’s Word accessible to Bono-speaking populations, especially those in the Diaspora.
The BSG began the project in 2017 and finished it successfully by translating the 27 books of the New Testament of the Bible into the Bono-Twi dialect.
Read Also: Death in Brazil: What is Oropouche fever?
According to BSG, work on translating the Old Testament into the Bono-Twi dialect is underway, and once finished in a revised format, it will be joined with the New Testament to make the first Bono-Twi Bible by 2030.
Reader-friendly
The historic occasion gathered hundreds of individuals, including the Member of Parliament for Sunyani East, Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh, who gave GH¢10,000 to help BSG.
It was a pleasant and wonderful experience for the Bonos to hear the Word of God in their mother tongue, especially because they had been reading the Bible in Asante-Twi for quite some time.
The Bono-Twi New Testament of the Bible is portable, with legible font size, photographs and drawings to aid comprehension, an introduction to each book, one ribbon marker, and parallel and cross references.
At the launch, the Translation Consultant, Very Reverend Professor John David Kwame Ekem, said the dialectical context of the Bono-speaking constituencies and sensitive cultural issues had been well considered in the Bible, “So that we can hear God speak to us directly in our own Bono heart language”.
He stated that the Bono-Twi Bible meets the requirements set by the United Bible Societies and the Forum of Bible Agencies.
“It is a commendable Scripture portion presented in a reader-friendly format, and communicated in a language which can be easily understood by Bono-speaking communities,” he said.
The consultant solicited public views and criticism as they read it, assisting the BSG in the altered format in achieving a full Bono-Twi first Bible.
Project execution
Prof. Ekem stated that the translation project helped to design and produce the first standardized orthography for the Bono language, which was examined and approved by the Bureau of Ghana Languages.
He stated that three translators, Rev. Daniel Asomah Gyabaa (Team Leader), Rev. Dr Isaac Boaheng, and Afia Aframa, as well as 14 reviewers, had been recruited, trained, and assigned to begin the translation effort.
Prof. Ekem asked the Ghana Education Service to take measures to make the Bono language a Ghanaian language taught in schools, citing the existing availability of adequate teaching resources.
Spiritual
The BSG’s General Secretary, Very Rev. Dr. John Kwesi Addo, stated that the Bono-Twi Bible has served as a valuable spiritual and literary resource for the Bono-speaking community.
As a result, he urged the public, particularly Bonos, to contribute to the ongoing translation of the Old Testament in order to complete the full Bono Bible in record time. “As you may be aware, Bible translation is a resource-intensive undertaking, and your financial contributions will be instrumental in making this vision a reality,” Dr. Addo told you.
Embrace
Bono Regional Minister Justina Owusu-Banahene urged Bonos to accept the Bono-Twi New Testament with open hearts and minds. She urged people to utilize it to enhance their lives and communities, as well as to continue generously supporting the BSG so that the full Bono Bible could be completed as soon as possible.
