Kraasiz Ina Elimelek Faambli
1:1 Wen di jojdem wena ruul Izrel, wah famin weh-tek di lan. So waah man
fraa Betliem ina Juuda guop ina Muab fi lib. Im weh-guop de fi lib
wid im waif an im tuu sondem. 1:2 Nou, di man niem Elimelek, im waif
niem Niomi, an im sondem niem Maalan an Kilian. Dem wena Efratait
fraa Betliem ina Juuda. Wen dem riich Muab, dehn tap de.
1:3 Likl muo, Niomi ozban, Elimelek go ded, bot shi wehn til mekop
ar main fi tan a Muab wid ar tuu sondem. 1:4 Som taim aafa dem
faada ded, Maalan ahn Kilian marid tuu Muabait uman; di fos wan niem
Arpa, ahn di sekan wan niem Ruut. Aafa di wedn, dem tan a Muab fi
bout ten muo yier.
1:5 Den Niomi tuu bwaidem, Maalan ahn Kilian, go ded aaf jos laik dem
faada. So di puo uman wehn di de aluon a Muab widout ar tuu pikni bwaidem
ahn widout ar ozban.
1:6 Wan die Niomi ahn ar tuu daatahn-laadem pakop fi lef Muab,
bikaaz shi wehn ier se Yaawe behn pie Im piipl a vizit, dat fi se,
Im behn gi dem fuud fi niam.
Ruut No Waahn Abandan Niomi
1:7 So shi lef fraa we shi de wid ar tuu daatahn-laadem; ahn
di chrii a dem tek di ruod fi gaa Juuda. 1:8 Den Niomi se tu ar
daatahn-laadem, "Kom kom, di tuu a unu gwaan bak a unu mada yaad. 1:9
Mie Yaawe chriit unu az nais az unu wehn chriit unu ozbandem bifuo dehn
ded ahn az unu chriit mi. Mie Yaawe mek unu hiich fain res ina
ous wid niuu ozban."
Shi den gi dem a gud-bai chups, ahn bwai, dem did pudong a piis a
cou-baalin. 1:10 Dem se tu Niomi, "Nuo sa, wi a kom wid yu go lib wid
yu piipldem."
1:11 Bot Niomi ansa se, "Unu ton bak, mi daata. Wa mek unu waa fi
kom wid mi, iihn? Iluk laik mi kiahn stil ab biebi, so dat unu kiahn
marid dem? 1:12 Unu gwaan bak a unu yaad, mi daata. Unu beta gwaan,
kaaz mi tuu uol fi ab man nou! Ahn aal ef mi tel unu sei pasibl fi mi
marid tinait-tinait ahn ab bwai pikni, 1:13 unu miin fi tel mi se
unu uda wiet fi dem tel dem ton man? Unu uda riili lak iin unuself
ahn no marid? Nat at aal, mi daata! Mi bitanis tumoch fi unu bier.
Di Laad an de gens mi."
1:14 Ahn den dem taat di cou-baalin agen. Arpa gi ar madahn-laa
a gud-bai chups ahn ton bak, bot Ruut eng-aan tu ar madahn-laa.
1:15 So Niomi se tu Ruut, "Luk, yu sistahn-laa gaan bak tu ar piipl
dem ahn tu ar gad. Fala bak a yu sistahn-laa." 1:16 Bot Ruut ansa se,
"No bada fuos mi fi abandan yu; No bada fuos mi fi no fala bak a yu!
Bikaaz eniwe yu go, a de mi ago. Eniwe yu lib, a de mi ago lib.
Fi yu piipl dem ago bi fi mi piipl, ahn fi yu Gad ago bi fi mi Gad.
1:17 Eniwe yu ago ded, a de mi ago ded - ahn a di siem plies mi ago
beri. Mie Yaawe chraik mi tif ded, ef mi no kip disya pramis. Ongl
det ago brok wi op."
1:18 Wen Niomi si se Ruut nehna flinch bot wehn ditermin fi go wid
ar, shi jos giop ahn no bada chrai fi chienj ar main.
Niomi ahn Ruut Kech a Betliem
1:19 So di tuu a dem chrabl tel dem riich Betliem. Wen dem riich Betliem,
wan piis a exaitment iina di huol siti uova dem. Ahn di uman dem uu lib
iina di siti ax, "A Niomi dis?" 1:20 Niomi se tu dem, "Unu no kaal mi no
Niomi yaa; kaal mi Maara bikaaz di hAlmaiti mek mi laif bita,
bita, bita. 1:21 A ful mi lef ya ful; bot a hemti Yaawe mek
mi kom bak emti. So nou, sens Yaawe de gens mi, ahn sens di
hAlmaiti mek mi a sofa, wa mek unu a kaal mi Niomi?"
1:22 So den, Niomi go bak a yaad wid Ruut, ar daatahn-laa uu kom bak
fraa Muab. Nou wen dem wehn kom a Betliem, di baali aavis wehn jos taat.
Ruut Werk pahn Buaz Lan
2:1 Nou Niomi wehn ab waa nier faambli memba pan ar ozban said.
Ihn wena waa powaful man, im wena waa rich man, an im ahn Elimelek kom fraa
di siem piipl dem. Im niem Buaz.
2:2 Wan die, Ruut, di Muabaites, se tu Niomi, "Du, mek mi go out
a di fiil, so dat mi kiahn giada di wat-lef grien biain enibadi uu maita
tek a laikin tu mi." Niomi ansa, "Gwaan mi daata." 2:3 So Ruut lef ahn shi
giada op di wat-lef grien ina di fiil biain di werkadem. Ahn igo apn dat
di fiil we shi wena werk ina bilang tu Buaz, Elimelek faambli memba.
Buaz Hear Bout Ruut
2:4 Den out a di bluu, Buaz go kom fraa Betliem! Im se oudi tu di werkadem.
"Mie Yaawe de wid unu!" im se. "Yaawe bles yu!" dem ansa bak.
2:5 Buaz ax di man uu im lef in chaaj a im werkadem, "A uu da yong uman
de bilang tu?" 2:6 Di man ansa, "Shi iz a yong Muabaites uman uu kom
bak wid Niomi fraa Muab. 2:7 Shi ax, 'Pliiz ef mi kiahn giada ahn bongl
op di wat-lef grien dem biain di werkadem uu a du di aavisin?' Shi
ongl tek waa likl res ina di hot fi a shaat taim. Apaat fraa dat, shi
no tap werk sens shi kom - fraa maanin antel nou."
Buaz Miit Ruut
2:8 Den Buaz se tu Ruut, "Lisn nou mi dier! Duo giada wat-lef ina smadi
els fiil; no lef disya wan ya. Yu kiahn tan ya ahn du yu giadarin wid
mi uman werkadem. 2:9 Tek nuot a wishpaat ina di fiil di man werkadem
ago du di aavisin ahn fala bak a di uman werkadem. Mi tel di mandem fi
no put a finga paa yu. Ef yu tersti, go wepaat di waata jaardem de ahn
jrink di waata dat di mandem jraa."
2:10 Ruut go dong pan har fies, bou dong tu di grong, ahn se tu im,
"Wa mek yu so kain ahn nais tu mi; mi a farina yu nuo?" 2:11 Den Buaz se tu
har, "Mi ier bout ebri singl ting yu du fi yu madahn-laa, eba sens
ar ozban kik di bokit – ou yu lef biain yu faada, yu mada, ahn di lan
a yu bert; ahn ou yu kom kohn lib wid piipl yu neba nuo bifuo ina yu
laif. 2:12 Mie Yaawe pie yu bak fi aal yu werk. Mie Yaawe, di Maiti
Wan af Izrel, aanda fuufa wing yu kom fi shelta, pie yu tu di ful." 2:13
So Ruut se tu im, "Sar, yu riili kain tu mi. Yu komfert mi ahn yu taak
nais tu mi, yu likl servant, aalduo mi a no wan a yu ada uman servant
dem!"
2:14 Wen di taim wehn kom fi ebribadi fi niam dem fuud, Buaz se tu
Ruut, "Kom uova yaso ahn niam som a di fuud! Kom, dip yu bred ina di
viniga!" So shi sidong bisaid di werkadem, ahn Buaz gi ar som paach
grien. Shi niam antel shi ful; shi did iivn lef uova som.
2:15 Wen shi gitop fi giada muo grien, Buaz tel im man werkadem,
"Mek shi du ar giadarin aal outa di ful bongl a grien, ahn unu no bada
shiem ar. 2:16 Pan tap a dat, mek shuo dat az unu werk, unu tek out
som a di beta grien outa fiunu bongl, ahn jrap dem paa perpos, so dat
shi kiahn tek dem op fi arself. Ahn no tel ar fi lef dem!"
2:17 So Ruut tan ina di fiil ahn du har giadarin. Wen iibnin kom,
shi bata out di grien we shi giada. Di baali we shi get in aal wie
bout terti poun.
Ruut Go Bak Uom
2:18 Az Ruut finish, shi tekop ar baali ahn teki tu di siti,
ahn Niomi si di amount a baali shi giada. Ruut den gi ar madahn-laa
di fuud we shi wehn siev fram ar lonch.
2:19 So Niomi ax Ruut, "A wepaat yu du yu giadarin tide? A wepaat
yu go werk? Gad bles di smadi uu tek nuotis a yu."
So Ruut tel ar madahn-laa uu shi wehn werk wid. Shi se, "Iman uu mi
werk wid tide niem Buaz." 2:20 Den Niomi se tu ar daatahn-laa, "Mie
di Laad bles im bikaaz im no tap shuo laialti tu buot di libn ahn di
ded." Den shi se tu Ruut, "Di man ahn wi a nier faambli; im a wi
faambli protekta [ar kinsman ridiima]."
2:21 Den Ruut di Muabaites se tu Niomi, "Im aal se tu mi, 'Yu kiahn
tan kluos tu mi werkadem, antel dem finish giada aal a mi aavis.'"
2:22 So Niomi se tu Ruut ar daatahn-laa, "Igud, mi daata, dat yu kiahn
go wid im uman werkadem, so dat nobadi wi damij yu ina neda fiil."
2:23 So Ruut tan kluos tu Buaz uman werkadem antel di baali ahn wiit
aavis don. Ahn evri iibnin shi go uom tu ar madahn-laa.
Niomi Setop Ruut pan a Ting
3:1 Wan die, Ruut madahn-laa, Niomi, se tu ar, "Mi daata, mi no shuda
fain somwe resful fi yu lib, so dat tingz kiahn gwaan fi yu? 3:2 Nou,
Buaz - di siem wan fuufa umandem yu wehn werk wid - im a wi faambli
memba. So lisn mi nou, tinait im ago a di plies wepaat im werkadem
gwaihn bata out di baali so dat im kiahn fan out di chrash outa i. 3:3
Gwaan go bied, swiitop swiitop yuself, put aan yu kluoz, ahn go dong
a di plies wepaat dem bata out di chrash. Bot no mek Buaz nuo se a yu.
Yu jos wiet antel im don niam ahn jrink.
3:4 hAfta im don nyam ahn jrink, im gwaihn lidong, so di
fos ting yu gwaihn du iz fi tek nuotis a di plies wepaat im lidong. Afta
dat, go uova tu im, muuv aaf di klaat aafa im fut, ahn den lidong saida
im. Wen yu du dat, im wi tel yu wa yu fi du." 3:5 So shi se tu ar
madahn-laa, "A gwaihn du ebriting yu tel mi fi du."
Ruut ahn Buaz pan di Chreshn Fluor
3:6 So Ruut go dong a di plies wepaat dem bata out di chrash, ahn shi du
ebriting ar madahn-laa wehn tel ar fi du. 3:7 Buaz niam ahn jrink tu
im aat kantentment, den im go lidong a di hen a wepaat di grien
wehn pailop. Ruut den tek taim skriichi uova de, muuv aaf di klaat
aafa im fut, ahn den lidong saida im.
3:8 Den wen iriich somwe bout di migl a di nait, Buaz shiba ahn
den taat fi twis ahn tern. Den, aal af a sodn, im si a uman lidong a
im fut! 3:9 "A uu yu bi?" im ax. So shi ansa, "A mi, Ruut, yu servant.
Pliiz marid yu servant, bicaaz yu iz a faambli protekta [ar kinsman ridiima].
3:10 Buaz den se tu har, "Mie Yaawe bles yu, mi daata. Faa yu jos du beta
daa wa yu wehn du bifuo. Yu kuda wel ahn go afta di yonga mandem –
weda dem rich ar weda dem puo – bot yu no dwiit. 3:11 Nou, me daata,
duo wori yuself. A gwaihn du fi yu ebriting yu ax mi fi du; bikaaz
ebribadi ina di siti nuo dat yu iz a gud uman.
3:12 Nou den, a chuu se mi a waa faambli protekta [ar kinsman ridiima],
bot di ting iz dat dier iz aneda faambli protekta [ar kinsman ridiima]
ahn im iz a niera faambli memba tu yu muo dan mi. 3:13 A tel yu wa,
tan uova yaso tinait, ahn a maanin mi wi taak tu im. If im waa fi ridiim
yu, wel gud, mek im dwiit. Bot if im no api fi ridiim yu, den az shuoli
as Maasa Gad lib, mi pramis fi ridiim yu. Lidong yaso tel a maanin."
3:14 So Ruut lidong a Buaz fut tel maanin kom. Bot shi git op
herli-herli bifuo a suol kuda rekanaiz ar. (Nou Buaz
wehn se tu imself, "A uop nobadi no nuo dat waa uman kom a di plies
we dem bata out chrash.") 3:15 "Tek aaf yu shaal ahn uoli tait," Buaz se
tu ar. Wen shi uoli tait, im meja out ahn gi ar bout sixti poun a baali
ahn den elp ar puti pan ar ed. Den im lef fi go ina di siti. 3:16 Ahn
Ruut go bak uom tu ar madahn-laa.
Ruut Tel Niomi Wa Apn
"So den, ou tingz go wid yu, mi daata?" Niomi ax Ruut. So Ruut
labrish tu Nyuomi ebriting dat Buaz du fi har. 3:17 Shi se, "Im gi mi
da sixti poun a baali ya ahn tel me dat mi no fi go bak tu mi
madahn-laa suoso so."
3:18 So Niomi se tu Ruut, "Sidong mi daata tel yu fain out ou
tingz werk out. A tel yu, disya man naa go tan-todi antel im tek kier
a tingz tide-tide ya.
Buaz Chraik A Diil
4:1 So den, Buaz guop tu di siti giet ahn sidong de. Den aal af a
sodn, no di ada faambli protekta [ar kinsman ridiima] uu Buaz wehna
taak bout dat uu go waak paas im! Buaz se tu im, “Oi de Mista, ton
roun ahn kohn sidong yaso.” So im ton roun ahn sidong.
4:2 Den Buaz pik out ten a di siti liida dem ahn se tu dem, "Unu
kom kohn sidong ya so." Afta dem sidong, 4:3 Buaz se tu di ada faambli
protekta [ar kinsman ridiima], "Niomi, uu kohn bak fraa Muab, a tink
se shi gwaihn sel di piis a lan we bilang tu wi breda, Elimelek. 4:4 So
mi wena tink dat mi wuda tel yu bouti ahn ax yu, front a aal uu
sidong yaso ahn bifuo di liidadem a mi piipl, dat ef yu ago ridiimi,
den dwiit; bot if yu naa go ridiimi, tel mi. Mek mi nuo nou bikaaz yu ab
muo rait daa mi fi ridiimi." So di ada man se, "Mi wii dwiit."
4:5 Buaz den se tu im, "Wen yu bai di lan fraa Niomi, pan tap a
dat yu gwaihn get fi marid Ruut, di Muabaites wido, so dat Elimelek niem
kiahn kantiniu aan ahn im lan kiahn tan ina im faambli." 4:6 Den di ada
faambli protekta [ar kinsman ridiima] se, "No, mi kiaahn bada ridiimi
den, bikaaz dat de muuv wuda mashop fi mi bizniz. Yu kiahn ridiimi
hinsted a mi, kaaz mi kiaahn dwiit." 4:7 (Nou, dem diez de ina
Izrel, weni kom aan tu ridemshan ahn seklin liigal mataz: di man uu a du
di selin wuda tek aaf im slipaz ahn gii tu di baia. A so dem yuuz fi
sain kanchrak a Izrel.) 4:8 So di ada faambli protekta [ar kinsman
ridiima] se tu Buaz, "Bai di lan fi yuself," den im tek aaf im slipaz.
4:9 Buaz den se tu di siti liidadem ahn tu aal di piipl, "Unu bier
mi wiknis tide dat mi bai fraa Niomi ebriting we bilang tu Elimelek,
Kilian, ahn Maalan. 4:10 Pan tap a dat, mi get Ruut, di Moabaites, Maalan
waif, fi bi mi waif, so dat mi kiahn kip Elimelech lan in im faambli,
ahn so dat im niem kiahn kantiniu mongx im faambli ahn ina im komiuniti.
Unu bier mi wiknis tide."
4:11 Aal a di piipl ahn di siti liidadem se tu Buaz, "Wi bier
yu wiknis. Mie Yaawe mek di uman uu kom ina yu ous ton out fi bi laik a
Riechel ahn Leia fuufa pikni dem ton out fi bi di nieshan a Izrel. Mie
yu praaspa ina Efraata, ahn mie ebribadi ina Betliem nuo ou yu bi. 4:12 Mie
yu faambli bi laik fi Perez faambli - di siem pikni uu Tamar behn ab fi
Juuda – chuu di pikni dem we Yaawe gwaihn gi yu chuu da yong uman ya.
Niomi Get Granson
4:13 So Buaz marid Ruut ahn ab sex wid ar. Yahweh den mek Ruut get
prignant, ahn shi gi bert tu waa son.
4:14 Wen Ruut biebi baan, di uman dem ina di siti se tu Niomi, "Priez
di Laad, bikaaz Im no mek yu go widout a faambli protekta [ar kinsman
ridiima] tide! Mie ebribadi ina Izrel nuo uu yu faambli protekta bi.
4:15 Im ago hinkorij yu ahn provaid fi yu wen yu huol,
bikaaz yu daatahn-laa uu lov yu gi bert tu im. Shi wert muo tu yu dahn
sebn bwai pikni!"
4:16 Niomi tek di pikni ahn put im pan ar lap; shi tek kier a im.
4:17 Ahn ar uman niebadem niem im, ahn se, "Niomi get a buoi." Dem kaal
im niem "Obed." Obed bikom di faada a Jesi – uu apn fi bi Dievid!
Dievid Faambli Chrii
4:18 Disya a fi Perez faambli lain: Perez wena Ezran faada, 4:19 Ezran
wena Ram faada, Ram wena Aminadab faada, 4:29 Aminadab wena Naashon
faada, Naashon wena Salmon faada, 4:21 Salmon wena Buaz faada, Buaz
wena Obed faada, 4:22 Obed wena Jesi faada, ahn Jesi wena Dievid faada.
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The Bible in Jamaican
- Peter Espeut
in Jamaica Gleaner, 2008/07/15
The Bible Society of the West Indies has announced that it has commenced a project to translate the Christian bible into the Jamaican language. The project has good intentions, for it is a fact that the best way to get a message across to a people is to communicate with them in their own language. And yes, Jamaican Creole is a separate language - related to English, but different. We have the Hon Louise Bennett-Coverley to thank for her role in making our language 'respectable', and for making us comfortable with ourselves. I wish the effort well.
Ambitious project
It is, of course, a tremendously ambitious project, for there is no such thing at the moment as Standard Jamaican Creole. Different dialects are spoken in different parts of Jamaica. One immediately thinks of those in the west who say: "Him ben a come" while others (from the east) say: "Him a come". Both are 'correct', but they are different, and since I do not expect the translators to produce more than one translation, they are going to have to make choices about which variations they will use. And there are many variations. People from deep rural St Thomas speak slightly differently from people in deep rural Portland, and again differently from those in upper Clarendon. There is uptown Jamaican Creole and downtown Jamaican Creole, not to mention the Rastafarian variation. Into whose Jamaican Creole will the Bible be translated?
There is a danger that, with the hegemony of the big city, the translators will produce an uptown St. Andrew Creole Bible, the Mona Version, which may defeat their purpose. I remember the disdain with which many in the ghetto treated the Uptown Reggae of Pluto Shervington and Ernie Smith in the 1970s. If the idea is to reach the Jamaican people with a creole Bible, which Jamaican people will be targeted?
First translation
When the Bible was first translated into English in 1611, the well-known King James Version (KJV), there was no such thing yet as Standard English. English was a relatively new language, widely spoken, but with a limited literature and much variation in expression and spelling. The translators of the KJV made choices, which helped to standardise the young language. Today, we find the KJV turn of phrase archaic, for English has moved on, requiring new translations into modern language. The Jamaica Creole Bible project may well perform the same function, creating and standardising a version of Jamaican Creole, but also fossilising what is a vibrant, dynamic (constantly changing) and versatile language.
When I studied Biblical Greek (under that great Greek scholar, the Rev. David Jelleyman of the Jamaica Baptist Union) we learnt of the great difficulties of its translation into English, since Greek is a much more complex language than English. For example, Greek verbs have many more tenses than English (example the Aorist), more moods (example the Optative) and a middle voice (English has only the active and passive voices). We also learnt that Jamaican Creole is more versatile than English since our Jamaican language has many of these additional grammatical features, including the middle voice. And so, the only great translation difficulty I foresee will be the choice made from among the many dialects, which make up Jamaican Creole, and the marginalisation of many Jamaicans, which will take place when their language variants are not selected.
One hundred years from now, the Jamaican Creole Bible will sound as archaic to the Jamaican ear as the KJV sounds today, for the Jamaican language will not stand still. In fact, few reputable Bible scholars today use the KJV, not just because English has changed and many English words have different meanings today than in 1611 (which is true enough), but mostly because the Greek text from which the KJV was translated (the Textus Receptus of Westcott and Hort) has been determined to be flawed, and has been substantially corrected from recently discovered manuscripts, like the Dead Sea Scrolls. Yet the KJV still remains popular among many, some of whom believe that The KJV is the version that St Paul used, which, of course, is rubbish, since the English language did not even exist in St. Paul's day. Fortunately, the Jamaican Creole Bible will not face most of these difficulties, as the Greek text from which it will be translated is a good one.
I challenge the translators to avoid the obvious pitfall of the creation of an urban uptown Creole Bible. Do not be afraid of using deep rural expressions. Like at Pentecost, rural people need to hear God's Word in their own language too.
The Rev. Peter Espeut is a sociologist and is a Deacon in the Roman
Catholic Church.
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