Bedell's Bible One Small Step to Better Bible Understanding

BEDELL'S BIBLE PROJECT

Bedell was not deterred by such dictatorial views.  Early  int he 1630's, he started translating the recently published English-language Bible (the King James Version of 1611)  into Irish.  He wanted to produce a Bible that was understandable to as many people as possible. He felt strongly that the poor people could not search the Scriptures to find the way to everlasting life as long as the Bible remained a sealed book to them. -John 17:3.  

Bedell was not the first to see this. Some 30 years earlier, another bishop, William Daniel, had seen how difficult it was for anyone  to learn what the Bible taught when it came, as he put it, "in the cloud of an unknown tongue."  Daniel had translated the Christian Greek Scriptures into Irish. Bedell now took  on the task of translating the Hebrew Scriptures. What is known as the Bedell's Bible includes both his work and William Daniel's earlier work. As things turned out, Bedell's Bible-the first complete Bible in Irish-was the only translation of the Bible into Irish for the next 300 years.

Bedell, a qualified Hebrew scholar, enlisted two native speakers of Irish to help with the translation from English to Irish. As they progressed with their work, Bedell, along with one or two trusted helpers, painstakingly checked and rechecked each verse.  For reference, the consulted an Italian translation made by Swiss theologian Giovanni Diodati,  as well as the Greek Septuagint ans a precious old Hebrew Bible manuscript. 

The team followed  the lead of the translators of the King James Version (many of whom Bedell would have know personally) and included God's personal name in a number of places in their Bible. For example, at Exodus 6:3, they rendered God's name "Jehovah." Bedell's original manuscript is preserved in Marsh's Library, Dublin, Ireland.   

Next time: Bedell's Bible One Small Step to Better Bible Understanding - FINALLY PUBLISHED 

From the Watchtower magazine, 2015