This report, which was given to the Trinitarian Bible Society’s Annual General Meeting in London in June, is taken, in substance, from the Annual Report of the Society.
“DURING the past year the Editorial Department of the Society has experienced the Lord’s blessing and faithfulness. We have seen significant progress in the translation, proofreading and checking of a number of translation projects.”
With regard to continuing projects, the Report says that progress is being made with the Paragraphed Authorised Version Bible. This Bible will have the standard Authorised Version (1769) text arranged in paragraphs with subject headings taken from the 1611 Authorised Version. The margin will also contain translation notes from the 1611 edition of the Authorised Version as well as the modern equivalents of archaic words and words which have changed in meaning. In addition, the margin will contain modern equivalents for weights, measures, money and time. The project is designed to help people whose first language is not English by increasing the clarity of the language and enabling them to read and understand the Authorised Version with greater ease.
The Read and Review Committee has been checking and evaluating the completed translation of the Catalan New Testament. The translation of the Catalan Old Testament is progressing well. Work is continuing on an orthographic revision of the Spanish Bible in order to produce a reference Bible. The completed draft of the revision of the Romanian New Testament is being proofread, and translation work on the Pentateuch of the Old Testament is continuing. The Latvian New Testament is now being typeset and will soon be proofread, corrected and prepared for publication. The Hebrew New Testament has been typeset and is now being proofread in order to finalize the text for publication.
With regard to Scripture Calendars, the meeting was informed that the 1995 Words of Life Calendar was published in Dutch, English, French, Hungarian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish and Welsh. The Golden Thoughts Calendar was published in Afrikaans, English, French, Hausa, Ndebele, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Xhosa. It was noted that the words of Scripture contained in these calendars have been a blessing to many who have received them, and gratitude to God was expressed for His opening the way to have calendars placed in many homes, schools and businesses in which His testimony is needed.
During the year, the Society has been preparing for the needs of the next century. Part of this has been the computerising of various Bibles on which the Society is currently working. Computer-scanned reproductions are available of the texts of some translations, such as that of the Hebrew New Testament, allowing for ease of correcting and flexibility in producing page designs and formats.
Some of the translation projects in which the Society is involved have been in progress for a long period, and many of the translators have laboured in difficult, trying and sometimes dangerous circumstances. The Society requests that prayer be made for these faithful workers. It also thanks God for the progress which they have made and looks forward to the time when, God willing, these projects will be brought to fruition.
The report concludes: “The Editorial Department is thankful to God for His gracious provision in 1994. We are grateful for the leadership of the Committee and the General secretary, and diligent work of the staff, typesetters, proofreaders, translators and many others who have assisted in the work… We would seek the prayers of all the Society’s supporters and friends for all the work to prepare His Word in many languages.”