Cebuano Bible now available to public

Scholars translate Bible from original Greek to Cebuano

A CEBUANO translation of four gospels of the Holy Bible is now available to the public.

The book “Ang Ebanghelyo” was launched last Saturday night at the Cebu Cathedral Museum.

It took a team of nine Bible scholars 12 years to finish the translation of the original Greek text to Cebuano.

Ricardo Cardinal Vidal said he was elated when the translation was completed.

“For me, it’s a very good translation, though I’m not a Cebuano,” he said.

He admitted that he was skeptical about the project at first because he knows the difficulty of translating the gospels into the local language.

“Your work has been guided by the Holy Spirit,” he told the Bible scholars during the launching at the Cebu Cathedral Museum garden.

Vidal said he brought a copy of the book for Pope Benedict XVI when he went to Rome for the canonization rites of St. Pedro Calungsod, but he was not able to hand it to the Pope personally.

“Ang Ebanghelyo” is the only direct translation of the Gospels of Saints Matthew, Mark, Luke and John from the Biblical Greek to Cebuano by a team of Catholic Bible scholars, said Fr. Carmelo Diola, who is part of the team that worked on the project.

The book, Diola said, is ideal for personal study as well as group Bible study or group sharing.

The work has footnotes and incorpo- rates grammatical, spelling and accent rules of the Akademyang Bisaya, which is the standard accepted by the Department of Education. It was also reviewed by lay people, Diola said.

“We also consulted language experts,” he said.

Diola said they printed limited commemorative copies.

The popular edition can be bought for P150 at the Dilaab Foundation Office in the Seminario Mayor de San Carlos in Mabolo, Cebu City.

Last Saturday’s launch- ing started with a 5:30 p.m. mass celebrated by Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma.

“When we read (the Bible in our local language) the effect is such that the word will automatically become part of our system and our life,” Palma told reporters.

“The ways and actions of Jesus are best known through the written word… We will certainly encourage the use of what is most expressive of our own language and mindset,” he added.

Diola said he and the other Bible scholars started the project while they were studying at the Pontifical Biblical Institute. He said a teacher challenged them to translate gospels to their local language.