Uganda launches revised Bible in Acholi language

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GULU - The Bible Society of Uganda has launched the revised Acholi Bible available in both Print and Braille.

Rev. Cannon Ayela Okot Othniel Labeja, a Vicar of Christ church parish, one of the translators, said those who translated the Bible from Hebrew, Greek and Arabic languages to Acholi 30 years ago have a different version of the Acholi language, and the current generation has a different version of the language.

“We have reviewed the Bible that every Acholi will now understand, even the current generation, because generations keep on changing, including the writing of the Acholi language”, he said at the unveiling events on Friday at Saint Monica girls’ tailoring school in Gulu city on Friday.

Okot said the Acholi language board is one of the partners to check the spellings.

Rev. Canon Eunice Piloya Opok, one of the people who revised that package, said that the Acholi Bible is now very clear, easy to understand the context, which will help clergies to preach to the Christians”, she said.

"I appeal to the clergy to read the Bible, understand it well so that they can relate it to the lives of the congregation so that it transforms lives", Opok said during the interview at the launch.

Serumaga Peter Lumbuye, the General Secretary of the Bible Society of Uganda, said they have printed enough Bibles, a copy selling at sh35,000.

“The project has been quite expensive, because we printed the Bible in South Korea. The resource envelope for Bible societies is still small. We relied on the contribution and support of the churches, life membership and also support from international bodies.

A Christian checking a revised Acholi Bible during the launch. (Photo by Jackson Kitara)

He revealed that they have also printed the Acholi Brailed Bible for the blind, which cost sh2m.

"I call upon well-wishers to contribute and buy for blind people, adding that they give to blind people for free out of the support Christians give.

Serumaga revealed that in another project, they have introduced audio scriptures where Christians can download on their mobile phones and listen and also have proclaimers inform of radio where they can listen words of God. Plans are underway to produce video preaching for people with hearing impairment to watch on the screen.

Bishop Johnson Gakumba, the retired bishop of the diocese of northern Uganda, confirmed receiving 10,000 copies of the revised Acholi Bible. 

He appealed to church leaders and Christians to buy the Bible and become life members of the Bible Society of Uganda so that more Bibles are printed.

Bishop James Ocan, the Bishop of born-again Pentecostal Churches in the Acholi region, urged Christians to buy the Bible and renew their faith in God.

“We are living at a time when good people are becoming few and the number of bad people is increasing, and those who are strong should bear with the struggle of the weak and stand in for the weak”, he said.

Encouraging Christians to be good to one another, by supporting the weak, Ocan noted that there are so many strong people in the church and community, but their strength is not being felt by the weak.