The Regional Spokesperson of Jehovah witnesses, Mr Folarin Odebode has described translation as key to overcoming language barriers among the people.
Mr Odebode stated this in a statement in Abuja to mark this year’s International Translation Day.
The Spokesperson also emphasized the contributions of translation to unity which is the central focus of the day for this year.
“Among the organizations that value the monumental efforts of Bible translators worldwide are Jehovah’s Witnesses because we believe that the Bible is God’s written message to mankind and it is at the core of our very existence and should be available to everyone,” Mr Odebode stated
According to him, in the 1950s, Jehovah’s Witnesses continued the long legacy of Bible translation when they released the highly acclaimed New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, which has been published in whole or in part in over 210 languages.
“Beyond the Bible itself, the official website of Jehovah’s Witnesses, jw.org, has earned the title of the world’s most translated website and Bible-based content is available in almost 1,100 languages, including over 100 sign languages and the UN has chosen the date of September 30 because it marks the death of Jerome of Stridon over 1600 years ago” He explained
The Spokesperson stressed that Jerome is best known for his translation of the Bible into Latin, called the Vulgate, which has been described as “the greatest and most influential literary accomplishment of the fourth century.
“The Bible has endured as the world’s best-selling book for centuries and innovations, growth, and inventions cannot ground God’s Word. With translation, language stops being a barrier and that’s only possible because of the work of translators like Jerome who have paved the way to make it the most available book in human history” He emphasized.
“We are happy to contribute to that effort today and the public is invited to read various translations of the Bible online on jw.org because all content is freely accessible, and no registration is required and Jehovah’s Witnesses are known for displaying special exhibits of rare Bible translations in scores of languages at several of their national offices around the globe” Mr Odebode added
The United Nations had in 2017 declared September 30 every year as International Translation Day to appreciate the challenging work of language professionals worldwide.