MARCH 29, 2022
INDIA
The Bible—The Gospel According to Matthew Released in Konkani (Roman)
On March 27, 2022, the Konkani-language version of The Bible—The Gospel According to Matthew was released in Roman script. The prerecorded program was presented to an audience of approximately 600. The release was immediately available for download in various digital formats. Print copies will be made available later this year.
Konkani is one of the 23 official languages recognized in India. It is mainly spoken on the central west coast of India. Jehovah’s Witnesses began preaching in the Konkani-language field in 1957 when special pioneers were assigned to the region. The first Konkani-language congregation was formed in 1959.
There were very few versions of the Bible available in Konkani until 1974. That year, a Konkani translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures became available to the general public. In 2006, a Konkani translation of the Hebrew Scriptures was also published. However, these translations contain language that is unfamiliar to many Konkani speakers.
Konkani-speaking publishers have benefited from the teaching tools published by Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Konkani language. But publishers have not had an accurate Bible translation on which they could rely. For example, one translator explained: “The previous Bible translation that we used rendered Matthew 6:33: ‘To walk according to the rules of God’s Kingdom and to do what pleases him should be our greatest anxiety.’ Now, though, with the recent release of the book of Matthew, the verse is clearer and easier to understand.”
Another translator said: “Even though the number of publishers in this field is comparatively small, the fact that we are getting this book of the New World Translation in our own language shows that Jehovah takes note of us all.”
We are confident that this new translation will help our Konkani-speaking brothers to continue drawing people to Jehovah.—John 6:44.