Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Newly-completed Chechen Bible presented at peace conference

Chechnya (MNN) ― Chechnya has been at war for much of the last century.

It's a region familiar with the machinery of conflict, dating all the way back to the 15th century with an attempted invasion of the Ottoman Turks. The landlocked country is nestled in the Northern Caucasus and boasts fertile farmland as well as efficient transportation routes to neighboring countries, making it a prize to the nation that conquers it.

It was struggle inflamed by intense nationalism and ethnic hatred, and one that cycled again and again, quelling hopes of a new generation that would know peace. To that end, Bible translators began work on the message of peace, completing the first Scripture portions in 1986, and finishing others as recently as 2007.

Once those were completed, a New Testament was produced in 2007, and that lay the groundwork for the rest of the Bible being translated into Chechen. After a generation of faithful work, Wycliffe Associates reports that the Institute for Bible Translation (IBT) released a translation of the whole Bible in the Chechen language two months ago.

The Bible was presented at the Second Peacemaking conference, organized by the Public Chamber of the Chechen Republic, two Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, and local government.

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