A controversial project is in the works to translate the Holy Bible from English into Jamaican Patois. It was reported on Monday, that this project would take at least 12 years to accomplish at the cost of approximately $60 million.

The United Bible Societies will contribute most of the funding for the project, which will be completed by the Bible Society of the West Indies. Almost 40 percent of the New Testament has already been translated and language specialists from the University of the West Indies Language Unit are now reviewing this portion.

The project is not a new one and actually began in the 1990s resulting in the translations of Genesis, Matthew, and Mark. Some have argued that translating the Holy Scriptures would undermine their sanctity, however, Reverend Courtney Stewart of the United Bible Societies argues, "The scriptures make the most profound impact on a people when they have those scriptures in their heart language. Until it's communicated in this manner, a people cannot really be said to have the scriptures in their own language."

Reverend Peter Garth of the Jamaica Association of Evangelicals agrees with Reverend Stewart and asserts, "This translation of the Bible into patois is absolutely relevant to our reality."

18 June 2008