With so many versions of the Bible available for all to read, God’s word will now be relayed to the masses in a new form, Jamaican patois.
Di Jamiekan Nyuu Testiment, a version of the Bible’s New Testament versed in Jamaican dialect, was recently launched at the Jamaican High Commission in the United Kingdom on October 9. Di Jamiekan Nyuu Testiment features many of the New Testament’s most captivating stories, detailing Jesus’ life and the Lord’s Prayer in Jamaican patois, with English translations available beside each verse.
The launch garnered exciting and humorous reactions from Jamaicans living the United Kingdom and has reportedly received a positive reception in the United Kingdom as well as back home.
According to Rev. Courtney Stewart, who is responsible for the English translation of this patois-theme bible stated that given the strong ties between Jamaica and the U.K. as well as the island’s 50th year of independence this year, it was ideal way to celebrate Jamaica’s dialect on an wider scale.
The patois version of the New Testament was approved in a partnership between The Bible Society of the West Indies and the United Kingdom’s Bible Society. Additionally, it results from a 20-year collaboration between translators from the Bible Society of the West Indies, the Department of Linguistics at the University of the West Indies (UWI) and highly acclaimed theological institutions in the island
Jamaicans will be able to download Di Jameikan Nyuu Testament via iTunes on October 28 and hits shelves on November 12 at a cost of £12.99. The book will also be available as an application for mobile phones and can be pre-ordered at shop.biblesociety.org.uk/jnt.
