BIBLE IN MAORI

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22512, 16 December 1947, Page 4

BIBLE IN MAORI

WORK OF REVISION TRIBAL CONTRIBUTIONS The committee, which has for some time been engaged in the preparation of a revised Maori edition of the Bible, met at Ohope near Whakatane towards the end of last month. Excellent progress was made, states Sir Apirana Ngata, the committee completing the scrutiny and correction of 265 type written sheets in seven and a half day. The chairman, the Very Rev. J. S. Laughton, reported that the type-script of the New Testament in Maori as revised by the committee had been sent to the Bible Society in London for the printers. At the end of the recent meeting at Ohope the committee’s progress on the Old Testament covers the Books of Genesis, Exodus, part of Deuteronomy, Judges, Ruth, Job and the Psalms. Next Meeting Planned The next meeting of the committee will be held at Ohinemutu, home of the late Mr. Tai, Mitchell, on January 28. The texts in preparation for that sitting comprise Leviticus, Numbers, balance of Deuteronomy, Joshua and I Samuel with Proverbs in reserve. The pace of the committee depends on the care with which the revision scripts have been prepared, but it is being accelebrated, so that the whole of the immense work may be completed early in the summer of 1948.

A very pleasing feature of the project was reported by the chairman at Ohope, states Sir Apirana. In March, 1946, the committee launched an appeal to raise the sum of £3OOO from the various tribes through the churches working among them. To the end of November the total reaised was £2807. Amounts promised and outstanding should bring the total to over the target of £3OOO. It is expected that the committee will hold one of its meetings in Gisborne about the middle of March, followed by one at Kaikohe, Bay of Islands, early in May.