In this new series, I shall translate a section from the 6th Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. This begins with the 8th Verse and ends with the 15th. It covers the arrest of St. Stephen, later the first martyr.
For this translation, I have chosen the Manambu language of Papua New Guinea.
According to Alexandra Aikhenvald’s 2008 Grammar, this language has around 2,500 thousand speakers spread mainly over 5 villages in North-West Papua New Guinea. Most speakers live along the banks of the East Sepik River.
The Manambu live in settled villages. Most of their food comes from hunting and fishing, with a relatively small portion from agriculture.
Histrorically, the Manambu were a fierce and warlike people. There are 3 main clans among the Manambu, but you can look this up for yourself.
Manambu belongs to the Ndu Language Family.
This Family has approximately six members, and it seems as though they each form their own branch. Each member has a number of dialects.
Of course, this is heavily debated.
The New Jerusalem Bible:
8. Stephen was filled with grace and power and began to work miracles and great signs among the people.
9. Then certain people came forward to debate with Stephen, some from Cyrene and Alexandra who were members of the synagogue called the Synagogue of Freedmen, and others from Cilicia and Asia.
10. They found they could not stand up against him because of his wisdom, and the Spirit that prompted what he said.
11. So they procured some men to say, ‘We heard him using blasphemous language against Moses and against God’
12. Having turned the people against him as well as the elders and scribes, they took Stephen by surprise, and arrested him and brought him before the Sanhedrin.
13. There they put up false witnesses to say, ‘This man is always making speeches against the Holy Place and the Law.
14. We have heard him say that Jesus, this Nazarene, is going to destroy this Place and alter the traditions that Moses handed down to us.’
15. The members of the Sanhedrin all looked intently at Stephen, and his face appeared to them like the face of an angel.
My Manambu translation:
8. Səsəlki, vyakətayakəd mairyakəd, nəma jijap væyaajaamaam kurkwadədi.
9. Ata səsəlkiwa məl sraytakaak wadi Kurinaadi wadi Aliksandriyaadi wadika Vævægru Vævægru Libertiin wada adi Kilikyaadi adi Asiyaadi rasədi.
10. Kayikir də wadək dəkəm tawtəpətəpə maa ab takwadələk.
11. Ata maad yakədaku du waded wukebak kuprap Kəkələm kudi Nəmadəm Duum yidəd.
12. Du taakw dəkəm apadu susuku wərdiku Səsəlki krakutakadaku Tətəkərər yatadad.
13. Məməlwaan guyukti vætəkadak wadak adə du maa Apatənəbəm Væyajaamam kaukaurak.
14. Wukəbak wadək Yehuu Nasaras adəm tənəbəm gajikədaku Kəkələ gabumaaj warapwikədəd.
15. Tətəkərəm rədaku Səsəlkim məl sraytakadad mutam dəkə vəda mæjakayiku mutam kətək.
The King James Version:
8. And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.
9. Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen.
10. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.
11. Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God.
12. And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council.
13. And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law:
14. For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change customs which Moses delivered us.
15. And all that sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.
A short note on linguistics.
Manambu has many suffixes.
Two of these are –k and –ku.
These are frustratingly similar, and halfway along I realised that I got them mixed up. I corrected them as well as I could, but I can’t guarantee that I got all of them.
Furthermore, I may have used them in circumstances where it probably wasn’t necessary. I am actually quite fond of these Suffixes, so I chose to keep them there.