The translation is finally complete after starting 27 years ago, and it has united both Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians, according to Archbishop Freier. He believes the translation is an example of Reconciliation and a practical respond to be one in Christ.
"As well as being welcomed by an estimated 30,000 speakers of the Kriol language, it is also a great opportunity for the Australian community to celebrate the survival of Aboriginal language as a living reality in contemporary society," said Archbishop Freier. "I welcome and appreciate the work of Indigenous translators, non-Indigenous consultants and translation resource workers as an example of Reconciliation, a practical and lived response to the call to be one in Christ."
The Bible translation from Genesis through to Revelation was undertaken by a group of Aboriginal Christians and missionaries in the Northern Territory with support from Christian organisations such as The Bible Society, Lutheran Bible Translators, The Church Missionary Society of Australia and many more.
The Kriol project stalled after the publication of the Kriol New Testament with 14 Old Testament books in 1991, but the Reverend Canon Gumbuli Wurrumara challenged indigenous Kriol speakers in 1993 to complete the project themselves, reported the Melbourne Anglican Media.
The Kriol translation will encourage the semantic range of common words such as 'heart' to be examined to discourage cross-cultural miscommunication. With this momentous project now complete, The Kriol Translation team is hosting a launch on 5th May in Katherine, Northern Territory.