NGELISONTFO ekuseni, eminyakeni yabo-1520 takhamuti taseMeaux, lokulidolobha lelincane lelidvutane neParis, tamangala ngaletakuva esontfweni ngalelolanga. Teva kufundvwa Emavangeli ngelulwimi letalumunya lokusiFrench hhayi ngesiLathini.

Ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi, Jacques Lefèvre d’Étaples (ngesiLathini ngu-Jacobus Faber Stapulensis) lobekahamba embili kulokuhunyushwa kweliBhayibheli lesiFrench, wabhalela umngani wakhe watsi: “Iyamangalisa indlela Nkulunkulu lasita ngayo bantfu kutsi bacondze liVi lakhe.”

Ngaleso sikhatsi, liSontfo lemaKatolika kanye netati tenkholo taseParis tamelana nekutsi liBhayibheli lihunyushelwe etilwimini letivamile. Yini leyenta Lefèvre kutsi ahumushe liBhayibheli ngelulwimi lwesiFrench? Wakhona njani kusita lonkhe luhlobo lwebantfu kutsi lucondze liVi laNkulunkulu?

Ngesikhatsi Lefèvre angakabi ngumhumushi weliBhayibheli, abetimisele kulondvolota inchazelo lengiyo ngemafilosofi nangenkholo. Watfola kutsi imibhalo yakadzeni beyihunyushwe kabi futsi inemaphutsa, ngako beseyonakele. Ekufuneni kwakhe emaciniso alemibhalo yakadzeni, Lefèvre wacala kudadisha ngekucophelela liBhayibheli lelivamile Lelisontfo lemaKatolika, lokuyi-Vulgate yesiLathini.

Kutimisela kwakhe ekudadisheni imibhalo, kwamenta wabona kutsi “kudadisha liVi laNkulunkulu kukodvwa nje kuletsa injabulo lenkhulu.” Ngako-ke Lefèvre wayekela kudadisha emafilosofi wase utinikela ekuhumusheni liBhayibheli.

Nga-1509, Lefèvre washicilela lithulusi lekudadisha lelinemahumusho lasihlanu esiLathini encwadzi yeTihlabelelo, * lokufaka ekhatsi ngisho ne-Vulgate labesayilungisile. Akazange alingise tati tenkholo tangesikhatsi sakhe, watimisela kutsi atfole “umcondvo longiwo” ngalokushiwo liBhayibheli. Indlela lahumusha liBhayibheli yaba nemtselela lomkhulu nakuletinye Tati TeliBhayibheli nakulabo labaletsa tingucuko.​—Fundza libhokisi lelinesihloko lesitsi: “ Emahumusho aLefèvre amtsintsa njani Martin Luther?”

Lefèvre lobekangumKatolika, bekaciniseka kutsi emaKatolika abetawuvuseleleka kuphela nangabe imibhalo ifundziswa kahle kulo lonkhe luhlobo lwebantfu. Njengobe imibhalo leminyenti beyitfolakala ngesiLathini, bantfu bebatawusitakala njani kulokushiwo liBhayibheli?

Lefèvre bakalitsandza kakhulu liVi laNkulunkulu, ngako watimisela kutsi alente litfolwe bantfu labanyenti. Kuze afeze lomgomo wakhe, ngaJune 1523, washicilela emahumusho lamabili emaVangeli ngesiFrench labengakhona kungena ekhikhini. LamaBhayibheli lamancane abeshiphe kakhulu  kunalamanye emaBhayibheli, loku kwenta kutsi kube lula ngabo bonkhe bantfu kutsi babe nekhophi yalo.

Bantfu labanyenti bawajabulela kakhulu lamaBhayibheli. Emadvodza kanye nebafati bebakulangatelela kufundza emavi aJesu ngelulwimi lwabo kangangekutsi kwatsengiswa emakhophi langu-1 200, kungakapheli nje netinyanga letimbalwa.

Kulesetfulo salamaVangeli, Lefèvre wachaza kutsi uwahumushe ngelulwimi lwesiFrench kuze kutsi ngisho nemalunga elisontfo “labukeleka phansi atfole lwati lweliciniso lolufana nelwalabo labati siLathini.” Kungani Lefèvre bekafuna kusita lonkhe luhlobo lwebantfu kutsi lwati loko lokufundziswa liBhayibheli?

Lefèvre bekawati kahle kamhlophe umonakalo lobewukhona Esontfweni lemaKatolika ngenca yetimfundziso tebantfu nemafilosofi abo. (Makho 7:7; Kholose 2:8) Bekaciniseka nekutsi besesifikile sikhatsi sekutsi Emavangeli “ashunyayelwe emhlabeni wonkhe kute bantfu bangasadukiswa timfundziso tebantfu letingemanga.”

Lefèvre bekatimisele kuveta bubi balabo labebaphikisana nekuhunyushelwa kweliBhayibheli elulwimini lwesiFrench. Wabalahla ngekutentisa kwabo ngekutsi atsi: “Bangabafundzisa njani bantfu kugcina konkhe loko Jesu latsi asikwente  nangabe bangafuni kutsi bonkhe bantfu batifundzele liVi laNkulunkulu ngelulwimi lwabo?”​—Roma 10:14.

Ngekushesha, tati tenkholo taseNyuvesi yaseParis i-Sorbonne, tetama kuyekelisa Lefèvre umsebenti wakhe. Nga-August 1523, bamelana nekuhunyushwa kweliBhayibheli kanye netincwadzi letilichazako ngetilwimi letikhulunywa ngulabanye bantfu, ngobe bebatsi “tilusongo eSontfweni labo.” Kube iNkhosi Francis I lebeyibusa eFulansi ayizange ingenele, Lefèvre bekatawubulawa kutsiwe ulihlubuka.

Lefèvre akazange avumele kuphikiswa lokumatima kutsi kumphazamise emsebentini wakhe wekuhumusha liBhayibheli. Nga-1524 ngemuva kwekucedzela lihumusho lemiBhalo yemaKhristu yesiGriki (lebitwa ngekutsi Lithestamente Lelisha), wase ukhulula lihumusho lesiFrench leTihlabelelo kute emakholwa athantaze “ngekutinikela nangenhlitiyo yonkhe.”

Ngekushesha letati tenkholo taseSorbonne talihlolisisa ngekucophelela lelihumusho laLefèvre. Batsi lelihumusho lemiBhalo yesiGreki alishiswe embikwebantfu futsi bebalisola ngekutsi “lisekela timfundziso taLuther letingemukeleki.” Ngesikhatsi letati tenkholo timbita kutsi atofakazela loko lakubhalile, Lefèvre wakhetsa kuvele “atithulele” futsi wabese uya eStrasbourg. Nasekalapho, wachubeka awenta ngekuhlakanipha umsebenti wakhe wekuhumusha liBhayibheli. Ngisho noma labanye batsi uligwala ngalokubaleka kwakhe, kodvwa yena bekati kutsi wente kahle kakhulu ngoba labantfu bebangabongi ngemaciniso laseVini laNkulunkulu lafanana ‘nematje laligugu.’​—Matewu 7:6.

Nasekuyophela umnyaka Lefèvre aseStrasbourg, iNkhosi Francis I yamkhetsa kutsi afundzise indvodzana yayo leneminyaka lemine lenguCharles. Lomsebenti waniketa Lefèvre sikhatsi lesinyenti sekucedzela kuhumusha liBhayibheli. Nga-1530 uMbusi longuCharles V wavuma kutsi kushicilelwe lihumusho leliBhayibheli leliphelele laLefèvre e-Antwerp lengephandle kwaseFrance. *

Kuko konkhe kuphila kwakhe, Lefèvre bekanelitsemba lekutsi lisontfo litawuyekela kuphila ngemasiko kodvwa liphile ngekuvumelana nalokushiwo liBhayibheli. Bekakholelwa ngalokucinile kutsi “kungumsebenti wawo onkhe emaKhristu kutsi atifundzele wona liBhayibheli futsi alidadishe.” Kungako asebenta kamatima kute wonkhe umuntfu atitfolele liBhayibheli. Nanobe sifiso saLefèvre sekubona lisontfo lakhe lishintja singazange siphumelele, umsebenti wakhe lomuhle wasita bonkhe bantfu kutsi balati liVi laNkulunkulu.