William Tyndale—Wanuna Wa Vutlhari Byo Enta

William Tyndale u velekiwe eNghilandhi “endzilakanini wa Wales,” kumbexana hi le Gloucestershire, hambi leswi ndhawu ni siku leri kongomeke swi nga kumekiki. Hi October 1994, Nghilandhi ri tlangele malembe ya vu-500 ya ku velekiwa ka wanuna loyi a “hi nyikeke Bibele ya hina ya Xinghezi.” Tyndale u dlayeriwe ntirho lowu. Hikwalaho ka yini?

WILLIAM TYNDALE a famba emahlweni edyondzweni ya ririmi ra Xigriki ni Xilatini. Hi July 1515, loko a ri ni malembe lama nga hansi ka 21 hi vukhale, u amukele digri ya MA eYunivhesiti ya Oxford. Hi 1521 a a ri muprista wa Rhoma Khatoliki la vekiweke. Hi nkarhi wolowo Vukhatoliki eJarimani a byi ri ekhombyeni hikwalaho ka ntirho wa Martin Luther. Kambe Nghilandhi ri tshame ri ri tiko ra Vukhatoliki ku kondza King Henry VIII eku heteleleni a herise vuxaka na Rhoma hi 1534.

Hambi leswi Xinghezi a a xi ri ririmi leri tolovelekeke hi nkarhi wa Tyndale, dyondzo hinkwayo a yi kumeka hi Xilatini. Nakambe a ku ri ririmi leri tirhisiwaka ekerekeni ni le Bibeleni. Hi 1546 Council of Trent yi tlhele yi kandziyisa leswaku ku fanele ku tirhisiwa ntsena Vulgate ya Jerome ya lembe-xidzana ra vuntlhanu ya Xilatini. Hambi swi ri tano, i vanhu lava dyondzekeke ntsena lava a va kota ku yi hlaya. Hikwalaho ka yini vanhu va le Nghilandhi va fanele va tsoniwa Bibele hi Xinghezi swin’we ni ntshunxeko wo yi hlaya? “Jerom[e] u tlhele a hundzuluxela bibele yi ya eka ririmi ra ka vona: ha yini na hina hi nga endli tano?” a ku ri xivilelo xa Tyndale.

Goza Ra Ripfumelo

Endzhaku ko heta nkarhi eOxford ni tidyondzo leti engetelekeke leti a nga ha vaka a ti endlile eCambridge, Tyndale u dyondzise vana va majaha va John Walsh malembe mambirhi le Gloucestershire. Hi nkarhi lowu u kurise ku navela ka yena ka ku hundzuluxela Bibele yi ya eka Xinghezi, naswona handle ko kanakana u ve ni nkarhi wo kurisa vutshila byakwe byo hundzuluxela hi ku pfuniwa hi tsalwa lerintshwa ra Bibele ra Erasmus leri nga ni Xigriki ni Xilatini eka tikholumo leti fambisanaka. Hi 1523, Tyndale u siye ndyangu wa ka Walsh ivi a teka pfhumba ro ya eLondon. Xikongomelo xakwe a ku ri ku kuma mpfumelelo wo hundzuluxela eka Cuthbert Tunstall, ku nga bixopo wa le London.

Vulawuri bya Tunstall a byi laveka hikwalaho ka leswi lunghiselelo ra huvo ya vafundhisi ya 1408 le Oxford, leyi tiviwaka tanihi Constitutions of Oxford, a yi katsa ku yirisiwa ka ku hundzuluxela kumbe ku hlaya Bibele hi ririmi leri tolovelekeke, handle ka mpfumelelo wa bixopo. Hikwalaho ko tiya nhlana va lwisana ni ku yirisa loku, vachumayeri vo tala lava tsendzelekaka lava tiviwaka tanihi ti-Lollard va hisiwile tanihi vagwinehi. Ti-Lollard leti a ti hlaya ni ku hangalasa Bibele ya John Wycliffe, vuhundzuluxeri bya Xinghezi bya Vulgate. Tyndale u vone swi fanela leswaku a hundzuluxela matsalwa ya Vukreste ma suka eka Xigriki ma ya eka kandziyiso lowuntshwa, wa le nawini, a endlela kereke yakwe swin’we ni vanhu va le Nghilandhi.

Bixopo Tunstall a a ri munhu la rhandzaka ku dyondzo naswona hi yena a khutazeke Erasmus swinene. Tanihi vumbhoni bya vutshila byakwe, Tyndale u hundzuluxela yin’wana ya tinkulumo ta Isocrates, ku nga tsalwa ro tika ra Xigriki ivi a yi yisa eka Tunstall leswaku a yi vona. Tyndale a tiyiseka swinene leswaku Tunstall u ta kombisa vunghana ivi a n’wi seketela, a amukela xikombelo xakwe xo hundzuluxela Matsalwa. Xana bixopo u angurise ku yini?

U Arile—Hikwalaho Ka Yini?

Hambi leswi Tyndale a a ri ni papila ro titivisa, Tunstall u arile ku vonana na yena. Hi loko Tyndale a tsala a kombela ku vulavurisana na yena. Leswaku Tunstall u hetelele a pfumerile ku vonana na Tyndale kumbe e-e, a swi tiviwi kahle, kambe nhlamulo yakwe a yi ku, ‘Yindlu ya mina yi tele.’ Hikwalaho ka yini Tunstall a hlamule Tyndale hi ndlela leyi yo vava?

Ntirho wo hundzuluxa wa Luther etikweni-nkulu ra Yuropa a wu yi vilerisa swinene Kereke ya Khatoliki, naswona Nghilandhi a ri sungule ku khumbeka. Hi 1521, King Henry VIII u kandziyise rungula ra matimba ro lwela mupapa eka Luther. Leswaku a kombisa ku tlangela, mupapa u nyike Henry xithopo lexi nge “Defender of the Faith [Mulweri wa ripfumelo].”a Khadinali Wolsey loyi a nge hansi ka Henry na yena a ri karhi a dlambadlamba, a herisa tibuku ta Luther leti nga riki enawini leti humaka endzhandzeni. Tanihi bixopo wa Khatoliki la lavaka ku tshembeka eka mupapa, hosi ni khadinali yakwe, Tunstall u kume swi n’wi boha ku herisa mianakanyo yihi na yihi leyi yi nga ha seketelaka muxandzuki Luther hi ndlela yo karhi. Tyndale a soriwa swinene. Ha yini?

Loko a ha tshama ni ndyangu wa ka Walsh, Tyndale handle ko chava u paluxe ku pfumala vutivi ni ku sihalala ka vafundhisi va kwalaho. Exikarhi ka vona a ku ri na John Stokesley loyi a tivaneke na Tyndale eOxford. Eku heteleleni u sive Cuthbert Tunstall tanihi bixopo wa le London.

Ku kanetiwa ka Tyndale nakambe ku vekiwa erivaleni hi mbulavurisana wa yena ni mufundhisi wun’wana wa le henhla loyi a nga te: “Swi nga antswa hi nga vi na wona nawu wa Xikwembu kambe hi va ni nawu wa mupapa.” Hi marito lama nga rivalekiki, nhlamulo ya Tyndale yi ve leyi: ‘A ndzi pfumelelani na yena Mupapa swin’we ni milawu ya yena hinkwayo. Loko Xikwembu xo ndzi pfumelela ku hanya, ku nga si hela malembe yo tala, ndzi ta endla leswaku mufana la khomaka puluhu a tiva swo tala hi Matsalwa ku tlula leswi wena u swi tivaka.’

Tyndale u boheke ku ya yima emahlweni ka mufambisi wa timhaka ta tiko wa xifundza xa Worcester hi xihehlo xa vunwa xa leswaku i mugwinehi. “U ndzi xungete hi ndlela yo vava, ivi a ndzi rhukana,” ku vule Tyndale endzhakunyana, a tlhandlekela ni leswaku u khomiwe ku kotisa “mbyana.” Kambe a ku ri hava vumbhoni byo khoma Tyndale tanihi mugwinehi. Van’wamatimu va vona onge timhaka leti hinkwato swi nga ha endleka a ti byeriwa Tunstall exihundleni leswaku a ta endla xiboho lexi va xi lavaka.

Endzhaku ko heta lembe a ri eLondon, Tyndale u hetelele hi ku: “A ku nga ri na ndhawu exigodlweni xa hosi ya le London yo hundzuluxelela eka yona Testamente leyintshwa, nakambe . . . a ku nga ri na ndhawu yo hundzuluxelela kona eNghilandhi hinkwayo.” A a tiyisile. Hikwalaho ka moya wa ku sivela lowu vangiweke hi ntirho wa Luther, hi wihi mukandziyisi eNghilandhi loyi a ta tiyisela ku humesa Bibele hi Xinghezi? Kutani hi 1524, Tyndale u tsemakanye English Channel naswona a nga ha vuyanga.

A Ya eYuropa, A Hlangavetana Ni Swiphiqo Swin’wana

A ri ni tibuku takwe leti rhandzekaka, William Tyndale u kume vutumbelo eJarimani. A ri na £10 leyi munghana wakwe Humphrey Monmouth, loyi a nga n’wamabindzu lonkulu wa le London, a n’wi nyikeke yona hi musa. Hi minkarhi yoleyo nyiko leyi a yi anerile ku endla leswaku Tyndale a nga kandziyisa Matsalwa ya Xigriki lawa a a kunguhata ku ma hundzuluxela. Endzhaku ka sweswo Monmouth u khotsiwile hikwalaho ko pfuna Tyndale ni xihehlo xa leswaku u yima na Luther. U konanisiwile ivi a hoxiwa eka Tower of London, Monmouth u ntshunxiwe ntsena endzhaku ka loko a endle xikombelo xo ntshunxiwa eka Khadinali Wolsey.

Leswaku hi rihi kahle-kahle tlhelo leri Tyndale a yeke eka rona eJarimani a swi tiviwi. Vumbhoni byin’wana byi kombetela eHamburg, laha swi nga ha endlekaka a hete lembe kona. Xana u vonane na yena Luther? Leswi a swi tiveki, hambi leswi xihehlo lexi rhwexiweke Monmouth xi vulaka leswaku u n’wi vonile. Kambe nchumu wun’we wona wa tiviwa: Tyndale a a khomekile hi ntirho wo hundzuluxela Matsalwa ya Xigriki. Xana a ta ri kandziyisa kwihi tsalwa ra yena? Ntirho lowu u wu byarhise Peter Quentell eCologne.

Swilo a swi famba kahle ku kondza mukaneti John Dobneck, loyi nkarhi wun’wana a vitaniwaka Cochlaeus, a tiva leswi a swi ri karhi swi endleka. Hi ku hatlisa Cochlaeus u vike mhaka leyi eka munghana lonkulu wa Henry VIII loyi hi ku hatlisa a leriseke leswaku ku yirisiwa ku kandziyisa ka Quentell ka vuhundzuluxeri bya Tyndale.

Tyndale ni mupfuni wakwe, William Roye, va balekise vutomi bya vona, va famba ni matluka ya Evhangeli ya Matewu lama kandziyisiweke. Va tlute va tsemakanya nambu wa Rhine va ya eWorms, laha va hetiseke ntirho wa vona kona. Hi ku famba ka nkarhi, tikopi ta 6 000 ta nkandziyiso wo sungula wa New Testament ya Tyndale ti humesiwile.b

Ku Humelela—Ku Nga Khathariseki Nkaneto

Ku hundzuluxela ni ku kandziyisa a swi tika. Ku yisa Tibibele eBritain swona a swi tika ku tlurisa. Vayimeri va kereke ni valawuri va tiko a va tiyimiserile ku sivela ku rhumeriwa ka swilo swi tsemakanya English Channel, kambe van’wamabindzu lava nga ni ntirhisano va pfunile. Tivholumo ti tumbetiwe endzeni ka swiputsa swa tinguvu ni nhundzu yin’wana, swi ngungumerisiwile swi ya ehlalukweni ra le Nghilandhi ivi ti famba ti ya eScotland. Tyndale u khutazekile, kambe a ka ha ri masungulo ntsena ya matshalatshala yakwe.

Hi February 11, 1526, Khadinali Wolsey, a ri karhi a fambisana ni tibixopo ta 36 ni vachaviseki van’wana va kereke, va hlengeletanile ekusuhi na St. Paul’s Cathedral eLondon “ku ta hlalela loko mabakiti lamakulu lama taleke hi tibuku ma hoxiwa endzilweni.” Exikarhi ka tona a ku ri ni tikopi ta vuhundzuluxeri bya risima bya Tyndale. Eka nkandziyiso wakwe wo sungula, sweswi ko va ni tikopi timbirhi ntsena leti tiviwaka. Wun’we lowu heleleke kahle (wu ngo pfumala tluka ra nhloko-mhaka ntsena) wu le British Library. Lexi hlamarisaka, lowun’wana, lowu pfumalaka matluka ya 71, wu kumiwe eSt. Paul’s Cathedral Library. Leswaku wu fikise ku yini kwalaho, a swi tiviwi hi munhu.

Handle ko hela matimba, Tyndale u ye emahlweni a humesa minkandziyiso leyintshwa ya vuhundzuluxeri byakwe, leyi hi ku landzelelana yi kumiweke ivi yi hisiwa hi vafundhisi va Manghezi. Hi loko Tunstall a tirhisa tindlela tin’wana. U endle ntwanano ni n’wamabindzu un’wana la vuriwaka Augustine Packington leswaku a n’wi xavela tibuku tihi na tihi leti tsariweke hi Tyndale, ku katsa ni New Testament, leswaku a ta ti hisa. Leswi swi lulamisiwile na Tyndale, loyi a endleke ntwanano na Packington. Chronicle ya Halle yi ri: “Bixopo u kume tibuku takwe, Packington u kume ku ndzuneka naswona Tyndale yena u kume mali. Endzhaku ka sweswo loko Titestamente Letintshwa ti kandziyisiwa, a ti ta hi vunyingi eNghilandhi.”

Hikwalaho ka yini vafundhisi a va venga vuhundzuluxeri bya Tyndale swonghasi? Leswi Vulgate ya Xilatini a yi tala ku tumbeta tsalwa ro kwetsima, vuhundzuluxeri bya Tyndale byo huma eka Xigriki xo sungula, ro sungula, byi veke rungula ra Bibele hi ririmi leri twisisekaka eka vanhu lava vulavulaka Xinghezi. Hi xikombiso, eka 1 Vakorinto ndzima 13, Tyndale u hlawule ku hundzuluxela rito ra Xigriki leri nge a·gaʹpe a ku “rirhandzu” ematshan’weni ya “nsovo.” U hambete a ku “vandlha” ematshan’weni ya “kereke” leswaku a kandziyisa vagandzeri, ha yi miako ya kereke. Hambi swi ri tano, lexi vaviseke ngopfu vafundhisi hi loko Tyndale a sive rito “muprista” hi “nkulu” ivi a tirhisa “ku hundzuka” ematshan’weni ya “ku tixupula,” xisweswo a tekela vafundhisi matimba lawa va nge va na wona ya vuprista. Swi hi laha David Daniell u vula leswi emhakeni leyi: “Pagatori a yi kona; ku tivula swidyoho erivaleni ni ku tixupula a swi kona. Swisekelo leswi swimbirhi leswi fuwiseke Kereke ni ku yi nyika matimba swi wile.” (William Tyndale—A Biography) Lowu i ntlhontlho lowu vuhundzuluxeri bya Tyndale byi wu endleke, naswona swidyondzi swa manguva lawa swi ku seketela swinene ku pakanisa ka marito lawa a ma hlawuleke.

Antwerp, Ku Xengiwa Ni Ku Fa Kakwe

Exikarhi ka 1526 na 1528, Tyndale u rhurhele eAntwerp, laha a titwa a hlayisekile exikarhi ka van’wamabindzu va Manghezi. Kwalaho u tsale The Parable of the Wicked Mammon, The Obedience of a Christian Man, ni The Practice of Prelates. Tyndale u ye emahlweni ni ntirho wakwe wo hundzuluxela naswona a a ri wo sungula ku tirhisa vito ra Xikwembu, Yehovha, eka vuhundzuluxeri bya Xinghezi bya Matsalwa ya Xiheveru. Vito leri ri humelela makhamba yo tlula 20.

Ntsendze loko Tyndale a tshame eAntwerp ni munghana wakwe tlhelo mupfuni wakwe Thomas Poyntz, a hlayisekile eka matshalatshala ya Wolsey ni timpimpi takwe. A a tiveka ngopfu hi ku khathalela kakwe vavabyi ni swisiwana. Eku heteleleni, Henry Phillips wa Munghezi hi vuxisi u tiendle a tshembiwa hi Tyndale. Hikwalaho, hi 1535, Tyndale u xengiwile ivi a yisiwa Vilvorde Castle, tikhilomitara ta khume ku ya en’walungwini wa Brussels. Kwalaho u pfaleriwe tin’hweti ta 16.

Leswaku i mani a xaveke Phillips a swi tiveki kahle, kambe ku ehleketeleriwa Bixopo Stokesley, loyi hi nkarhi wolowo a a ri karhi a hisetela “vagwinehi” eLondon. Loko a vabyela ku fa hi 1539, Stokesley “a tidzunisa hi leswi a hiseke vagwinehi va makume-ntlhanu evuton’wini byakwe,” hi ku vula ka W. J. Heaton eka The Bible of the Reformation. Eka nhlayo yoleyo ku na William Tyndale, loyi a tlimbiweke nkolo emahweni ko va ntsumbu wakwe wu hisiwa erivaleni hi October 1536.

Vafundhisi-nkulu vanharhu vo huma eYunivhesiti ya Catholic Louvain, laha Phillips a ri kona, a va ri kona eka huvo leyi tengiseke Tyndale. Vafundhisi van’wana vanharhu vo huma eLouvain ni tibixopo tinharhu swin’we ni vachaviseki van’wana a va ri kona ku ta vona ku tseketseriwa ka Tyndale hi vugwinehi ni ku tekeriwa xikhundlha xakwe xa vuprista. Hinkwavo va ku tsakerile ku fa kakwe a ri ni malembe ya kwalomu ka 42.

Hi ku vula ka Robert Demaus mutsari wa matimu ya munhu emalembeni yo tlula dzana lama hundzeke, “Tyndale minkarhi hinkwayo a a tiveka hi ku tshembeka ka yena handle ko chava.” Loko a tsalela munghana wakwe John Frith loyi a hisiweke eLondon hi Stokesley, Tyndale u te: “A ndzi cincanga hambi peletwana rin’we ra rito ra Xikwembu, naswona hambi ku ri namuntlha, hambi ndzo nyikiwa hinkwaswo leswi nga emisaveni, ku nga ha va ku ri ntsako, ku dzuneke kumbe rifuwo, a ndzi nge ri cinci.”

Hi yona yoleyo ndlela leyi William Tyndale a nyikeleke hi vutomi byakwe leswaku a va ni lunghelo ro nyika vanhu va le Nghilandhi Bibele leyi va nga ta yi twisisa hi ku olova. Vona nxavo wonghasi—kambe mawuku nyiko ya risima swonghasi!

[Tinhlamuselo ta le hansi]

[Xifaniso lexi nga eka tluka 29]

VUHUNDZULUXERI BYO SUNGULA

XIKOMBELO xa Tyndale xo hundzuluxela Bibele yi ya eka ririmi ra vanhu lava tolovelekeke a ku nga ri xikombelo lexi nga twaliki kumbe lexi nga si tshamaka xi endliwa hi van’wana. Vuhundzuluxeri bya Anglo-Saxon byi endliwile hi lembe-xidzana ra vukhume. Tibibele leti kandziyisiweke leti hundzuluxeriweke ti suka eka Xilatini a ti hangalasiwa hi ku ntshunxeka eYuropa hi lembe-xidzana ra vu-15: Xijarimani (1466), Xintariyana (1471), Xifurwa (1474), Xiczech (1475), Xidachi (1477), ni Xicatalan (1478). Hi 1522, Martin Luther u kandziyise New Testament yakwe hi Xijarimani. Lexi Tyndale a vutiseke xona a ku ri leswaku ha yini Nghilandhi ri nga pfumeleriwi ku endla leswi fanaka.

[Laha Swifaniso Swi Humaka Kona eka tluka 26]

Bible in the background: © The British Library Board; William Tyndale: By kind permission of the Principal, Fellows and Scholars of Hertford College, Oxford