Salem Egoh, Nigerian man, says the inability of many people in Africa to comprehend English easily inspired him to translate the Bible from English to Pidgin.
He spoke about the inspiration behind the project and its expected benefit to the public during a chat with BBC Pidgin.
Egoh, who took three years to complete the translation, said by reading the Pidgin version of the Bible, people would be able to relate and benefit more from it.
“What I want to achieve with the translation is that many of us in Nigeria and Africa don’t understand English very well. So, by translating the Bible to Pidgin, many will be able to read it and once they understand that, the good message inside the Bible will impact their lives positively,” he said.
Egoh disclosed that to ensure the project became a success, he had to suspend his engagements as a musician, painter and producer to avoid any form of distraction.
He explained that the project initially proved challenging, but noted that since he completed it, the reception from the public has been impressive.
“A lot of people love the fact that I translated the Bible to Pidgin because it is our own language. Some were also shocked because they didn’t believe one could get the needed diction to translate the Bible from English to Pidgin,” he added.
“Normally, I am a musician, painter and producer, But I had to pause all that to focus on the translation and I have no regret doing that. When I started the whole thing, I didn’t really inform people about it because some might doubt you or even say you are not alright by taking up the initiative.
“Most pastors that have had the opportunity to read the Pidgin Bible are impressed because they now understand it better than other versions such as King James and others.”
The Pidgin Bible contains the entire translations of the new testament as well as Psalms and Proverbs from the old testament.
Egoh is not the first person to translate the Bible from English to Pidgin.
However, the feat makes him the first to inspire a printed Pidgin translated Bible.
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