Suryoyo Old Testament

Suryoyo Aramaic speakers take pride in their long Christian history. They have a Bible, called the Peshitta that dates back thousands of years. Although they revere the Word of God, the language of the Peshitta is no longer understandable. Christians appreciate what the Scripture is —the Word of God—but has minimal comprehension of what it says or how it affects their daily lives. Last year, these people received the New Testament in their modern mother tongue. Many of them have seen the “JESUS” film, also recently published. At least 13 churches in the homeland and many other speakers abroad eagerly anticipate this project’s completion. Clergy members are eager for the completion of the Old Testament. They will be able to use computer-assisted adaptation from the Aramaic M-North Old Testament translation. Literacy among Suryoyo Christians is less than 5% so the team is working on an audio edition as well as a printed version.

  • Praise God that over 60 percent of the Psalms have now been drafted. Pray for the team as they complete work on the Psalms and then move on to Genesis and resume work on Isaiah.

  • More televised sessions in various cities to promote the Suryoyo Aramaic language and Scriptures are in the planning. An opportunity to do this in October is opening up. Pray that the Lord will continue to open many such doors.

  • To ensure that people will be able to read God’s Word in their own language as effortlessly as possible, it’s crucial that the printed characters on the page be easy-to-read and attractive to the user. Pray for guidance and wisdom as the team puts last touches on the language’s writing system.

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