MAORI BIBLE REVISION WORK NOW COMPLETED

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 33, 15 December 1948, Page 5

MAORI BIBLE REVISION WORK NOW COMPLETED

At 5.15 p.m. yesterday the Maori Bible Revision Committee completed its momentous work at Ohope. Later in the evening the committefe’s chairman, Very Rev. J. G. Laughton, C.M.G., acted as master of ceremonies at a Maori thanksgiving dinner, at which the committee received the congratulations of pakeha representatives. The Maori ceremonial part of the proceedings took place afterwards at the meeting house following evening Church service.

It is now two years and nine months since the committee, consisting of Mr Laughton, as chairman and convener, Sir Apirana Ngata, Mr W. W. Bird, Rt. Rev. F. A. Bennett, Bishop of Aotearoa, Revs. W. N. Panapa, E. Te Tuhi and T. H. Kaa,' started the work of producing /what is more than a revision of previous editions, but a complete new ''translation.

The task has been an arduous one, entailing as it. did the study of Greek, Hebrew, English and previous Maori versions, but both Mr Laughton and Sir Apirana Ngata, speaking last night, expressed confidence that what had been achieved would appeal more naturally to the Maori ear than any of the previous translations by pakeha scholars could have done.

Mr Laughton is now taking over the responsibility of preparing the final typescript for the presses in England, and will go over there early next year to see the job through .the printers’ hands.