BE NI osɔfo William Bedell ni jɛ England lɛ tee Ireland yɛ afi 1627 lɛ, ekɛ shihilɛ ko yakpe ni hã ehiɛ fee lɛ yaa. No mli lɛ, Protɛstantbii ni jɛ Britain lɛ ji mɛi ni yeɔ Ireland maŋ lɛ, ní Katolikbii titri ji mɛi ni yɔɔ mli lɛ nɔ. No mli lɛ, mɛi ni tse Protɛstant jamɔ lɛ etsɔɔ Biblia lɛ shishi kɛtee wiemɔi babaoo mli yɛ Yuropa fɛɛ. Shi mɔ ko mɔ ko efeee ejwɛŋmɔ akɛ ebaatsɔɔ shishi kɛya Irish mli.

Bedell nu he akɛ ‘ehe ehiaaa ni Irelandbii lɛ akase Blɔfo dani amɛnyɛ amɛkane Biblia lɛ.’ Ebɔi gbɛjianɔ too koni etsɔɔ Biblia lɛ shishi kɛya Irish mli. Shi ate shi awo lɛ waa, titri lɛ Protɛstantbii lɛ. Mɛni hewɔ?

Bedell kɛfee oti ni ma ehiɛ akɛ ebaakase Irish wiemɔ lɛ. Be ni ebatsɔ onukpa yɛ Trinity College ni yɔɔ Dublin lɛ, kɛ sɛɛ mli be ni ebatsɔ osɔfonukpa yɛ Kilmore lɛ, ewo skulbii lɛ hewalɛ koni amɛwie Irish. Anɔkwa, be ni England Maŋnyɛ Elizabeth I lɛ to Trinity College lɛ shishi lɛ, jwɛŋmɔ ni ekɛfee nakai ji, ni aná osɔfoi ni baanyɛ atsɔɔ emaŋbii lɛ sane ni yɔɔ Biblia lɛ mli lɛ yɛ amɛ diɛŋtsɛ amɛwiemɔ mli. Bedell bɔ mɔdɛŋ akɛ ebaatsu enɛ he nii.

Mɛi ni yɔɔ Kilmore kpokpaa lɛ nɔ lɛ tsiimɔ ji mɛi ni wieɔ Irish. No hewɔ lɛ, Bedell ma nɔ mi doo akɛ esa akɛ aná osɔfoi ni baashiɛ yɛ Irish mli. Nɔ ni ewie lɛ damɔ nɔ ni bɔfo Paulo wie yɛ 1 Korintobii 14:19 lɛ nɔ. Nakai ŋmalɛ lɛ kɛɔ akɛ: “Kɛ́ miyɛ asafo ko mli lɛ, mikɛ mijwɛŋmɔ baawie wiemɔkulibii enumɔ koni mikɛtsɔɔ mɛi krokomɛi anii moŋ, fe nɔ ni mikɛ wiemɔ kroko mli wiemɔkulibii akpei nyɔŋma baawie,” ni tsɔɔ akɛ, yɛ wiemɔ ni mɛi babaoo nuuu shishi mli.

Shi hiɛnaanɔbii komɛi fee bɔ fɛɛ bɔ ni amɛaanyɛ koni amɛtsĩ enaa. Yinɔsaneŋmalɔi tsɔɔ mli akɛ, mɛi komɛi wie akɛ Irish wiemɔ lɛ ni mɛi kɛbaatsu nii lɛ “yɛ oshara kɛhã Maŋ lɛ,” ni mɛi krokomɛi hu wie akɛ nakai feemɔ “baagbee Nɔyeli lɛ shi.” Mɛi komɛi nu he akɛ no mli lɛ, Englandbii lɛ sumɔɔɔ ni Irelandbii lɛ leɔ nibii pii. Yɛ anɔkwale mli lɛ, awo mlai ni bi ni Irelandbii lɛ akwa amɛwiemɔ kɛ amɛkusumii lɛ koni amɛkase Blɔfo ní amɛhi shi tamɔ Englandbii lɛ.

Susumɔi ni tamɔ nɛkɛ lɛ wooo Bedell he gbeyei kwraa. Yɛ afi 1630 afii lɛ shishijee gbɛ lɛ, Bedell je shishi akɛ ebaatsɔɔ Blɔfo Biblia ni yɔɔ yɛ nakai beiaŋ (King James Version ni afee yɛ afi 1611) lɛ shishi kɛya Irish mli. No mli lɛ, eetao etsɔɔ Biblia lɛ shishi bɔ ni mɛi babaoo baanu shishi. Eyɔse akɛ mɛi ni nuuu Blɔfo lɛ nyɛŋ akane Ŋmalɛi lɛ ni amɛna gbɛ ni kɛ mɔ yaa naanɔ wala mli lɛ kɛ́ atsɔko Biblia lɛ shishi kɛyako amɛwiemɔ lɛ mli.—Yohane 17:3.

Jeee Bedell ji klɛŋklɛŋ mɔ ni yɔse enɛ. Afii 30 ni tsɔ hiɛ lɛ, osɔfonukpa kroko ni atsɛɔ lɛ William Daniel lɛ hu yɔse bɔ ni ewa kɛhã mɔ ko akɛ eeele nɔ ni  Biblia lɛ tsɔɔ lɛ kɛ́ ‘aŋma yɛ wiemɔ ko ni enuuu shishi lɛ mli.’ No mli lɛ, Daniel etsɔɔ Kristofoi a-Hela Ŋmalɛi lɛ shishi kɛtee Irish mli. No hewɔ lɛ, Bedell ŋɔ fɔ̃ enɔ akɛ ebaatsɔɔ Hebri Ŋmalɛi lɛ ashishi. Bedell shishitsɔɔmɔ lɛ kɛ William Daniel shishitsɔɔmɔ lɛ ji nɔ ni afee lɛ Biblia kome ní atsɛɔ lɛ Bedell Biblia lɛ. Ni bɔ ni nibii yaba lɛ ji akɛ, kɛjɛ be ni afee Bedell Biblia lɛ—ni ji Biblia muu lɛ fɛɛ klɛŋklɛŋ nɔ ni atsɔɔ shishi kɛtee Irish mli lɛ—afii 300 ho ní no pɛ ji Biblia ni atsɔɔ shishi kɛtee Irish mli.

Bedell, ni le Hebri wiemɔ lɛ jogbaŋŋ lɛ, fɔ̃ Irelandbii enyɔ komɛi ni wieɔ lrish lɛ nine koni amɛye amɛbua kɛtsɔɔ Biblia lɛ shishi kɛjɛ Blɔfo mli kɛya lrish mli. Be ni amɛtsuɔ nii lɛ, Bedell, kɛ mɛi enyɔ krokomɛi ni emuɔ efɔ̃ɔ amɛnɔ lɛ kwɛɔ kuku fɛɛ kuku ni abaatsɔɔ shishi lɛ mli jogbaŋŋ, ni amɛfeɔ tsakemɔi ni sa lɛ yɛ mli. Amɛkwɛ Biblia ko ni Switzerlandnyo ko ni ekase nyɔŋmɔjamɔ he nii, ni atsɛɔ lɛ Giovanni Diodati lɛ etsɔɔ shishi kɛtee Italian mli lɛ nɔ, ni amɛkwɛ Greek Septuagint lɛ kɛ Hebri Biblia momo ko ni akɛ niji ŋmala lɛ hu nɔ.

Amɛkase mɛi ni tsɔɔ King James Version lɛ shishi lɛ (ekolɛ Bedell le mɛi nɛɛ ateŋ mɛi pii), ni amɛ hu amɛkɛ Nyɔŋmɔ gbɛ́i lɛ wo hei pii yɛ amɛ-Biblia lɛ mli. Akɛ nɔkwɛmɔnɔ lɛ, amɛkɛ Nyɔŋmɔ gbɛ́i ni ji “Iehovah” lɛ tsu nii yɛ 2 Mose 6:3 lɛ. Akɛ klɛŋklɛŋ Biblia ni Bedell tsɔɔ shishi lɛ to Marsh Library, ni yɔɔ Dublin, yɛ Ireland lɛ.—Kwɛmɔ akrabatsa ni ji “Akai Bedell kɛ Enitsumɔ Lɛ.”

Aaafee afi 1640 mli lɛ, Bedell gbe enitsumɔ lɛ naa. Shi enyɛɛɛ ekala amrɔ nɔŋŋ. Mɛni hewɔ? Nɔ kome ji akɛ, no mli lɛ mɛi komɛi miite shi amɛmiiwo lɛ lolo. Mɛi komɛi hu gbe mɔ titri ni Bedell kɛtsuɔ nii yɛ Biblia lɛ shishitsɔɔmɔ lɛ mli lɛ he guɔ, koni mɛi  akakpɛlɛ enitsumɔ lɛ nɔ. Amɛhã amɔ lɛ ni ayawo lɛ tsuŋ ní efeko nɔ ko. Jeee enɛ pɛ ji naagba ni ekɛkpe, shi yɛ atuatsemɔ ko ni ba yɛ afi 1641 lɛ mli hu lɛ, lrishbii lɛ te shi amɛwo mɛi ni jɛ England ni yɔɔ maŋ lɛ mli lɛ, ni enɛ sa Bedell he waa. Eyɛ mli akɛ Bedell jɛ England moŋ, shi lrishbii lɛ bu ehe kɛyashi be ko, ejaakɛ amɛna akɛ amɛsane kã etsui nɔ. Shi naagbee lɛ, asraafoi atuatselɔi komɛi yawo lɛ tsuŋ yɛ he ko ni esaaa kwraa. Ŋwanejee ko bɛ he akɛ, enɛ fata he ni egbo mra yɛ afi 1642 lɛ. Dani ebaagbo lɛ, no mli lɛ akalako Biblia ni etsɔɔ shishi lɛ.

Shwɛ fioo kulɛ, Bedell nitsumɔ lɛ fɛɛ fee efolo, be ni mɛi yafite eshĩa lɛ. Duromɔ naa lɛ, enaanyo ko bɔ mɔdɛŋ ebaa woji kɛ nibii fɛɛ ni etsɔɔ shishi lɛ yi. Sɛɛ mli lɛ, mɔ ko ni atsɛɔ lɛ Narcissus Marsh, ni sɛɛ mli lɛ ebatsɔ osɔfonukpa yɛ Armagh kpokpaa lɛ nɔ, kɛ osɔfonukpa fe fɛɛ yɛ Ireland Sɔlemɔ lɛ mli lɛ nine shɛ woji nɛɛ anɔ. Jeŋ shikpalɔ ko ni atsɛɔ lɛ Robert Boyle lɛ kɛ shika ye ebua lɛ ni ekɛ ekãa kala Bedell Biblia lɛ yɛ afi 1685.

Mɛi babaoo ekpɛlɛɛɛ Bedell Biblia lɛ nɔ. Shi fɛɛ sɛɛ lɛ, eji nɔ ko ni sa kadimɔ waa ni hã anu Biblia lɛ shishi jogbaŋŋ—yɛ Ireland kɛ Scotland kɛ hei krokomɛi fɛɛ—titri lɛ kɛhã mɛi ni wieɔ Irish lɛ. Amrɔ nɛɛ ni amɛkaneɔ Nyɔŋmɔ Wiemɔ lɛ yɛ amɛ diɛŋtsɛ amɛwiemɔ mli lɛ, amɛbaaná Nyɔŋmɔ he nilee babaoo.—Mateo 5:3, 6.

Bedell Biblia lɛ etee nɔ eye ebua mɛi ni sumɔɔ anɔkwale lɛ ni amɛkase Nyɔŋmɔ he nii kɛba shi ŋmɛnɛ. Nuu ko ni wieɔ Irish ní nyɛsɛɛ nɛɛ ebakase nɔ ni Biblia lɛ tsɔɔ diɛŋtsɛ lɛ wie akɛ: “Be ni wɔkane Bedell Biblia lɛ, wɔnu wiemɔi ni yɔɔ Biblia lɛ mli lɛ yɛ wɔ diɛŋtsɛ wɔwiemɔ mli. Enɛ ji nɔ ko ni he hiaa waa ni ye ebua mi kɛ miweku lɛ ni wɔkase anɔkwalei ni nɔ bɛ ni yɔɔ Ŋmalɛi lɛ amli lɛ.”