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Press Release: April 23, 2019
A Bible that Clicks
Khoekhoegowab is the world’s most spoken of the Khoisan group of languages, famous for using click sounds as consonants. Centered in Namibia, the 200,000 Khoekhoegowab people can also be found in neighboring Botswana and South Africa.
The translation of the Khoekhoegowab Bible has been completed. But many speakers of the language struggle with reading. The Bible Society of Namibia—with the assistance of Lutheran Bible Translators’ missionary Rob Veith—is developing an audio version of the Bible to be dedicated alongside the print version in late 2019.
The production of audio Scripture recordings is a time-consuming task. Actual recording is done for about four hours each day. Editing to clean up mistakes or unexpected noises can take another eight hours. That makes for twelve-hour days plus weekends for any catch-up work. “If you are thinking this sounds like a grueling schedule,” Rob says, “Then yes, it is!”
Since Rob’s visa was for only three months, he trained some of the readers to also be recordists so that the work can continue even while he is working on other projects in other countries. Rob’s wife, Eshinee, who serves as training coordinator, joined Rob in Namibia for a few weeks to help with the training process.
The Bible Society of Namibia expects the audio Bible will be very well received.
For updates about the project read Rob’s latest letter here.
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