DIMAPUR — The Engathe Nzanchi Bible (ENB), a Lotha Bible translation based on The New King James Version, authored by the director of Gift Ministry, Thungjamo Odyuo, was officially launched on Thursday by Dr. Yanbemo Lotha, associate pastor, LBC Dimapur, at Bethel Faith School, Seithekema.
Speaking on how the ENB came into being, the author disclosed that it was the result of the global lockdown in 2020, according to a DIPR report.
The author mentioned that after retiring from government service in February 2020, the only pastimes during the lockdown were cooking and eating, sleeping, watching TV programmes, chatting with friends over the phone, and reading books from dawn to dusk.
The author shared that on one particular Sunday while seeking to make up for the missed fellowship with church believers, he began reading the Bible but found several passages unclear and difficult to understand without referring to the English version. This led him to reflect on those in rural areas who were not proficient in English.
As a result, with the aim of assisting those in need, the author stated that he began translating the Bible based on The New King James Version.
Thungjamo shared that it took him three years and 11 months, dedicating over 4,000 hours, to complete the translation (from October 2020 to September 2024), covering 27 books, 260 chapters, and 7,967 verses.
It was mentioned that several speakers congratulated the author for undertaking the significant responsibility of making the ENB a reality and investing his resources, time, and energy.
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