Chümoukedima, October 25 (MExN): Engathe Nzanchi Bible (ENB), a Lotha Bible translation based on “The New King James Version,” authored by Thungjamo Odyuo, Director of Gift Ministry, was officially launched on October 24, 2024, by Dr Yanbemo Lotha, Associate Pastor of LBC Dimapur, at Bethel Faith School, Seithekema.
Speaking on how the ENB came into reality, the author disclosed that it was an outcome of the global lockdown in March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Odyuo further informed that after retiring from active government service in February 2020, his 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.
“It was during one such Sunday, to compensate for the missed fellowship with believers in the church, I started to read the Bible but found several passages vague and not easily understandable without referring to the English Bible,” he maintained. He further explained that this made him ponder about those people in rural areas who were not well-versed in the English language.
With a motive to help those in need, he said he began the translation. Odyuo informed that it took him 3 years and 11 months, during which he devoted more than 4,000 hours to completion (from October 2020 to September 2024) to cover 27 books, 260 chapters, and 7,967 verses.
Highlights of the program included special renditions by Choir LBC Seithekema C, Bethel Faith School, and a choreography. Several speakers congratulated the author for taking up the huge responsibility of making ENB a reality by investing his resources, time, and energy, informed a DIPR report.
