Bierna Bientie, who is the first Southern Sami priest on the Norwegian side, has been the main translator in the work of translating the New Testament into Southern Sami.
– It was important to translate with a beautiful language so that the readers feel that this is our language, our beautiful language of the heart, says Bientie.
“One of our most important tasks”
The Swedish Bible Society has been involved in the translation work together with the Norwegian Bible Society and church representatives from Sweden and Norway.
– This is one of our most important tasks, to translate God’s word into as many languages as possible, says Anders Göranzon, secretary general of the Swedish Bible Society.
Don’t let yourself be colored by the majority languages
But there have certainly been challenges during the work, says Bierna Bientie. One was not to let the translation be influenced by the majority languages Norwegian and Swedish.
– It was important to look at the language of our ancestors, and think how our mother/grandparents would have said this, says Bientie.
The first Bible translations in Southern Sami came 30 years ago. And the demand for Southern Sami Bible texts has been great.
– Southern Sami Bible texts were needed for moments of joy and sorrow, says Bientie.
Good for language revitalization
In addition to being in book form, the translation will also be available online and can be read in parallel with Norwegian and Swedish. Something that is important for those who want to recapture their language
– Because there are many Southern Sami who have been deprived of their language, it is of great importance to them, says Anders Göranzon.