THERE has been a lot of talk about Bible translations recently – not surprisingly, given the fact the church is celebrating the 500th anniversary of William Tyndale’s English version of the New Testament.

We should never forget how significant that was – nor how costly it proved for Tyndale, because he was living at a time when translating the Bible into the language of the ordinary people was forbidden. He was forced into exile and finally executed in 1536. By his death however some 18,000 copies of his New Testament had been printed, and he rightly deserves to be honoured as a martyr who gave his life so that everyone could read the Bible.

I was familiar with the Tyndale story of course, but I was very surprised to learn that a translation of the four Gospels into the Welsh dialect spoken in North Pembrokeshire was launched at the Eisteddfod held earlier this month. South Pembrokeshire as most people will know is mainly English speaking but it would appear that the north of the county developed a distinctive dialect of Welsh, and as a result, a local vicar (now deceased) translated the four Gospels into this particular dialect in the hope that it would make them more accessible and relevant to local people.

As I understand it, Rev’d Lyn Lewis Dafis’ translation was completed around the year 2000 but remained unpublished at the time of his death. It was later made available online with the family’s permission under the title ‘Y Beder Ifengyl yn iaith Sir Benfro (The Four Gospels in Pembrokeshire Welsh). At the Eisteddfod in Pembrokeshire last month, the four Gospels in audio were launched as part of the ap Beibl Welsh Bible app, along with a tribute to Lyn Lewis Dafis, by Sian Rees from the Bible Society.

I have no idea how popular this particular initiative will prove, and sadly I am not a Welsh speaker and so unable to comment on the quality of his translation, but I must applaud it because I know that possessing a Bible in your ‘heart language’ can prove both life changing and life sustaining. I was forcibly reminded of this recently when I read the story of a young Ukrainian soldier named Andriy who had gone out on a mission with a group of soldiers but sadly never returned. He was found lying on the ground, clutching in his hands the New Testament he’d been given. In his final moments he was clinging to Scripture. Given this amazing demonstration of faith, it came as no surprise to me to learn that many others were soon asking for the same kind of New Testament too.

These stories have proved helpful reminders that I should take my New Testament more seriously than I sometimes do, and that I should be deeply thankful for those who have made it possible for me to read it in my ‘heart language’.