The Revised Amharic Bible
Jul. 23, 1961
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Ethiopia, an island of Christianity, is recorded in history as having received first the
Old Testament, and then the New Testament earlier than most of the countries of the
world. When, in Old Testament times, she received the Law, and when, in New
Testament times, she received the Gospel, she ensured that the Scriptures were
translated into the ancient language of Ge'ez. From those times to this, various books
both of spiritual and material profit have periodically been compiled and written in
Ge'ez. We remember with deep gratitude those fathers of old who, as time and
opportunity allowed, worked with much care and labour and have left us books for
the preservation of the Faith and for the increase of learning and knowledge.
In former ages, Ge'ez was the language of the country and so, even without an
interpreter, the people had no difficulty in examining and understanding the books;
but just as one age succeeds another, so Amharic, which sprang from Ge'ez, gradually
grew until it became the common speech of the people, taking the place of Ge'ez. At
that time, Ge'ez was understood by the learned people of the Church, but was not
readily understood by the ordinary people. Arising from this, the scholars in their
preaching and work have for centuries been forced in their teaching to interpret from
Ge'ez into Amharic. And these conditions prevailed until Our own times.
Since the time when, by God's goodness, We were chosen to ascend the Throne of
Ethiopia and while We have been leading Our people to progress in learning and
knowledge, We have laboured in every way possible with an eye to their growth in
spiritual and material learning and knowledge. In order to reach this goal, and
realizing that the first necessity was to have the Scriptures translated into Amharic
and printed in bulk, in 1918 when We were still Heir to the Throne and Regent, We
chose form amongst the scholars some to translate the Scriptures and to produce the
translation alongside the Ge'ez. After this, too, at Our private expense We had a
printing machine brought from Europe, established a Printing Press, and began to
have books printed. Some of the books which We caused to be printed in Ge'ez and
Amharic at that time, read in churches and homes, have been found profitable to the
establishment of faith and to spiritual strengthening. After that, noting that the mind
of the people continued to grow in understanding, We arranged for a word-for-word
translation into Amharic of the books of the Old and New Testaments. Our scholars
completed the translation and presented it to Us in 1931, and We ordered its
printing. While the book was still in the Press, however, enemy aggression in 1935
halted the work. Even so, when in exile in London, We gave permission for this same
Bible to be printed by photo-offset, and it was duly issued. By this Book, Our
Ethiopian subjects in exile in many countries held fast to their faith and presented
their petitions to Almighty God as they awaited the restoration of Ethiopia.
When, all honour and praise be to God, We had brought about the liberation of
Ethiopia and had entered Our Empire, realizing that there ought to be a revision from
the original Hebrew and Greek of the existing translation of the Bible, We chose
scholars qualified for the work of Biblical training and on March 6th, 1947 set up a
Bible Committee in Our Palace. The Committee worked with diligence for some five
years, and on April 19th, 1952 presented the translation to Us. We give heartfelt
thanks to all who helped Us in this work.
All the ancient Scriptures were written for Our instruction, in order that through the
encouragement they give Us, we may maintain Our hope with fortitude. Because We
desire that the light which comes from the Scriptures may shine to all, this Bible by
Our command and will has been revised and printed in the Thirty-First year of Our
reign.
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Haile Selassie the First - July 23, 1961
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