OMUKULEMBEZE w’eddiini Omungereza ayitibwa William Bedell bwe yagenda mu Ireland mu 1627, waliwo ekyamwewuunyisa. Ensi ya Ireland yali esingamu Bakatuliki naye ng’efugibwa Bungereza, ensi y’Abapolotesitanti. Abantu abaali baagala okuleetawo enkyukakyuka mu ddiiini y’Abapolotesitanti baali baamala dda okuvvuunula Bayibuli mu nnimi nnyingi ezoogerwa mu Bulaaya. Kyokka tewaali n’omu eyali afaayo okuvvuunula Bayibuli mu Lwayirisi (Irish).

Bedell yakiraba nti tekyali kituufu obutafaayo ku bantu b’omu Ireland olw’okuba baali tebamanyi Lungereza. Yakola enteekateeka okutandika okuvvuunula Bayibuli mu lulimi Olwayirisi. Naye yaziyizibwa nnyo, ate nga Bapolotesitanti banne be baasinga okumuziyiza. Lwaki?

Bedell yasalawo okuyiga Olwayirisi. Bwe yafuuka omukulu w’essomero lya Trinity College mu Dublin, yakubiriza abayizi okwogera Olwayirisi era ne bwe yafuuka bisopu w’e Kilmore, yeeyongera okukubiriza abantu okulwogera. Mu butuufu Nnaabakyala wa Bungereza, Elizabeth eyasooka, bwe yali atandikawo essomero lya Trinity College yalina ekigendererwa eky’okutendeka abaweereza abandiyigirizza abantu be obubaka obuli mu Bayibuli mu nnimi zaabwe. Ekyo kyennyini Bedell kye yali ayagala okutuukiriza.

Mu ssaza lya Kilmore, abantu abasinga obungi baali boogera Lwayirisi. Bwe kityo, Bedell yamalirira okufuna abaweereza abasobola okwogera olulimi olwo. Ekyo kye yasalawo kituukana n’ebigambo by’omutume Pawulo ebiri mu 1 Abakkolinso 14:19, awagamba nti: “Nnandyagadde waakiri njogere ebigambo bitaano mu kibiina nga bitegeerekeka, nsobole okuyigiriza, okusinga okwogera ebigambo omutwalo gumu mu nnimi,” kwe kugamba, mu nnimi abantu ze batategeera.

Naye ab’obuyinza baakola kyonna ekisoboka okulemesa Bedell. Bannabyafaayo abamu baagamba nti, abantu abamu baali balowooza nti okukozesa Olwayirisi kyali “kya bulabe eri eggwanga eryo.” Ate ng’abalala bagamba nti kyali kiremesa “ebigendererwa bya Gavumenti.” Abamu baali balowooza nti abantu b’omu Ireland okusigala mu butamanya kyali kiganyula Bungereza. Mu butuufu, waateekebwawo n’amateeka agaali gakugira abantu b’omu Ireland okwogera olulimi lwabwe n’okugoberera obuwangwa bwabwe, wabula bayige Olungereza era bagoberere empisa z’Abangereza.

Bedell teyaggwaamu maanyi olw’abo abaali bamuziyiza. Mu myaka gya 1630, yatandika okuvvuunula Bayibuli y’Olungereza (eyitibwa King James Version eyafulumizibwa mu 1611) ng’agizza mu Lwayirisi. Yalina ekigendererwa eky’okuvvuunula Bayibuli abantu bangi gye bandibadde bategeera obulungi. Yali akimanyi nti Bayibuli bw’eba tevvuunuddwa, abantu  abaavu tebasobola kusoma Byawandiikibwa era tebasobola kuzuula kkubo eribatuusa mu bulamu obutaggwaawo.—Yokaana 17:3.

Bedell si ye yasooka okukiraba nti abantu beetaaga Bayibuli mu lulimi lwabwe. Emyaka nga 30 emabega, bisopu William Daniel, yali alabye engeri gye kiri ekizibu eri omuntu yenna okutegeera ebyo ebiri mu Bayibuli “nga biri mu lulimi lw’atategeera.” Bisopu oyo yali avvuunudde Ebyawandiikibwa eby’Oluyonaani (Endagaano Empya) mu Lwayirisi. Ye Bedell yali abakanye n’eddimu ery’okuvvuunula Ebyawandiikibwa eby’Olwebbulaniya (Endagaano Enkadde). Enkyusa ya Bayibuli eyitibwa Bedell’s Bible erimu ebyo Bedell bye yavvuunula, n’ebyo William Daniel bye yavvuunula. Bayibuli eyo ye nkyusa ya Bayibuli yokka ennamba ey’Olwayirisi eyaliwo mu myaka 300 egyaddirira.

Bedell yafunayo abasajja abalala babiri abamanyi Olwayirisi okumuyambako mu kuvvuunula Bayibuli eyo. Bwe baali bavvuunula, Bedell eyali amanyi obulungi Olwebbulaniya wamu n’abasajja abalala nga babiri be yali yeesiga, beekenneenyanga buli lunyiriri. Okukakasa nti bye bavvuunula bituufu, baakeberanga mu Bayibuli y’Oluyitale eyavvuunulwa Giovanni Diodati ow’omu Switzerland, mu nkyusa eyitibwa Septuagint, ne mu mizingo egy’edda egy’Ebyawandiikibwa eby’Olwebbulaniya.

Abasajja abo baayambibwako abavvuunuzi ba Bayibuli eyitibwa King James Version (bangi ku bo Bedell yali abamanyi) era Bayibuli ya Bedell erimu erinnya lya Katonda emirundi egiwera. Ng’ekyokulabirako, mu Okuva 6:3, erinnya lya Katonda baalivvuunula nti “Iehovah.” Ebiwandiiko bya Bedell bye yasookera ddala okukozesa byaterekebwa mu layibulale eyitibwa Marsh’s Library, mu kibuga Dublin eky’omu Ireland.—Laba akasanduuko “Bedell Ajjukirwa era Aweebwa Ekitiibwa.”

Bedell yamaliriza omulimu gw’okuvvuunula awo nga mu mwaka gwa 1640. Naye teyasobola kufulumya Bayibuli ye kubanga yali akyayigganyizibwa nnyo. Abantu abaali bawakanya Bedell baavumirira nnyo omuvvuunuzi we omukulu basobole okulaga nti Bayibuli ya Bedell si nnungi. Ate era baakola olukwe Bedell n’akwatibwa era n’asibibwa. Ng’oggyeeko ebyo, mu 1641 waaliwo olutalo ng’abantu b’omu Ireland balwanyisa Abangereza, era ekyo kyataataaganya omulimu gwa Bedell. Wadde nga Bedell yali Mungereza, abantu b’omu Ireland baamukuuma okumala ekiseera kubanga baakiraba nti yali abalumirirwa. Kyokka, oluvannyuma yakwatibwa era n’asibibwa mu kkomera eryali mu mbeera embi ennyo. Ekyo kyamuviirako okufa mu 1642, nga Bayibuli ye tennafulumizibwa.

Waaliwo abaayaza ennyumba ya Bedell ne boonoona ebintu bye bingi, era kaabula kata ebiwandiiko bye yali avvuunudde bisaanewo. Naye eky’omukisa, omu ku mikwano gye yasobola okutereka ebiwandiiko ebyo. Nga wayiseewo ekiseera, Narcissus Marsh, eyafuuka ssaabalabirizi w’e Armagh n’ekkanisa ya Ireland, yafuna ebiwandiiko ebyo. Munnasaayansi ayitibwa Robert Boyle yamuyambako mu by’ensimbi era mu 1685 baakuba Bayibuli ya Bedell mu kyapa.

Wadde nga Bayibuli ya Bedell teyamanyibwa nnyo mu nsi yonna, yayamba bangi okwongera okutegeera Ekigambo kya Katonda. Okusingira ddala yayamba abo aboogera Olwayirisi, si mu Ireland mwokka, naye ne mu Scotland era ne mu bitundu ebirala abantu gye baali bakozesa Olwayirisi. Abantu abo baali basobola okuyiga ebikwata ku Katonda nga basoma Bayibuli mu lulimi lwe bategeera obulungi.—Matayo 5:3, 6.

Ne leero, Bayibuli ya Bedell ekyayamba abantu abaagala okumanya amazima agakwata ku Katonda. Omu ku abo aboogera Olwayirisi, eyali yaakategeera amazima ago bwe yasoma Bayibuli ya Badell yagamba nti: “Twasanyuka nnyo bwe twasoma Ekigambo kya Katonda mu lulimi lwaffe oluzaaliranwa. Ekyo kye kyannyamba nze n’ab’omu maka gange, okuyiga amazima ag’omuwendo agali mu Byawandiikibwa.”