New Bible Translation Released in Poland

A front street shop window of the Polish Bible Society in the center of Warsaw displays copies of a new translation of the Scriptures. Polish Christians are now slowly adjusting to the new version of the New Testament and Psalms, which took some 30 translators representing 11 Christian denominations six years to translate.

Polish Seventh-day Adventists were active in the work of the Translating Committee, according to Andrzej Sicinski, secretary of the Polish Adventist Church, who served as a consultant.

“The overarching principle of this translation was being faithful to the original text and keeping the clarity of the language,” said Sicinski. He explained that this last point is seen in the new translation’s shorter sentences and the replacement of archaic language with a more contemporary and better understood phraseology. In the final phase of the translation in the early months of 2001, the participating churches brought their particular recommendations regarding the translation itself, as well as the introductory notes or references.

According to Sicinski, the new translation reflects the tremendous effort invested in the work by representatives of the different churches. “Publishing such an edition of the Bible can be considered as an immensely important and creative venture, and it was worth participating in it.”

This is the first translation since the “New Version” of the Bible was released in Poland 26 years ago. Participants in the project hope this new translation will be attractive to a younger generation of readers who appreciate a more contemporary phraseology of the Scriptures. Sicinski also believes Adventist participation allowed an opportunity to share the denomination’s position on a number of theological issues.

The new translation has received many favorable reviews and the influential weekly magazine “Polityka” has called the release a “great event in the religious life of democratic Poland.”