The New Testament of the Commission for the Translation of Liturgy - Eustasio Etxezarreta

Some of the basque dioceses began to use texts already existing; however, others advocated the preparation of a new text. With the profound liturgical renovation brought about by Second Vatican, it was made clear the need to unify the different versions already existing in basque.

A group of translators was formed in 1969, not only to translate the New Testament, but to do the same with the new liturgical texts. The group started by publishing short and provisory texts. Special attention was given to the New Testament, because of its magnitude in christian catechesis and in general in pastoral work. This also comes to answer a question more than once arised -why a new translation when there exist already translations into basque.

thes have been the translation criteria: it must be appropriate, i.e., 'from the original text" and 'for christian people". It must be borne in mind that among the many possibilities to translate the Bible, the most appropriate one is the version to be read in liturgical celebrations. The Holy Book came out in community and the receiver being so important, it was preferred to reach to a dynamic equivalence in the translation rather than sticking to a literal loyalty to the original text.

The main features of the translation are: ii is an up-to-dated translation, made for the people and meant to he read in public; it is therefore written in unified basque; it was done starting from the original language, that is, greek; it is the official translation made by assignment from Rome, for the first time in Euskadi.

It must he said that three editions have been published in eight years and /8000 copies have already been sold.

Once the most urgent job has been finished, the group has ceased lo work; however, they have some projects in mind: the translation of the Missal for christians and that of the hooks for the liturgy of Sacrements. And the project of translating the whole Bible has not been left aside, even if it does not seem very likely to he carried out.