Jehovah’s Witnesses release first complete Bible in Ossetian

September 6, 2010
VLADIKAVKAZ, Russia—Saturday August 21, 2010, will be a day long remembered by the Ossetian people who attended the 2010 “Remain Close to Jehovah!” District Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses that was held in Vladikavkaz, Ossetia, where the first complete translation of the Bible into Ossetian was announced. Many of the almost 2,000 in attendance could not hold back tears of joy when they received their free, personal copy of the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures in Ossetian. Previously, only parts of the Holy Scriptures had been translated into that language.

The literary value of this translation is realized by noting that in February 2009 the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) included Ossetian on its list of disappearing languages. The translators feel that the Bible will be of great help to many in Ossetia who desire to see their language continue to be spoken by future generations. Of greater importance is that the translation into modern-day Ossetian will contribute to a deeper understanding of the excelling wisdom of that ancient book.

To date, more than 165,000,000 copies of the New World Translation have been printed, the whole or in part, in 83 languages.
http://www.jw-media.org/rus/20100906.htm

Link to Ossetian: http://www.watchtower.org/oss/index.html


Recommended reading:

• Translating "the Word was a god," 1700 Years Ago nwtandcoptic.blogspot.com/2008/09/translating-word-was-god-1700-years-ago.html
• Have Jehovah’s Witnesses Changed the Bible to Fit Their Beliefs? www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/changed-bible-beliefs
• Is the New World Translation Accurate? www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/new-world-translation-accurate