The book was completed and printed at Da Nang Printing and Service Joint Stock Company, and submitted for deposit in April 2025. The Bible is a best-selling publication in many countries, including Vietnam. Traditional Vietnamese Bible editions published by the Bible Society can be found at major bookstore chains in Vietnam, including Fahasa and Phuong Nam.
Old and New Testaments 100th Anniversary Edition (1925-2025)
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According to Master Nguyen Dang Ban, Government Committee for Religious Affairs, the translation of the Bible into Vietnamese took place over many years, from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. The Bible is one of the works with the most copies printed and in the most languages in the world .
Translating the Bible into Vietnamese so that the text is closest to the original and in line with the contemporary context is very difficult, requiring a lot of time, effort and intelligence. Although there is a fairly complete translation, the work of translating the Bible into Vietnamese is not yet finished because it still needs to be edited, supplemented and perfected.
Looking back, the Bible translation process in the period 1911-1925 inherited and developed in the same direction as the previous period. Firstly, the National Language script continued to be used as the writing system for the Vietnamese Protestant Bible. Secondly, the translation groups persisted in the principle of prioritizing the use of pure Vietnamese words and simple words rather than using Sino-Vietnamese words.
The Bible is currently available through major bookstore chains nationwide.
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The problem of using spoken language with many function words and personal pronouns that are not suitable for written language has been solved, thereby making the text more elegant and concise, suitable for use.
The translators of the 1921–1925 period found a way to use personal pronouns that was appropriate to the Bible, a book in which words were expected to be elegant and formal.
Enriching Vietnamese culture
According to Master Vu Van Hieu, Religious Publishing House, Government Committee for Religious Affairs, if one word is used to introduce the Bible, it is "love", and it should be read as a story about love.
Scientific conference "The 1925 Vietnamese Protestant Bible: History of its creation and contributions to religion, culture and society in Vietnam"
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In it, Song of Songs emphasizes the core origin and true value of love and marriage. Exploring the educational value of love and marriage in Song of Songs shows similarities with the values of love and marriage in traditional Vietnamese culture.
Promoting the educational value of love and marriage in Song of Songs means awakening the traditional values that are fundamental to Vietnamese people about love, marriage, and family.
This is especially meaningful in the current context, when some traditional cultural norms on marriage and family are gradually fading or facing many challenges, affecting the stability and development of society - where the family is always considered the core cell.
To build a happy, lasting love and marriage, Song of Songs emphasizes the fundamental principle of faithful commitment between a man and a woman.
In today’s Vietnamese society, many young people have different views from the previous generation and their marriage is not necessarily a choice for a long-term life. The message of Song of Songs for today’s young people helps 2 people in love look to the future and are determined to overcome all challenges together to preserve joy and happiness.
The workshop was organized by the Institute of Religious Studies, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences in collaboration with the Vietnam Bible Society on September 8, 2023.
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In the busy life of Vietnamese society today, many young couples pursue careers or take on so many heavy responsibilities that they have no time for each other, which easily creates distance, fades feelings and affects the bond in marriage.
According to Nha Ca, spending time together is an important factor in building a good, lasting love relationship and marriage.
Master Tran Thi Phuong Anh, Institute of Religious Studies, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, said that, in terms of economics, the Bible has practical content, providing believers with ways of thinking and ethical principles in economic activities to help create sustainable growth; forming habits in financial management and consumption as well as developing social networks to support them in getting rich in a legitimate and sustainable way.
The Bible does not condemn money but considers money as an intermediary. Therefore, the issue the Bible wants to remind us here is people's attitude towards money.
To have such a right attitude, “contentment” is mentioned again and again in various books of the Bible.
The Vietnamese Bible, first printed in 1925, is currently stored at the Bible Society Archives at Cambridge University Library, England.
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Although everyone wants to be rich, when people know how to be content, they will truly perceive life and feel happiness in reality. When a person builds a balanced and correct view of money from within, knowing how to see money as a tool, a means and not the purpose of life, then that person will have contentment. When people master greed and have contentment, they will not fall into decline, decline and failure.
Immersed in the development of the Vietnamese language in the early decades of the 20th century, the work of translating the Bible is part of the movement of a language that is trying its best to convey ways of expression and ideological content outside the culture to which it belongs. From this perspective, the work of translating the Bible is not only part of the development of the Vietnamese language of the time, but also part of a process that contributes to the richness and diversity of Vietnamese culture.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/100-nam-bien-dich-kinh-thanh-dong-gop-vao-su-giau-manh-cua-tieng-viet-185250706142804717.htm
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