So out of curiosity I looked up whether or not there was one for the sake of furthering my studies in Quenya... and it appears there are actually internet people working on one!!! I haven't been able to pin down an actual site for it. If I do I'll post it here (please do likewise if you find it first). I just thought I'd share the wonderful news!

Woah! That's hard core!

I found someone translating the Psalms into Quenya on theonering.com forum. They've only done 1-3 so far...

Post (on theonering.com)
I'm not sure if the person is still doing them, but it's cool

Wonderful news? I'll apologize right off if I come across too hard, but, this is a stupid waste of time. Why elven? That is NOBODY'S first language. Not a single person. There is time and money going into this project that would be of much better use in other projects. I live in a country where the whole Bible is not available in the mother tongue, and then it's not legally sold. Spend the time raising money! Donate to help further God's kingdom!

(If anyone finds a contact for whoever is doing this, let me know, so I can tell them this, since they are the ones who need to hear it. )

EDIT: Here is a great quote I just found that seems appropriate:
"Christians often say they support the light, but then turn around and finance the darkness." -Bob Smithouser

As far as I know no money is going into and if it were it would just be for publishing it. It's just a few people on the internet. And people are already telling them the same thing from the opposite side, "Why the Bible? Why not Moby Dick? The Bible is such a waste of time!" If Elven is something they're passionate about then they need to be encouraged to do it for God. I don't know if these people know any other foreign languages so they should use their forte for God's glory. Plus, can you imagine how much they will be immersed in the Word of God? I can only see good things coming from this.

While I agree with Elanhil partially, I also agree with Riniel partially. Let me elaborate. While the efforts certainly could be put to a better use in a more, perhaps, practical language, Riniel is right in saying that maybe the people trying this don't have any other language they have any grasp of. And it can bring them more immersed in the Bible.

So it might be good for a few chapters, but I don't think translating the ENTIRE Bible would necessarily be the best use of time.

eruheran

Translating the whole bible into elvish is a definite waste of time. Maybe a book at the most for the sake of study, but what a colossal waste of time! I, for one, am not excited about or supporting this in any way, shape or form.

I don't really think they'll finish, I believe projects like this have been going off and on since there was enough Quenya to even attempt it. But it still is cool.

I wouldn't come down too hard on them. Most of these people are probably doing it as a hobby, they probably don't know any other languages that actually need a translation, and besides, there aren't that many elven texts out there. So someone looking on the internet for something to read in Quenya (haha, I'm sure it happens) might get a taste of the Bible, someone who hasn't ever read it before.

On top of that, are you going to slam everyone who spends hobby time doing things that don't have to do with missionary work? It's a hobby. Like knitting oneself accessories. Ya know?

To be honest I have to say I agree with Elanhil. I'm very fussy about what people do to God's word. No one really speaks elvish so I can't see how this would edify anyone. If it isn't degrading God's word in any way then it will do no harm but there's no point to it at all. I don't know much about the Elvish Language and although I have heard some people say good things about Tolkien I have also heard bad things about him. I don't know what's true and what's not but it would upset me if he was into witchcraft and had created the elvish language and it was being used in connection with the bible. I don't know a lot about it so that being the case I wouldn't touch it I have enough with the Holy Bible that I can understand.

Edit: I am not trying to be judgemental I don't mind people having hobbies etc Im just very cautious with what people do to the bible Please don't take it wrong

Hmm, I can see both sides of this. My thought right now:



I don't really see how this would help, and I'm not planning on supporting it financially, but if there are people who can read Quenyan, and they need to be reached, God can most certainly use this version of the Bible to reach them. If this is translated, my thought is that we can pray that it reaches people for Christ. We don't necessarily see all of God's work now, but we will later on.

Anyway, that's my 2 bits worth.

Don't worry, Elanor, no witchcraft in Tolkien's Middle-earth. <smile> He's pretty careful about where power comes from. (i.e. 'wizard' comes linguistically from 'wise man' and Gandalf has power because he's an angel, etc... not because he deals in dark arts or anything icky like that...)

@Shawn. I thought of that verse but didn't know what the context was. Thanks!

Hmm. Good point, Melody. I guess if it remains a hobby and doesn't take up somebody's full time. Forgive me if I was too hard.

I don't think you were to hard, Elan. I completely agree with you, which is shocking because I LOVE Elvish.

Even if this IS just a hobby, I feel like this is extremely disrespectful. Faithful to the original translating is difficult to do in REAL languages, and since Quenya isn't "real" it's going to be even harder.

I really shudder to think how the Word of God is going to be mangled.

Interesting point, Willow.

As far as having it officially commissioned and financially supporting it.... there is a Klingon bible... And there I do agree with Elanhil... But with people who speak Quenya just wanting to translate it for God, more power to ya.

A klingon Bible? Oh dear... The point is there isn't really any use for an Elven Bible. I doubt God has called them to translate the Bible into Quenya. The important thing is that these people are doing with their life what God intended. And if that's translating the Bible to Elvish, well, I guess God works in ways that we don't understand. But that's between God and them.

Fascinating discussion.

I agree that it's a waste of time, but then I think learning Quenya that well is a waste of time. But if it's your time, I don't care, I'm just going to sit here and laugh. And learn real life languages instead.

I personally don't see anything wrong with using the bible as text for translation though, either. It's not like anyone is going to take it seriously.

Now, as for poor Elanhil's situation... what is your mother tongue over there? I find it hard to believe that in todays day and age there is no translation, it probably just isn't widely available.

I'm still not convinced I'm inclined to agree with Willow: I just don't like it.

Jolly good for them!

I see it as like learning to fluently speak Klingon. It's geeky. There is, as far as I know, no practical purpose for this because the only people able to read it are the ones making it.
Personally, I'll give them some encouragement, and go back to my life. It's remarkably similar to some of the schemes my friends and I have concocted, brilliant and cool, but impractical.
I highly doubt it will get mangled or changed greatly beyond what has already happened. Quenya actually seems rather appropriate for it to me. It's a very dignified and noble language that is used in Middle-Earth to convey similar stories.

http://www.minastirith.com/cgi-bin/ulti ... =000141;p= This is the link to the thread topic.

I didn't say that there wasn't a bible. They have the New Testament and Genesis and Psalms in Uzbek, and they're working on the old testament. The Russian bible is available, but very hard to get. It is hard to get any kind of literature here. Were talking about the country where it is illegal to read on public transportation.

Ooh, I wouldn't like that. I'm good friends with some people who are in a country that is similar to that...