Mashahidi wa Yehova katika jarida lao la "AWAKE!" la tarehe 8 Septemba, 1957, walichapisha kichwa cha habari cha kushtua: "MAKOSA 50000 KATIKA BIBLIA?" (Tazama hapa chini kwa nakala ya chapisho hilo).

The Jehovah's Witnesses in their "AWAKE!" Magazine dated 8 September, 1957, carried this startling headline — "50000 ERRORS IN THE BIBLE?" (See below for the reproduction).

Nilipokuwa bado nikipanga mada ya kijitabu hiki, nilisikia mlango wangu ukigongwa asubuhi moja ya Jumapili. Nilifungua mlango. Alisimama pale mwanamume mmoja wa Kizungu, akitabasamu kwa upana. "Habari za asubuhi!" alisema. "Habari za asubuhi" nilimjibu. Alikuwa akinipa magazeti yake ya "Awake" na "Watchtower". Ndiyo, Mshuhuda wa Yehova! Ikiwa wachache wamewahi kugonga mlango wako hapo awali, utawatambua mara moja. Kundi lenye kujikweza kuliko yote ambalo limewahi kugonga milango ya watu! Nilimkaribisha ndani.

While I was still formulating the theme of this booklet, I heard a knock at my door one Sunday morning. I opened the door. A European gentleman stood there, grinning broadly. "Good morning'" he said. "Good morning" I replied. He was offering me his "Awake" and "Watchtower" magazines. Yes, a Jehovah's Witness! If a few had knocked at your door previously, you will recognize them immediately. The most supercilious lot of people who ever knocked at people's doors! I invited him in.

Mara tu alipopata nafasi ya kutulia, nilimpa nakala kamili ya kile unachokiona hapa chini. Nikielekeza kwenye kijitabu kilicho juu ya ukurasa, nilimuuliza, "Hiki ni chako?" Alikitambua mara moja kuwa ni chake. Nilisema, "Inasema: Makosa 50,000 katika Biblia, je, ni kweli?" "Ni nini hicho!" alishangaa. Nilirudia, "Nasema kwamba inasema kuwa kuna makosa 50,000 katika Biblia yako." "Umepata wapi hayo?" aliuliza. (Hii ilichapishwa miaka 23 iliyopita, alipokuwa labda mtoto mdogo sana.) Nilisema, "Acha maneno ya kujikweza — hiki ni chako?" nikielekeza tena kwenye kijitabu — "Amka!" Alisema, "Naweza kukiangalia?" "Bila shaka," nilisema. Nilimkabidhi ukurasa. Akaanza kuusoma kwa makini. Wao (Mashahidi wa Yehova) wamefunzwa. Huhudhuria madarasa mara tano kwa wiki katika "Majumba yao ya Ufalme." Kwa kawaida, wao ndio wamishonari hodari kuliko wote miongoni mwa madhehebu elfu moja na moja ya Ukristo. Wanafundishwa kwamba wakibanwa, usijifungamanishe na jambo lolote, usifungue kinywa chako. Subiri Roho Mtakatifu akuvuvie cha kusema.

As soon as he settled down, I produced the full reproduction of what you see below. Pointing to the monograph at the top of the page, I asked, "Is this your's?" He readily recognized his own. I said, "It says: 50 000 Errors in the Bible, is it true?" "What's that!" he exclaimed. I repeated, "I said, that it says, that there are 50 000 errors in your Bible." "Where did you get that?" He asked. (This was published 23 years ago, when he was perhaps a little nipper) I said, "Leave the fancy talk aside — is this your's?" pointing again to the monograph — "Awake!" He said, "Can I have a look?" "Of course," I said. I handed him the page. He started perusing. They (the Jehovah's Witnesses) are trained. They attend classes five times a week in their "Kingdom Halls." Naturally, they are the fittest missionaries among the thousand -and - one - sects - and - denominations of Christendom. They are taught that when cornered, do not commit yourself to anything, do not open your mouths. Wait for the Holy Ghost to inspire you with what to say.

Kwa kimya nilimwangalia akiendelea kuvinjari ukurasa. Ghafla aliinua kichwa. Alikuwa ameipata. "Roho Mtakatifu" alikuwa amemgusa. Alianza kusema, "Makala inasema kwamba "makosa mengi kati ya hayo yameondolewa."" Nilimuuliza, "Ikiwa MENGI yameondolewa, ni mangapi yanayobaki kati ya 50000? 5000? 500? 50? Hata kama 50 yanabaki, je, unayahusisha makosa hayo na Mungu?" Alibaki kimya. Alijitetea kwa kupendekeza kwamba atarudi tena pamoja na mshiriki mkuu wa Kanisa lake. Hiyo itakuwa siku ya ajabu! Kama ningekuwa na kijitabu hiki tayari, ningemtolea, nikisema, "Ningependa kukufanyia wema, nipe jina lako, anwani yako, na namba yako ya simu. Nitakukopesha kijitabu hiki — JE, BIBLIA NI NENO LA MUNGU?" kwa siku 90. Ninataka jibu lililoandikwa! Ukifanya hivi, na Waislamu wengine wachache wakafanya vivyo hivyo, wao na wamisionari wengine hawatawahi kuja kugonga mlango wako tena. Ninaamini kwamba chapisho hili litathibitika kuwa hirizi yenye ufanisi zaidi hadi sasa. Insha-Allah! "Dhehebu" hili la Mashahidi wa Yehova, ambalo ni kali sana katika kulaani Watrinitarian wa kiorthodoksi kwa kucheza na "Neno la Mungu," lenyewe linacheza mchezo uleule wa mazoezi ya kimaana ya maneno. Katika makala inayochunguzwa — "MAKOSA 50000 KATIKA BIBLIA?" — wanasema: "pengine kuna makosa 50 000 . . . makosa yaliyoingia katika maandishi ya Biblia . . . makosa 50000 ya kiuzito (?) . . . mengi ya hayo yanayoitwa makosa . . . kwa ujumla Biblia ni sahihi." (?)

I silently kept watching him, while he browsed the page. Suddenly he looked up. He had found it. The "Holy Ghost" had tickled him. He began, "The article says that "most of those errors have been eliminated." I asked "If MOST are eliminated, how many remain out of 50000? 5000? 500? 50? Even if 50 remain, do you attribute those errors to God?" He was speechless. He excused himself by suggesting that he will come again with some senior member of his Church. That will be the day! If I had this booklet ready, I would have offered him, saying — "I would like to do you a favour, give me your name and address, and your telephone number. I will lend you this booklet — IS THE BIBLE GOD'S WORD?" for 90 days. I want a written reply!" If you do this, And a few other Muslims do the same. They and the other missionaries will never darken your doors again. I believe that this publication will prove the most effective talisman to date. Insha-Allah! This "cult" of Jehovah's Witnesses which is so strong in its condemnation of the orthodox Trinitarians, for playing with the "Word of God," is itself playing the same game of semantic gymnastics. In the article under review — "50000 ERRORS IN THE BIBLE?" — they say: "there are probably 50 000 errors . . . errors that have crept into the Bible text . . . 50000 such serious (?) errors… most of those so-called errors... as a whole the Bible is accurate." (?)

Hatuna muda wala nafasi ya kuingia katika makumi ya maelfu ya kasoro — kubwa au ndogo — ambazo waandishi wa Revised Standard Version (RSV) wamejaribu kuzirekebisha. Tunawaachia wasomi wa Kikristo wa Biblia haki hiyo. Hapa nitajaribu kutupia jicho la haraka tu kwenye "kama sita" hivi za mabadiliko hayo "madogo".

"Yesu ndiye mwana pekee wa Mungu, aliyezaliwa si aliyeumbwa," ni nyongeza ya fundisho la kawaida la Kanisa la kiorthodoksi, linalojiegemeza kwenye yafuatayo:

"Jesus is the only begotten son of God, begotten not made," is an adjunct of the orthodox catechism, leaning for support on the following:

2. Kwa maana Mungu aliupenda sana ulimwengu, hata akamtoa Mwanawe wa pekee, ili kila mtu amwaminiye asipotee, bali awe na uzima wa milele." (Yohana 3:16 - AV)

2. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only BEGOTTEN son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16 - AV)

Hakuna kasisi anayestahili vazi lake ambaye angeshindwa kunukuu "Mwana wa pekee wa Baba!" anapohubiri kwa mtu anayetarajiwa kusilimu. Lakini uzushi huu — "ALIYEZALIWA" — sasa umefutwa kimya kimya na Wasahihishaji wa Biblia, bila neno lolote la kujitetea. Wako kimya kama panya wa kanisani, wala hawataki kumvuta msomaji kwenye kufutwa kwao kwa siri. Neno hili la kufuru "ALIYEZALIWA" lilikuwa jingine kati ya nyongeza nyingi za aina hiyo katika "Biblia Takatifu." Mungu Mwenyezi aliikemea kufuru hii kwa nguvu zote muda mfupi baada ya kuingizwa kwake. Hakusubiri miaka 2000 wasomi wa Biblia waufichue udanganyifu huo.

No priest worth his cloth would fail to quote "the only BEGOTTEN of the Father!" when preaching to a prospective convert. But this fabrication — "BEGOTTEN" — has now been unceremoniously excised by the Bible Revisers, without a word of excuse. They are as silent as church-mice and would not draw the reader's attention to their furtive excision. This blasphemous word "BEGOTTEN" was another of the many such interpolations in the "Holy Bible." God Almighty condemned this blasphemy in the strongest terms soon after its innovation. He did not wait for 2000 years for Bible scholars to reveal the fraud.

Ulimwengu wa Kiislamu unapaswa kuzipongeza "madhehebu hamsini yanayoshirikiana" ya Ukristo na "Kundi lao la Washauri la wanazuoni thelathini na wawili wa hadhi ya juu kabisa" kwa kuleta Biblia yao Takatifu karibu zaidi kwa ukweli wa Qur'ani.

The Muslim World should congratulate the "Fifty cooperating denominations" of Christendom and their Brains Trust the "Thirty-two scholars of the highest eminence" for bringing their Holy Bible a degree nearer to the Qur-anic truth.

3. "Kwa maana wako watatu wanaoshuhudia mbinguni, BABA, NENO, na ROHO MTAKATIFU: na hawa watatu ni mmoja." Waraka wa Kwanza wa Yohana 5:7 - AV Aya hii ndiyo inayokaribia zaidi kile Wakristo wanachokiita Utatu wao Mtakatifu katika ensaiklopidia iitwayo BIBLIA. Nguzo hii kuu ya imani ya Kikristo pia imeondolewa kutoka RSV bila hata dalili ya maelezo. Imekuwa udanganyifu wa kidini tangu mwanzo, na ni haki kabisa kwamba imefutwa katika RSV kwa watu wanaozungumza Kiingereza. Lakini kwa makundi 1499 yaliyosalia ya lugha duniani yanayosoma tafsiri za Kikristo katika lugha zao za asili, udanganyifu huo unaendelea. Watu hawa hawatajua ukweli hadi Siku ya Hukumu. Hata hivyo, sisi Waislamu lazima tena tawapongeze kundi kubwa la D.D. ambao wamekuwa waaminifu vya kutosha kuondoa uongo mwingine kutoka Biblia ya Kiingereza (RSV), wakiisogeza Kitabu chao Kitakatifu hatua nyingine karibu na mafundisho ya Uislamu. Kwani Qur'ani Tukufu inasema:

3. "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the FATHER, the WORD, and the HOLY GHOST: and these three are one." 1st Epistle of John 5:7 - AV This verse is the closest approximation to what the Christians call their Holy Trinity in the encyclopaedia called the BIBLE. This key-stone of the Christian faith has also been scrapped from the RSV without even a semblance of explanation. It has been a pious fraud all along and well-deservedly has it been expunged in the RSV for the English-speaking people. But for the 1499 remaining language groups of the world who read the Christian concoctions in their mother tongues, the fraud remains. These people will never know the truth until the Day of Judgement. However, we Muslims must again congratulate the galaxy of D.D.’s who have been honest enough to eliminate another lie from the English (RSV) Bible, thus bringing their Holy Book yet another step closer to the teachings of Islam. For the Holy Qur'an says:

Si mmoja katika utatu. Si mmoja katika utatu.

* Not one in a trinity. Not one in a trinity.

Moja ya "kasoro kubwa" ambazo waandishi wa RSV walijaribu kuzirekebisha ilihusu Kupaa kwa Kristo. Kuna marejeo mawili tu katika Injili za Kanuni za Mathayo, Marko, Luka na Yohana kuhusu tukio kuu kabisa katika Ukristo — KUCHUKULIWA KWA YESU JUU MBINGUNI. Marejeo haya mawili yalipatikana katika kila Biblia katika kila lugha kabla ya mwaka 1952, wakati RSV ilipochapishwa mara ya kwanza. Marejeo hayo yalikuwa:

One of the most serious of those "grave defects" which the authors of the RSV had tried to rectify concerned the Ascension of Christ. There have been only two references in the Canonical Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and of John to the most stupendous event in Christianity — OF JESUS BEING TAKEN UP INTO HEAVEN. These two references were obtained in every Bible in every language, prior to 1952, when the RSV first appeared. These were:

4a. "Basi basi Bwana Yesu, baada ya kuzungumza nao, alichukuliwa KWENDA MBINGUNI, akaketi upande wa kulia wa Mungu." (Marko 16:19)

4a. "So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was TAKEN UP INTO HEAVEN, and sat down at the right hand of God." (Mark 16:19)

4b. "Alipokuwa akiwabariki, aliachana nao, akapandishwa juu mbinguni." (Luka 24:51)

4b. "While he blessed them, he parted from them, and was CARRIED UP INTO HEAVEN." (Luke 24:51)

I can't see an image in your message, only the text itself. I'm also set up to translate your text into Swahili rather than respond to its arguments, so I won't be answering the questions about the Bible's footnotes here. If you paste the English text you want translated into Swahili, I'll translate it faithfully. That includes any quotations, such as the passage you referred to as "4a" and "4b," if you provide them in full.

Now please look at the image below, which is a photocopy where the quotation 4a above ought to appear. You will be shocked to note that Mark 16 ends at verse 8, and after an embarrassing expanse of blank space the missing verses appear in "small print" as a footnote at the bottom of the page. If you can lay your hands on a RSV 1952, you will find the last six words of 4b above, i.e. "AND WAS CARRIED UP INTO HEAVEN" replaced by a tiny "a" to tell you to see the footnote if you please, where you will find these missing words. Every honest Christian has to admit that he does not consider any footnote in any Bible as the word of God. Why should the paid servants of Christianity consign the mightiest miracle of their religion to a mere footnote?

Kutoka kwenye Chati — "Asili na Ukuaji wa Biblia ya Kiingereza" — inayoonekana hapa chini, utaona kwamba matoleo yote ya Biblia yaliyotangulia Toleo Lililorekebishwa la 1881 yalitegemea NAKALA ZA KALE — zile zilizoandikwa miaka mia tano au sita tu baada ya Yesu. Wahariri wa RSV ya 1952 walikuwa wasomi wa kwanza wa Biblia kuweza kutumia kikamilifu nakala za "KALE ZAIDI," zilizoandikwa karne tatu na nne baada ya Kristo. Sisi tunakubaliana kwamba kadiri hati inavyokaribiana na chanzo, ndivyo inavyokuwa halisi zaidi. Kwa hiyo, "KALE ZAIDI" inastahili kuaminika zaidi kuliko "KALE" tu. Lakini kwa kuwa hakuna neno kuhusu Yesu kuchukuliwa juu" au "kupelekwa juu" mbinguni katika nakala KALE ZAIDI, mababu wa kanisa waliyaondoa marejeo hayo kutoka RSV ya 1952.

From the Chart — "The Origin and Growth of the English Bible" — appearing below, you will note that all the Biblical "Versions" prior to the Revised Version of 1881 were dependent upon the ANCIENT COPIES — those dating only five or six hundred years after Jesus. The Revisers of the RSV 1952, were the first Bible scholars who were able to tap the "MOST Ancient Copies" fully, dating three and four centuries after Christ. We agree that the closer to the source the more authentic is the document. Naturally "MOST" Ancient deserves credence more than mere "ANCIENT." But not finding a word about Jesus being "taken up" or "carried up" into heaven in the MOST ANCIENT manuscripts, the Christian fathers expurgated those references from the RSV 1952.

Ukweli huu wa juu ni ungamo la kushangaza kutoka kwa Ukristo kwamba waandishi "waliovuviwa" wa Injili za Kanisa hawakuandika neno hata moja kuhusu KUPAA kwa Isa. Hata hivyo, waandishi hawa "waliovuviwa" walikubaliana kwa pamoja kuandika kwamba Bwana wao na Mwokozi wao alipanda punda kuingia Yerusalemu wakati dhamira yake ilipokaribia mwisho.

The above facts are a staggering confession by Christendom that the "inspired" authors of the Canonical Gospels did not record a single word about the ASCENSION of Jesus- Yet these "inspired" authors were unanimous in recording that their Lord and Saviour rode a donkey into Jerusalem as his mission drew to a close.

Je, Mwenyezi Mungu angeweza kuwa ndiye aliyepanga hali hii isiyoendana — akijitahidi kuhakikisha waandishi wote wa Injili hawakukosea katika kurekodi kupanda kwa punda kwa "mwanae" kuingia Mji Mtakatifu — na bado "akawapa msukumo" wa kunyamazia habari za kupaa kwa "mwanae" mbinguni juu ya mabawa ya malaika?

Could God Almighty have been the author of this incongruous situation — going out of His Way to see that all the Gospel writers did not miss their footing recording of His "son's" donkey-ride into the Holy City — and yet "inspiring" them to black-out the news about His "son's" heavenly flight on the wings of angels?

Wahubiri wenye bidii kubwa na wahubiri wa Biblia walichelewa sana kugundua utani huo. Kufikia wakati walipotambua kwamba jiwe kuu la msingi wa mahubiri yao — KUPAA KWA YESU — lilikuwa limedhoofishwa kutokana na elimu ya Kibiblia ya Kikristo, wachapishaji wa RSV walikwisha kujipatia faida halisi ya dola 15 000 000! (Milioni kumi na tano). Wenezaji wa propaganda walipiga kelele nyingi, na kwa msaada wa kamati mbili za madhehebu kati ya hamsini, waliwalazimisha wachapishaji kuingiza tena nyongeza hizo ndani ya Neno "LILILOVUVIWA" la Mungu katika kila chapisho jipya la RSV baada ya 1952; sehemu iliyofutwa ilirejeshwa "KATIKA MAANDIKO." Ni mchezo wa zamani sana. Wayahudi na Wakristo wamekuwa wakihariri "Kitabu chao cha Mungu" tangu mwanzo wake. Tofauti kati yao na wale wadanganyifu wa kale ni kwamba wadanganyifu wa kale hawakujua sanaa ya kuandika "dibaji" na "maelezo ya chini ya ukurasa", vinginevyo nao wangetuambia wazi kama walivyofanya mashujaa wetu wa kisasa kuhusu kuchezea kwao maandiko, na visingizio vyao vya kupindisha sarafu bandia kuwa dhahabu inayong'aa.

The hot-gospellers and the Bible-thumpers were too slow in catching the Joke. By the time they realised that the corner-stone of their preaching — THE ASCENSION OF JESUS — had been undermined as a result of Christian Biblical erudition, the publishers of the RSV had already raked in a net profit of 15 000 000 dollars! (Fifteen Million). The propagandists made a big hue and cry, and with the backing of two denominational committees out of the fifty, forced the Publishers to re-incorporate the interpolations into the "INSPIRED" Word of God in every new publication of the RSV after 1952, the expunged portion was "RESTORED TO THE TEXT." It is an old, old game. The Jews and the Christians have been editing their "Book of God" from its very inception. The difference between them and the ancient forgerers is that the ancient forgers did not know the art of writing "prefaces" and "footnotes", otherwise they too would have told us as clearly as our modern heroes have about their tampering, and their glib excuses for transmuting forged currency into glittering gold.

MAPENDEKEZO MENGI YA MABADILIKO YALIWASILISHWA KWA KAMATI NA WATU BINAFSI NA NA KAMATI MBILI ZA MADHEHEBU. YOTE HAYA YALIPEWA UANGALIFU MKUBWA NA KAMATI.

"MANY PROPOSALS FOR MODIFICATION WERE SUBMITTED TO THE COMMITTEE BY INDIVIDUALS AND BY TWO DENOMINATIONAL COMMITTEES ALL OF THESE WERE GIVEN CAREFUL ATTENTION BY THE COMMITTEE.

"MAANDIKO MAWILI, MWISHO MREFU WA MARKO (16:9-20) . . . NA LUKA 24:51 YAMERUDISHWA KATIKA MAANDISHI." (Dibaji — kurasa za Collins vi na vii)

"TWO PASSAGES, THE I LONGER ENDING OF MARK (16:9-20) . . . AND LUKE 24:51 ARE RESTORED TO THE TEXT." (Preface — Collins' pages vi and vii)

Mchungaji C. I. Scofield, D. D., pamoja na timu ya wahariri washauri 8, wote wakiwa ni D.D.'s katika "Scofield Reference Bible," waliona inafaa kuandika neno la Kiebrania "Elah" (lenye maana ya Mungu) kwa njia nyingine kama "Alah." Hivyo Wakristo walikuwa wamemeza ngamia — walionekana hatimaye kukubali kwamba jina la Mungu ni Allah — lakini bado walikuwa wakichuja mbu kwa kuandika Allah kwa "L" moja! Nilitoa marejeo ya hoja hii katika mihadhara ya hadharani, mimi mwandishi wa kijitabu hiki. Niamini, "Scofield Reference Bible" iliyofuata imehifadhi neno kwa neno maelezo yote ya Mwanzo 1:1, lakini kwa hila ya kiujanja imefuta kabisa neno "Alah." Hakuna hata pengo mahali ambapo neno "Alah" lilikuwa likitumika zamani. 1 1 Hii ni katika Biblia ya Waorthodoksi! Ni vigumu sana kuendana na mizungu yao.

The Rev. C. I. Scofield, D. D. with a team of 8 Consulting Editors, also all D.D.’s in the "Scofield Reference Bible" thought it appropriate to spell the Hebrew word "Elah" (meaning God) alternatively as "Alah" The Christians had thus swallowed the camel — they seemed to have accepted at last that the name of God is Allah — but were still straining at the gnat by spelling Allah with one "L"! (Photographic reproduction of the Bible page showing the word "ALAH" is preserved here for posterity below). References were made in public lectures to this fact by the author of this booklet. Believe me, the subsequent "Scofield Reference Bible" has retained word for word the whole commentary of Genesis 1:1, but has, by a clever sleight-of-hand, blotted out the word "Alah" altogether. There is not even a gap where the word "Alah" once used to be. 1 1 This is in the Bible of the orthodox! One is hard pressed to keep up with their Jugglery.

1. Tazama "WHAT IS HIS NAME" kwa maelezo zaidi kuhusu kuachwa kwa neno Allah katika Biblia. Chini ya kichwa "Now you see it, now you don't".

1. See "WHAT IS HIS NAME" for more information on this Biblical omission of the word Allah. Under the section of "Now you see it, now you don’t".