Around 1200 pages and many complex texts – translating the Bible is a mammoth task. That is why the pastor Claus Ebeling from Lichtenau in Middle Franconia looked for many volunteers for his project. Together they want to publish a Bible in Franconian. This could appear from the end of next year, says Ebeling. Around 480 sections of text have to be translated into dialect by then.
For many years, Ebeling has been involved in the dialect working group of the Evangelical Church in Bavaria, which advocates for church services and biblical texts in dialect. In the meantime it has organized itself as an association. Ebeling has already published the “Frankish Psalder”, a hymn book. But the Bible is much larger. Ebeling therefore made a selection for the Old Testament and limited himself to the major narratives and sections intended as sermon texts.
“There are already plenty of finished sections of text, but not a whole chapter yet,” says Ebeling. Each translated section is then corrected. During the work, however, it was noticed that there are not proofreaders for every dialect area. The volunteers come from all Franconian regions and all speak a different Franconian language.
For this reason, regional groups have now been organized in which the authors can meet regularly and correct each other, explains Ebeling. “A great process has started. Everyone can take as much time as they need.” The Bible is to be illustrated at the end with biblical motifs, taken in churches in Franconia.
However, Ebeling already has other plans. A CD of Christmas carols has just been released for the Franconian hymn book. Seven music groups from Middle Franconia and Upper Franconia play typical Franconian Advent and Christmas carols. Ebeling would also like to set up an online database where anyone interested can access texts for church services in Franconian. He owns a large collection. So far, however, he has sent all the texts by e-mail.