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Khasi Version of the Scriptures

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The Khasi (or Khassee) is the language of the Cossyahs, Cassias, or Khasias, a race of Tartar or Chinese origin, ruled by a number of petty rajahs, who form a sort of confederacy. The first version of Holy Scripture in this language was prepared by a lady. She was the widow of one of the chieftains of the country, and Dr. Carey availed himself of her intelligence in translating the New Test. The preparation of this version occupied ten years; it was printed at Serampore in 1824. For about seven years it remained a sealed book, for no opportunity occurred of distributing it among the people for whom it had been prepared. In 1832 some of the missionaries at Serampore visited Cherrapoonjee, a place in the Khasi country, and their attention was drawn afresh to the spiritual wants of the people.

A missionary station was formed there, and Mr. Lish, the first missionary who entered upon the work, turned his attention to a revision of the Khasi version, and in 1834 he produced a new or amended translation of the gospel of Matthew, which was printed at Serampore in Roman characters. In 1841 the Reverend Thomas Jones of the Welsh Calvinistic Methodists occupied this station, and executed a new translation of Matthew's gospel, in Roman characters, which, in 1845, he offered to the British and Foreign Bible Society. A small edition was printed as an experiment. After its value and fidelity was fully attested by competent persons, the translation of the entire New Test. was continued by the missionaries engaged on the above station. In 1871 the British and Foreign Bible Society announced that the translating and printing of the New Test. into this North-east India mountain dialect has been brought to a successful conclusion by the Reverend W.G. Lewis, who was materially aided in his labors by the late Reverend W.T. Meller. The report for 1879 stated that the missionaries of the Calvinistic Methodist Foreign Missionary Society were revising the New Test. The Reverend W.G. Lewis, who read the proofs, is engaged in, revising manuscript translations of parts of the Old. Test., and is also translating the book of Psalms. Since then the Pentateuch has been published (1884). See Bible of Every Land, page 17. (B.P.)