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Pushtu Version of the Scriptures

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By way of supplement we add here the following. The first attempt to produce a Pushtu version of Scripture seems to have been made by Dr. Leyden, who in 1811 furnished the corresponding committee of Calcutta with a translation of the gospels of Matthew and Mark. At his death the translation was continued by the Serampore missionaries, with the aid. of some learned natives previously in the employ of Dr. Leyden. In 1819 the New Test. was published at Serampore, and in 1832 the Pentateuch and the historical books of the Old Test. were also issued there. Considering the circumstances under which these versions were made, they were very fair productions, in spite of their deficiencies. A need for a new translation was, however, felt more and more, and efforts were made in that direction.

Previous to the mutiny in India, the gospel of John, translated by the Reverend R. Clark, and that of Luke, by captain James, had been placed in the hands of the North India Auxiliary Bible Society. But both were destroyed with the, press at Agra, in 1857. Copies, however, were soon ready for publication, to which were added the gospels of Matthew and Mark, and the Acts as translated by the Reverend J. Lowenthal (q.v.). In 1864 the entire Pushtu; New Test. was printed, the translation having been made by Mr. Lowenthal. He was not allowed to translate the Old Test. into the Pushtu. Before he had fairly entered upon the duty, he was killed, in 1864. The work of translating the Old Test. was taken up by the Reverend T.P. Hughes, of the Church Missionary Society, in 1873. Besides Mr. Hughes, the Reverend T.J.L. Mayer, also of the Church Missionary Society, has been engaged in translating the Old Test., and, assisted by Quazi Abdur Rahman, he translated the Psalms, which were printed in 1881. From the report of the British and Foreign Bible Society for 1885 we learn that considerable progress has been made in translation work, both in the Old and New Tests., and preparations are in progress for a revision of the New Test. The bishop of Lahore has arranged to have meetings of the revision committee at Kohat and at Murri, when it is hoped that the different translations will be harmonized under the guidance of the bishop (B.P.)