The Papiamentu Bible was published in 1997 and there is a great need in this Creole language for material in the local tongue that will help the churches engage better with the Bible. This Study Bible is aimed at promoting and facilitating Scripture engagement.

This was a multi-year project initiated in 2009 as the first year of implementation of the project, with a team of translators and reviewers and supervised by UBS translation Consultant, Dr Marlon Winedt.

In 2014 we concluded the translation and revision of notes, and are now in the typesetting process.

This project is priority 2 for the Bible Society.

he Papiamentu Bible was launched 15 years ago and at that time has established itself as the Bible of preference for the majority of Papiamentu-speaking churches in their liturgy, Bible use programs and evangelization. The translation took place over a period of 12 years. From feedback we received regarding the text and our aim to meet the needs of users, we know that a light revision of the text would be opportune and beneficial. The challenge of meaningful Scripture engagement and the Bible needs of the community will be better served by the development of a Study Edition of the Bible, incorporating the revised text. The notes will be designed to promote a fuller understanding of the Bible, to encourage a deeper spirituality, to achieve a more effective evangelization, and to lead to transformation in our society. The notes are translated with permission from Biblia esquematizada / Reina Valera 1960. The development of the Study Edition with a revised text will also ensure the positioning of this Bible as the Bible of choice among the target audience.

The specific objective in the first year of the project was to conduct a research involving church-leaders.

A questionnaire was presented to a group of pastors and leaders which resulted in the following information:

25 of the 26 of the interviewees saw the necessity of a Papiamentu Study Bible.

The demands for devotional and cultural background notes were more than 95%.

The demand for additional material besides notes was more than 95%.

The kick-off of the research was during the official launching of Compu Biblia featuring our Papiamentu Bible Text. (A CD-rom containing a digital biblical library with a great variety of bibles, commentaries, dictionaries.)

Knowing that Pastors are very excited with this product we decided to combine the presentation with a research session. The response was very high.The second leg of the research was to approach the pastors who did not attend the presentation, and the third part was approaching pastors in Aruba and Bonaire.

Need
The revision of this Bible text and the provision of study-notes will lead to better Scripture engagement and will further establish and increase the position of this Bible in the churches and in the marketplace

How this project will help the beneficiaries
To change individuals and society by offering a Bible with study-notes to help bring them closer to God's word.