Bongili
The Bongili, also called Bungili, language is spoken parts of the northern region of the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville).
New Testament
The first book of the Bible in Bungili was the Gospel of Matthew, (Mina minyongo, myango Saint Mattheiu akotèki), in 1930, followed by the Gospel of Luke (Mina minyongo, myango Saint Luc akotèki) in 1931. These Gospels were published by the British and Foreign Bible Society (BFBS).
Translators
The New Testament was translated by Elsa Karlsson and Daniel Bokange. Elsa Karolina Karlsson (1889-1978) was from the Swedish Örebro Mission (Örebromissionen), now part of the Evangelical Free Church of Sweden (Evangeliska Frikyrkan). She had learnt to speak Bongili and she worked with Daniel Bokanga, who was a native speaker, the son of a local chief.
The Bongili New Testament was published in 1947, called Mina ma Nzambe (Le Nouveau Testament). They also translated some of the Old Testament books.
Digital Edition
The Bongili New Testament was digitised with the help of MissionAssist in 2024. It was digitised using an original copy at the BFS archives at Cambridge University.
