Pitjantjatjara, often pronounced Pitjantjara, (emphasis on the first syllable) is one of the Western Desert family of languages found in Central and Western Australia. Speakers of the closely related language, Yankunytjatjara, will also be able to understand this Bible. It was originally spoken in the North West Corner of South Australia spilling over into Western Australia and the Northern Territory although, of course, then, there were no state borders. Today it is still widely spoken in that area particularly in what is now called the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in South Australia. Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa are important sites of the Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara people. The 2010 census puts the number of speakers at 2,363 but it also admits that figure is too low. The figure is more likely to be between 3,000 and 4,000. Translation of the Pitjantjatjara New Testament began in the early 1940s not long after the commencement of the Presbyterian Mission at Ernabella. The Gospel of Mark was completed at the end of 1945 and was finally published by the British and Foreign Bible Society in 1949. Work continued over the next 20 years resulting in the publication of a shorter New Testament in 1969 containing Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Ephesians, James and 1 John published by the same society, now renamed Bible Society in Australia. There was a period, then, of about 10 years in which no more translation was completed. In 1978, at the initiation of a local interest group in Ernabella, translation recommenced with portions of the Old Testament with the support of Bible Society Australia, Wycliffe Bible Translators, the Uniting Church in Australia and the Lutheran Church of Australia. This Pitjantjatjara Bible Translation Project became an incorporated association in 1981 and for the next 20 years, many Pitjantjatjara translators worked together with Wycliffe amp Bible Society translation advisors and consultants to complete a new translation of the New Testament and about 15% of the Old Testament. This volume was first published by the Bible Society in 2002. Reprints were done in 2007 (including some revisions), 2009, and 2014. In 2011 a new project to translate the rest of the Old Testament was initiated by a new generation of Pitjantjatjara translators –daughters and sons of the translators of the New Testament. There are currently over 20 translators working on various books of the Old Testament. The first book to be published in this new era was Daniel in 2015. In 2017-18 members of the Pitjantjatjara Bible Translation Project partnered with Bible Society Australia and Faith Comes by Hearing to do a dramatized multi-voice recording of the Pitjantjatjara New Testament. In the process a number of revisions were made and this edition reflects those changes.

Bible text: Pitjantjatjara © Bible Society Australia 2002, 2007, 2018 www.biblesociety.org.au Recording of the Bible ℗ Hosanna, 2018

Tjukurpa Palya

Ka Pilate-alu palumpa tjaultji tjuṯangka wangkangu, “Jesunyaya katira wiipangka puḻkaṟa puwa!” Kaya mulapaṯu palunya wiipangka puḻkaṟa alkaṉu. Munuya tjilka iṟi puḻkatjara manguṟi puṟunypa karpi-karpiṟa tjunu palula katangka. Munuya palunya mantara purple mayatja puḻkangku kanyilpaingka tjarpatjunu. Munuya palumpa ikaringkula palunya anaṟa wangkangi alatji, “Awa, Wanyumpa kunyun Jew tjuṯaku mayatja puḻkampa.” Munuya maṟangku palunya yunpa pungangi.
Ka Pilate-anya piṟuku pakaṉu uṟilkutu munu Jewku mayatja tjuṯangka wangkangu, “Ngayuluṉa kuwari wati nyanga palunya nyuralakutu ma-pakaltjingaṉi, panya ngayulu puṯu palumpa kura ngurkantananyi palunya iluntankunytjikitjangku.”
Ka Jesunya tjanalakutu ma-pakaṉu manguṟi tjilkatjara katangka tjunkunytja munu mantara panya mayatjangku kanyilpainyatjara. Ka Pilate-alu tjanala wangkangu, “Nyawaya! Nyangatja wati panya paluṟu, ngaḻṯutjara.”
Kaya tjukurtjara kuranyitja tjuṯangku munu wati panya timpula aṯunymankupai tjuṯangku kuḻu Jesunya nyakula ngaḻṯuringkunytja wiyangku alatjiṯu mirara wangkangu, “Puṉu kaṯakutjarangka wakaṟa utitjura! Puṉu kaṯakutjarangka wakaṟa utitjura!”
Ka Pilate-alu miranyangka kuliṟa wangkangu alatji, “Wiya, wati nyanga palunya ngayulu puṯu kura ngurkantananyi iluntankunytjikitjangku. Palu nyurayanku ma-katira puṉungka wakaṟa utitjura.”
Kaya Jewku mayatja tjuṯangku palula wangkangu, “Wiya, wati nyanga paluṟunku Godaku katjanmanangi. Ka panya nganampa tjukurpa ngaṟanyi alatji, ‘Aṉangu kutjupangku walytjangku Godanyanmankunyangka palunya iluntanama.’ ”
Ka tjana nyanga alatji wangkanyangka Pilate-alu kuliṟa puḻkaṟa nguḻuringu. Munu piṟuku waḻingka tjarpara tjapinu Jesula, “Nyuntu ngura yaaltjinguṟu pitjangu?” Palu Jesulu palula wangkanytja wiyangku alatjiṯu wantingi.
Ka Pilate-alu wangkangu, “Nyaakun ngayula tjukurpa utingku tjakultjunkunytja wiyangku wantinyi? Panya ngayuluṉa mayatja puḻka nyinanyi munuṉa ngayulu mukuringkula nyuntunya wantir'iyalku ankunytjaku, munta tjinguṟuṉa mukuringkula nyuntunya puṉu kaṯakutjarangka wakantjaku palyanmankuku.”
Ka Jesulu wangkangu, “Wiya, panya ilkaṟinguṟu Godanya mukuringkunyangka kutju nyuntu ngayuku palyantjaku ngaṟanyi. Palu wati nyara ngayunya katira nyuntunya ungkunytja tjuṯa kura puḻka mulapa ngaṟanyi nyuntula waintaṟa, panya paluṟu tjana ngayunya iluntankunytjikitja mukuringanyi.”
Ka nyangatja kuliṟa Pilate-alu palunya walatjunkunytjikitjangku kuliningi munu piṟuku uṟilkutu pakaṟa tjanala ngapartji tjapiningi Jew panya tjuṯangka. Ka paluṟu tjana piṟuku mirara wangkangi, “Munta, nyuntun maḻpa wiya Rome-aku mayatjaku? Nyaakun wati nyanga palunya walatjunkunytjikitjangku wangkanyi? Panya paluṟunku mayatja puḻkanmanangi. Ka nyuntumpa mayatja Rome-ala nyinanytjanya tjinguṟu nyangatja kuliṟa nyuntumpa mirpaṉariku nyuntu palunya walatjunkunyangkampa.”
Ka Pilate-alu nyangatja kuliṟa Jesunya uṟilkutu pakaltjingantjaku wangkangu. Kaya katira ngaṟatjunu uṟilpa panya ngurkantankupaingka. (Ngura nyara paluṟu panya ini Uṟilpa Waḻu Tjiwanguṟu Palyantjitjanya, kaya wangka Iipuṟungku ngura palunya wangkapai, Kapatjanya.) Ka nyara palula Pilate-anya nyinakatingu tjiya puḻkangka, panya wati mayatja nyinakatipai tjiya nyanga palula kura palyalpai tjuṯa tjukaṟurungku ngurkantankunytjikitja. Ka tjiṉṯu nyara palula panya Jew tjuṯangku ritiringkula kutjupa kutjupa tjuṯa palyaningi ngaṉmanytju inma Katuwanu Ankunytjanya mungawinki palyantjikitjangku. Ka nyara palula aṟa kaḻaḻarinyangka Pilate-alu wangkangu tjanala, “Nyawaya! Nyangatja nyurampa panya mayatja puḻka.”
Kaya piṟuku mirara wangkangu kutjupangku kutjupangku, “Iluntarala! Iluntarala! Puṉu kaṯakutjarangkala wakaṟa utitjura.”
Ka Pilate-alu tjapinu tjanala, “Mulapaṉa nyurampa nyanga mayatja puṉu kaṯakutjarangka wakaṟa utitjunkuku?”
Kaya tjukurtjara kuranyitja tjuṯangku wangkangu, “Wiya, nyanga paluṟu nganampa mayatja wiya, panya mayatja puḻka nyara Rome-ala nyinanytjanya kutju nganampa mayatja puḻka nyinanyi.”
Ka palulanguṟu Pilate-alu Jesunya wantir'iyaṉu katira puṉu kaṯakutjarangka wakaṟa utitjunkunytjaku. Kaya tjaultji tjuṯangku palunya witiṟa ma-katingu.


Ka paluṟu puṉu kaṯakutjara walytjangku tjaḻiṟa ma-katingu ngura ini Kata Tarkatjaralakutu. (Panya Iipuṟu tjuṯangku ngura nyanga palunya ini wangkapai, Kaulkatjanya.)
Kaya ngura nyara palula tjaultji panya tjuṯangku palunya puṉu kaṯakutjarangka wakaṟa utitjunu. Munuya palulanguṟu wati kutjupa kutjara palu puṟunypaṯu wakaṟa utitjunu kutjupa maṟa wakungka, kutjupa maṟa tjampungka. Ka Jesunya nguṟurpa utingaringi. Ka Pilate-alu ngaṉmanytju kutjupangka wangkangu puṉu tjilpirta ini walkatjuṟa Jesula katu puṉungka tjunguṟa wakantjaku nyanga alatji,
Jesunya Nazarethanya Nguraṟa
Jew Tjuṯaku Mayatja Puḻka
Ka wati kutjupangku tjukurpa palunya puṉungka walkatjunu wangka panya maṉkurpa Iipuṟu munu Latin munu Kuṟiki, ka tjaultjingku puṉungka katu wakaṟa wantingu. Kaya Jew tjuṯangku ini nyara palunya nyangangi, panya ngura nyara Jesunya wakaṟa utitjunkunytjanya panya waḻingka itingka nguwanpa, kaya waḻinguṟu pakaṟa ma-nyangangi uti ngaṟanyangka. Kaya tjukurtjara kuranyitja tjuṯangku walka panya nyakula ankula wangkangu Pilate-ala, “Nyaakun alatji walkatjunkunytjaku wangkangu. Utin nyanga alatji palyanma, ‘Nyanga paluṟunku walytjangku Jew tjuṯaku mayatjanmanangi.’ ”
Ka Pilate-alu wangkangu, “Wiya, alatjiṯuṉa wangkangu. Ka nyara paluṟu ngaṟanyi alatjiṯu.”
Kaya tjaultji kutjara kutjarangku Jesunya wakaṟa utitjuṟa mantara palumpa mantjiṟa kutjungku kutjungku katingu. Munuya kutju panya tiṟitja puṟunypa paluṟu unngu tjarpara kanyilpai mauṉṯalpa tjunu. Mantara pala paluṟu panya alatji-alatjiṯu palyantja wakaṟa tjunguntja wiya. Kayanku wangkangi tjaultji tjuṯangku, “Wanyula kaṯantankunytja wiyangku wantima munula puṉu nyanga nampatjara arkaṟa waṉira nyawa, ‘Nganalu nampa puḻka waṉiku?’ Ka nyara paluṟu nampa tjukaṟurungku waṉinytjatjanungku mantara palunya mantjilku.” Ka mulapa kutjupangku nampa tjukaṟurungku waṉingu munu paluṟu mantjinu mantara panya palunya. Panya ngaṉmanytju nyiringka iriti walkatjunkunytja ngaṟanyi nyanga alatji,
“Ngayuku mantaraya kutjungku kutjungku katingu.
Munuya mantara panya ngayulu unngu kanyintjitjaku inkangi,
ka kutjupangku nampa tjukaṟurungku waṉingu paluṟu mantjintjikitjangku.”
Kaya wati tjaultji tjuṯangku mulapaṯu alatjingaṉu tjukurpa iriti walkatjunkunytja ngaṟanytjaku alatjiṯu.
Kaya minyma panya tjuṯa ila ngaṟangi Jesunya utitjunkunytjala itingka panya palumpa ngunytju, munu ngunytju maḻatja, munu minyma kutjupa ini Mary-nya Kulapatjaku kuri, munu Mary Magdalene-anya kuḻu. Ka nintintja kutju Jesuku ngunytjungka tjungu ngaṟangi, panya nyanga paluṟu Jesuku maḻpa mulapa. Ka Jesulu pulanya walunyakula ngunytjungka wangkangu, “Ngunytju, palatjanku nyuntumpa katja.” Munu piṟuku wangkangu palumpa panya maḻpangka, “Ka nyuntunku ngunytju nyanga palunya aṯunymanama.” Ka nyara palulanguṟu nintintja panya paluṟu Jesuku ngunytju katingu palumpa ngurakutu munu palumpa ngurangka aṯunymaṟa kanyiningi.


Ka Jesulu nintingku kulinu, “Uwa, Mamalu wangkanytjaṉa uwankara palyaṟa wiyaṉu.” Munu palulanguṟu paluṟu wangkangu, “Mina iluṉa.” Ka alatji paluṟu wangkanyangka iriti nyiringka walkatjunkunytja mulapa utiringu.
Ka piti waina kurakuratjara ngaṟangi, kaya tjaultji tjuṯangku pantja puṟunytja wainangka tjaḻatjuṟa puṉu waṟangka tjunkula katuṟa Jesula tjaangka kanyiningi tjikintjaku. Ka Jesulu waina tjikiṟa wiyaringkula wangkangu, “Uwa, uwankaraṉa palyaṟa wiyaṉu.” Munu palulanguṟulta kata tjaṟuringkula kurunpa wiyaringkula ilungu.

Ka palulanguṟu Jewku mayatja tjuṯangku Pilate-ala ankula tjapinu, “Palyaya wati nyara puṉungka utingarinytja maṉkurpa tjaḻpa kaṯantankuku mapalku ilunytjaku? Panya nganaṉa mukuringanyi palunya tjananya miri mantjintjikitja.” Alatjiya tjapinu tjana miri puṉungka rawa ngaṟanytjaku-tawara. Panya mungawinki Saturday-ngka tjanampa tjiṉṯu miḻmiḻpa mulapa ngaṟangi Jew tjuṯaku, kaya tjana mukuringkunytja wiya miri puṉungka rawa utingarinytjaku tjiṉṯu tjarpanyangka maḻangka.
Ka Pilate-alu palyanmanu tjananya tjaḻpa kaṯantankunytjaku munu wangka iyaṉu tjaultji panya tjuṯakutu. Kaya kuliṟa wati panya Jesula nganytjarta kutjara ngaṟanytja-waraṟa tjaḻpa kaṯantanu. Palu Jesulakutu ngapartji wirkaṟaya nyangu ngaṉmanypa ilunytja munuya ilunytja nyakula tjaḻpa kaṯantankuwiyangku wantingu. Ka tjaultji kutjungku Jesunya kultu wakaṉu kuḻaṯangka, ka milkaḻi mina kuḻu ngalya-tjutingu. Ka nyangatja wati kutjungku nyakunytjatjanungku ngula tjakultjunu. Wati paluṟu nintingku tjukaṟurungku wangkapai nyura kuḻu kuliṟa mulamularingkunytjaku. Kaya tjaultji tjuṯangku Jesunya tjaḻpa kaṯantankunytja wiyangku wantinyangka tjukurpa panya iriti nyiringka walkatjunkunytja utiringu panya alatji ngaṟanyi nyiringka,
“Palunyaya tarka kaṯantankunytja wiyangku wantiku.”
Ka tjukurpa kutjupa kuḻu nyiringka ngaṟangi nyanga alatji,
“Aṉangu tjuṯangkuya nyakuku palunya wakannyangka.”


Ka wati kutjupa nyinangi ini Josephanya Aṟima-tjiyanya nguraṟa. (Wati nyara paluṟu Jesunya waṉalpai, palu paluṟu utingku waṉantja wiya, kumpiltu waṉaningi, Jewku mayatja tjuṯaku nguḻuringkula.) Munu paluṟu Pilate-alakutu anu Jesunya miri ngatjintjikitja. Ka Pilate-alu palunya palyanmanu katinytjaku. Ka wati kutjupa Josephala tjunguringu ini Nicodemusanya. (Wati nyanga paluṟu panya Jesulakutu ngaṉmanypa anu mungangka.) Munu pula ankula Jesunya puntu puṉunguṟu araltjaṟa ukalilyinu munu mantjiṟa katingu. Ka Nicodemusalu wiṟu paṉṯipai tjuṯa katingu Jesula miringka tjutintjikitjangku. Panya paluṟu yakutjangka puḻka mulapa katingu, nampa nyangatja 30 kilograms. Munu pula Jesunya puntu winki wiṟu paṉṯipaingka tjutiṟa karpinu mantara waṟangka. Panya tjakangkuya Jew tjuṯangku alatji palyalpai tjuṉutjunkunytjikitjangku, ka pula Jesunya aṉangu palu puṟunypaṯu palyaṉu. Ka ngura nyara palula itingka kaana puḻka ngaṟangi, panya Jesunya puṉu kaṯakutjarangka utitjunkunytjitjangka tjaṟu. Ka nyara palula kuḻpi ngaṟangi kuwari kutju tjawaṟa wantinytja. Ka tjiṉṯu panya pakuwiyaringkupai ilaringkunyangka pula kuḻpi nyanga ilatjangka Jesunya miri mapalku tjarpatjuṟa wantingu, panya pula mungawinkiku riti palyantjikitja mukuringangi tjiṉṯu tjarpanytja kuwaripangka.

Slušaj Johnku 19