ภาษาไทย / Thai Bible History (3)

**List: Thai Ministry Bible ( คัมภีร์ไบเบิล ) Thai... SIAMESE. "I.--GEOGRAPHICAL EXTENT AND STATISTICS. THE kingdom of Siam embraces a large portion of the peninsula of India beyond the Ganges.   [....] II.--CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LANGUAGE.    The language of the Siamese was formerly called Sa-yama phasa, the "Sa-yam language."   But since the reign of Ruang, who set his country free from the yoke of Cambodja, the Siamese call them- selves T’hai, "free"; and their language phasa-Thay, or Tai, "the tongue of free-men."   [....] III.--SIAMESE VERSIONS OF SCRIPTURE.    In 1810, the design of providing Siam with a version of the four Gospels was entertained by the Calcutta Auxiliary Bible Society, and Dr. Leyden undertook to superintend the translation; but he died before this important project had been carried into execution.   Perhaps the first attempt at trans- lating the Scriptures into Siamese was made by Mrs. Judson, of the American Baptist Mission, who with the aid of her Burman pundit produced a version of the Gospel of St. Matthew.   Owing, however, to the death of that lamented lady, a stop was put to further translation till 1828, when Messrs. Gutzlaff and Tomlin visited Siam in the capacity of mies. and physicians, and applied sedulously to the study of the language with a view to the translation of the Scriptures; after a residence of nine months, Mr. Tomlin was compelled by ill health to relinquish the undertaking, and Mr. Gutzlaff prosecuted his important labours alone.   Part of the MS. translation of the New Testament was forwarded to Malacca as early as 1829; but the mies. connected with the Malacca press proceeded with the utmost caution, and made a practice of printing no portion of the version until they had ascertained, by actual experiment, that it could be read and clearly understood by natives of every capacity, from those of the first literary rank to the commonest readers.   Mr. Gutzlaff, being remarkably favoured with the best native assistance, subjected the translation to several revisions; and after labouring night and day for a long period, he in 1833 sent a revised copy of the New Testament to Singapore.   The work of revision was continued by Mr. Jones, one of the Baptist mies. in Burmah, who from his having previously studied the cognate language of the Shans, was well qualified for the task; he was sent to Bankok (the capital of Siam) at the instance of Messrs. Gutzlaff and Tomlin in 1834.   Mr. Robinson, another my. at Bankok, also engaged in the work, and in 1841 produced a translation of Genesis and Daniel, and a new or amended version of several books of the New Testament.   The publication was aided by a grant in 1843 from the American Baptist Bible Society.   In 1846, Mr. Jones completed the translation and publication of the entire New Testament in Siamese.   2nd edition 1000 copies, Bankok, 1850."--1860   S. Bagster   [Info only] THE SIAMESE VERSION. from the 2nd Edition printed at Bangkok.--1860   S. Bagster   [Info only: {Siamese} Character   "1850" John 1:1-4 unknown.] "IV.--RESULTS OF THE DISSEMINATION OF THIS VERSION.    Siam affords comparatively few instances of conversion following the perusal of the Word, yet in no country perhaps has the intervention of Providence been more manifested in opening a wide door for the general distribution of the Scriptures.   The American Board of Missions and the American Baptists have mies. in Siam, by whom the Scriptures are circulated among the people without let or hinderance from king, nobility, or priesthood.   The priests have even frequently sent to the mies. requesting to be supplied with copies of the holy volume, and have on some occasions expressed a degree of dissatisfaction with their own religion, and an apparently sincere desire to examine the tenets of Christianity.   In fact, one of the mies. stated, in 1842, that no class of people are more importunate in begging for books than the priests, and this too in public, and on all occasions. This dissemination of Scripture has had the effect in Siam of considerably narrowing the original ground of controversy.   The Siamese now declare, that were they but fully satisfied as to the existence of a future state, they would gladly embrace Christianity as the only system which provides for the forgiveness of sins; for they have been brought to acknowledge the sinfulness of their own nature and practices, and they clearly perceive that B_ddhism, which is in fact practical atheism, offers no means or hope of pardon.    The first appearance of the mies. in Siam spread a general panic among the people, for it was well known by the predictions of the Pali books, that a certain religion of the West should vanquish B_ddhism; but upon the breaking out of the war between Burmah and Siam, the English remaining neutral, the people were reassured, and many instances occurred in which deep interest was expressed in the perusal of the Scriptures.   There are, however, peculiar impediments to my. labours in Siam, arising partly from the character of the people, which is so fickle that an opinion they may embrace to-day they will be ready to reject to-morrow, and partly from the regularly organized system by which idolatry is supported: the pagodas are the schools of learning in which the youth of the empire are trained; every educated Siamese, from the emperor down to the lowest of his subjects, is compelled at some period or other of his life to enter the priesthood, and "he who refuses to become a priest, must remain ignorant."   It has been ascertained that the great majority of Siamese, male and female, are able to read; and even in Siam instances have unexpectedly been brought to light of the Divine blessing having accompanied the private study of Scripture.   On one occasion, for instance, a my. was called to the bedside of a sick man, whom he had never before seen.   After applying the remedies for the disease suggested by his medical skill, the my. began to discourse on the glad tidings of the Gospel.   The sick man immediately interrupted him, and said with much earnestness and seriousness, that he himself knew Ayso (Jesus), and worshipped him every day.   Surprised and delighted, the my. asked for an explanation, and was informed that a brother of the sick man had read in his hearing portions of Scripture and tracts distributed by the mies., and that the precious seed thus sown by the way-side had been blessed by God."--The Bible of Every Land. (1860, Second Edition)   Samuel Bagster   [Info only]

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