Portuguese Version
Portuguese Version [1]
The oldest known Portuguese version is that of the Psalms, which was published at Oxford in 1695, together with a translation of the English liturgy, under the title, O Livro da Oracac commune Administra ao dos Sacramentos e outros Ritos e Ceremonias da Igreja, conforme o Oso da Igreja de Inglaterra, iuxtamente como Salterio ou Salnos de David (Oxford, na estampa do Teatro, anno de Christo, 1695). This translation is said to be very defective.
Next in chronological order is the New Testament, or O Novo Testamento, istohe, todos os sacro sanctos Livros e Escritos evangelicos e apotolicos do novo Concerto de nosso Fiel Senhor Solvador e Redempltor Jesu Christo: traduzido em Portugues pelo Patre Joam Ferrsera a d'Almeida, Ministro Pregador do Sancto Evangelo. Con todas as Licencas necessarias (em Amsterdam, por Joam Crellius, 1712, 8vo). Seven years later the first part of the Old Testament, or the Pentateuch, was published under the title, Os cinco Livros de A Moyses, chamados: 1, Genesis 2, Exodus 3, Levitico; 4, Numeros; 5, Deuteronomio (con privilegio real; Tranquebar, em India Oriental, na costa del Coromandel, em a estampa da Real Missaon de Dennemark. No anno de 1719, 4to). Then followed: O Livro dos Salmos de David, corn toda diligentia tratduzido de Texto original na Lingua Portugueza, confeido com as outras Transla oens e em multlos Passes declarado pelo Padre Benjamin Schultze, Missionario Del Rey De Dinamarca, E Ministro Da Palavra De Deus (Trangambar, em India Oriental, na costa de Coromandel, na estampa da Real Mission, No anno de 1721, 12mo); Os doze Prophetats Menores, convern a saber, Hoseas, Joel, Amos, Obadias. Jonas, Micheas, Namhum, Habacuc, Sophonias, Haggeo, Zacharias, Malachias (com toda diligentia traduzido na lingoa Portugueza, pelos Padres Missionarios de Tranglambar. Trangambar, na officina da Real Missaon de Dinamarca, anno de 1732, 4to); and Os Livros historicos do Velho Testamento, convert a saber, o Livro de Josue, o Livro dos Juizes, o Livro de Ruth, o prireiro Livro dos Reys, o segundo Livro dos Reys, o primeiro Livro das Chronicas, o segundo Livro das Chronicas, o Livro de Esdras, o Livro de Nehemmias, o Livro de Esther, traduzido na Lingoa Portugueza, pelo Reverendo Padre Joam- Ferreitra d'Alneida, Ministro Pregador do Santo Evangelho na Cidade de Batavia (revistos e conferidos com o texto original pelos Padres Missionarios de Trangambar. Trangambar, na officina da Real Mission de Dinamarca, anno de 1738, 4to).
In the preface to the historical books, which is dated April 21, 1738, we are told that the ministers of Batavia sent this translation of Job. Ferreira d'Almeida to Tranquebar to have it printed there, which was done at the expense of the Dutch governor-general, Theodor van Cloon, and his widow, Antonia Adriana Lengele. The Pentateuch is not preceded by any introduction, but the translation is accompanied by notes. The same is the case with the historical books. The whole is preceded by a Latin preface, in which the translator says that his predecessors, the two missionaries Barthol, Ziegenbalg and Johann Ernst Gr ndler, translated the Pentateuch into Portuguese; but in continuing their work he did not follow the common order of the Biblical books, but rather preferred to translate first the Psalms, because, of all the books of the Old Testament, they are best adapted for public and private devotion. These are all the parts of the Bible, which were translated and known in the 18th century. A revised edition of Almeida's Bible under the joint editorship of R. Holden and the Rev. R. C. Girdleston was issued in 1876 (see the 73rd Report of the British and Foreign Bible Society" [Lond. 1877]. p. 89 sq.). Complete editions of the Bible in the Portuguese language were published by the American and British and Foreign Bible societies. See Rosenm ller, Handbuch der biblischen Literatfur, 4, 298 sq. (B. P.)
