Da Jesus Book: Hawaii Pidgin New Testament (Paperback)

Product Details

• Paperback: 752 pages
• Publisher: Wycliffe Bible Translators (July 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0938978217
• ISBN-13: 978-0938978213
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #52,328 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

81 of 82 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Much More Than "Pidgin Feed.", July 23, 2002

By	Kent Ponder (Albuquerque., NM USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I read this book on three levels because of (a) my marriage of 45 years to a Polynesian woman from Hawaii, (b) my years as a Christian missionary, and (c) my years teaching linguistics. The New Testament in Hawaii Pidgin might at first be misperceived as ethnic humor, but this is a serious project of the Wycliffe Bible Translators, hardly tongue-in-cheek dudes. I found my copy at the nonfacetious Univ. of Hawaii bookstore, where I presented it to two Polynesian cashiers for their opinions. Both reacted with enthusiasm, saying that it was a Bible they could better relate to emotionally, though they also spoke excellent English. It's fun to read, and though I've read the Bible in other languages, I gained A LOT of insight from this disarmingly direct dialect. The spelling reflects pronunciation; "special" is "spesho," "everything" is "erryting," etc. "Jesus chose his 12 apostles" becomes "Jesus ben pick his 12 spesho guys."

Da Wycliffe Translayta guys didn't just cobble it together by "talking funny." Da tranlata guys wen make Da Jesus Book wit local kine peopo. Wuz 26 local peopo dat stay talk Pidgin from small keed time, dat do um. Dey make shua erryting mean da same ting jalike da way da peopo wen write down da Bible firs time. Da main translayta guys, dey da ones dat talk Pidgin all da time, cuz dey know wass da bestes way fo say stuffs so all da local peopo goin undastan. Da team check erryting five o six time, an use all kine commentary books fo make shua da meaning stay okay. Dey use da heavy kine Pidgin from country side, cuz dis book fo da people dat talk Pidgin all da time an English onny litto bit. Also too, fo plenny peopo who onny talk Pidgin, dis way mo bettah fo undastan. Bumbye, going get all Da Jesus Book on CD so can lissen da whole ting. You can almos hea da kine language dat da regula peopo talk erryday as you read this book even silently. I think you'll enjoy it and pick up surprising insights even if you have no interest in Hawaii per se, or even if you're not normally a Bible reader.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's da bes!!!, July 13, 2005

By	Sheri F. Cox - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a wonderful book! For lovers of Hawai'i and for lovers of God! It really takes me back to the Islands...I graduated from High school there and went to UH for college...It is just so fun to read what Jesus says in pidgin!!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One more perspective, January 18, 2007

By	Linda K. White "happysohappy" (Breckenridge, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Being a serious student of the Bible for almost 50 years, I have a number of translations, versions, and paraphrased editions in my library which I use for comparison as well as reading and studying. This Pidgin English volume offers a brand new perspective unlike any other, in that it is written in such simple earthy terms that not only the meaning of the verses but the "heart" of the verses jumps out at you. Reading aloud from it is also enjoyable entertainment in small informal group settings. I highly recommend it.