New Cook Islands Māori Bible edition to be dedicated

The Bibilia Tapu (Cook Islands Māori Bible) will be dedicated on February 28 in Auckland.

In 2017, the Bible Society announced that the existing hard copy Cook Islands Māori Bible could no longer be reprinted. Cook Islands Revd Robert Robati-Mani and his late wife, Marina Robati-Mani, began work on the new edition in 2018 following an invitation from the Bible Society.

Revd Robati-Mani and Mrs Robati-Mani were asked to assist in preparing and formatting a new edition for publication.

During a sabbatical granted by the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand, Revd Robati-Mani had previously digitised the Māori Bible. The Bibilia Tapu is reprinted from the 1888 edition, which was last printed in 1972.

At that time, Rarotongan Māori formed the linguistic base of what is now widely known as Cook Islands Māori (Te Reo Kūki ‘Āirani).

Revd Robati-Mani said that careful attention was given to preserving the historic language captured in the original Rarotongan Bible, while also acknowledging the natural evolution of the language over time.

In some instances, where no equivalent Cook Islands Māori word existed for certain biblical or theological terms, Hebrew or Greek words were transliterated and adopted into the religious vocabulary. Today, these words form part of a shared Christian language used across the Cook Islands dialects.

“The Bibilia Tapu remains one of the greatest resources for strengthening and sustaining our Māori language,” Revd Robati-Mani said.

The final stages of the project included meticulous checking of wording to ensure accuracy before printing. Support has come from Bible Societies in New Zealand, the South Pacific and Australia.

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New edition of Cook Islands Māori Bible set for launch in Auckland (By Melina Etches/Cook Islands News/Radio New Zealand)