Gospel Parables in the Chukchi language
November 11, 2021

IBT has published a new book in Chukchi, a Paleo-Asiatic language spoken in the extreme northeastern part of Siberia along the coast of the Arctic Ocean. According to the 2010 census there are around 16,000 ethnic Chukchis, but only about 5,000 indicated that they speak their native language. Therefore Gospel Parables was published as a bilingual edition together with the Russian text of these Scripture passages.

The book includes four parables from Luke's Gospel: The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-35), The Invitation to the Feast (Luke 14:16-24) and The Pharisee and The Tax Collector (Luke 18:10-14). Over the centuries these parables have been told and retold in different languages in various parts of the world. And now they are available in Chukchi.

The translation of these parables is taken from Luke's Gospel in the Chukchi language, first published by IBT in 2004, then revised in 2017.  IBT’s Chukchi translation team includes mother-tongue translator Larisa Vykvyraktyrgyrgina, philological editor and tester Dina Talpygyrgina, and Genevieve Perrault, a linguist and exegetical advisor from Canada who specializes in the Chukchi language. Each parable is accompanied by a colorful illustration.

A PDF version of the book and an audio recording of the translation can be found on the IBT website in the e-publications section. Further work is in progress on Bible Stories in Chukchi.