The Old Testament, the Injil, and the Southern dialect of Kurdish share a deep-rooted connection—one that stretches back over four hundred years. This dialect of the Kurdish language—spoken in the southern parts of Kurdistan, in the border regions between Iraq and Iran—has preserved many parables, stories, narrations, and even numerous well-known figures from the Holy Book, which today can still be found woven into local folktales and folklore. Although the majority of the speakers of Southern Kurdish—residing mainly in cities such as Kermashan, Ilam, Khanaqin, Islamabad, Eiwan, Mandali, and their surrounding villages—are either Muslim or Yarsan, the influence and imprint of Biblical literature on this dialect and its subdialects is undeniable.
This present translation of the Bible is, in fact, one among several efforts that have been made to render the Holy Book into this language. May this work be brought to completion, under the blessing of the Heavenly Father, so that the entire Bible may be laid, fully translated, into the hands of Southern Kurdish readers.
