István Küzmics Quotes (1723-1779)

“Vi szte szol zemlé: csi sze szol szkvari, sz kim sze bode solila? Nika ne valá vecs: nego da sz vő vr'ze, i szklácsi od lüdi. Vi szte szvetloszt etoga szvêta. Nemore meszto szkrito bidti, stero je na velikom brêgi polo'zeno. Niti ne vu'zgéjo poszvêta: naj ga pod korcz denejo: nego v poszvecsnyek, i szvêti vszêm, ki szo v hi'zi. Tak sze naj szvêti szvetloszt vasa pred lüdmi: da vidijo vasa dobra dela, i dicsijo Ocso vasega, ki je vu nebészaj.The Gospel of Saint Matthew: Salt and light. Nôvi Zákon (1848), rework Sándor Terplán.”

“Who will disallow those Slovenes who live between the Mura and the Raba the right to translate these holy books into the language, in which they understand God talking to them through prophets and apostles' letters? God tells them too to read these books in order to get prepared for salvation in the faith of Jesus Christ. But they cannot receive this from Trubar's, Dalmatin's, Francel's, or other translations (versio). The language of our Hungarian Slovenes is different from other languages and unique in its own characteristics. Already in the aforementioned translations there are differences. Therefore, a man had to come who would translate the Bible and bring praise for God and salvation for his nation. God encouraged István Küzmics for this work, a priest from Surd, who translated – with the help of the Holy Spirit and with great diligence – the whole New Testament from Greek into the language you are reading and hearing. With the help (and expenses) of many religious souls, the Holy Bible was printed and given to you for the same reason Küzmics prepared Vöre Krsztsánszke krátki návuk, which was printed in 1754.”