The Lords Prayer as recorded by the Moravian Missionary Rev. John Heckeweder

The following is The Lords Prayer as recorded by the Moravian Missionary Rev. John Heckeweder in a letter to Peter S. Duonceau, ESQ., dated this 5th day of September, 1816 in the town of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, later printed in the “Histories, Manners, and Customs of the Indian Nations Who Once Inhabited Pennsylvania and the Neighboring States” by John Heckewelder and William C. Reichel

The Lords Prayer in the Delaware Language:

1. Ki wetochemelenk talli epian Awossagame, machelendasutsch ktellewunsowagan

2. ksakimowagan peyewiketsch, ktelitehewagan leketsch yun achquidhackamike, elgiqui

3. leek talli awossoagame, milineen eligischquik, gunagischuk achpoan woak

4. miwelendammauwineen n’tschannauchsowagannena elgiqui niluna

5. miwelendammauwenk nik tschetschanilawequengik woak katschi n’pawuneen, li

6. achquetschiechtowaganink shuckund ktennineen untschi medhicking alod knihillatamen

7. ksakimowagan woak ktallewussoagan woak ktallowilissowagan ne wuntschi hallemwi,

8. nanne leketsch.

Word for Word Translation into English:

1. Thou our Father there dwelling beyond the clouds, (magnified) praise be thy name

2. Thy kingdom come on, thy will (thoughts, intention, mind) come to pass here on, all over the Earth, the same

3. As it is there beyond the clouds (Heaven), give to us on this day, the usual or daily bread and

4. Forgive to us our transgressions (faults) the same as we all who are here

5. we mutually forgive them who (or those) they who have transgressed or injured us and let not us come to that, that

6. we fall into temptation but (rather) keep us free from all evil for thou claimest

7. thy kingdom and the superior power and all magnificence from heretofor ever (always),

8. Amen (so it be, so may it come to pass)

Some notes on the Delaware Language used above, this is the Northern Unami Dialect of the Lenape (Delaware) language, also known as the Mission Dialect. This was the language spoken by the Lenape (Delaware) of the “middle tier” area of Pennsylvania at during the time when the Missionaries worked with the Lenape (Delaware) People. Missionaries such as Zeisberger and Heckewelder committed their lives to understanding and documenting the Life and Language of the Lenape (Delaware) People

Thanks so very much for sharing this. One can not read this and not be moved.