New Testament Revision 2
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Source Note
New Testament Revision 2, ca. 4 Apr. 1831–24 Mar. 1832 and 20–31 July 1832; handwriting of , , , and an unidentified scribe; 206 pages; CCLA.The Bible revision manuscripts remained in JS’s possession throughout his life—except during a brief period in 1838 and another in 1839. Upon the death of JS, the manuscript was in possession of his wife for over twenty years, until 1867 when she gave it to her son in order for the RLDS Church to publish The Holy Scriptures.Note: The transcript of New Testament Revision 2 presented here is used with generous permission of the Brigham Young University Religious Studies Center. It was published earlier, with some differences in style, in Scott H. Faulring, Kent P. Jackson, and Robert J. Matthews, eds., Joseph Smith's New Translation of the Bible: Original Manuscripts (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2004), 229–581.
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Historical Introduction
As noted in the introduction to Old Testament Revision 1, in June 1830, JS and began recording a revelation related to Moses and other prominent Old Testament figures. (See Visions of Moses, June 1830 [Moses 1].) Eventually this work expanded into what is now designated as the Book of Moses and a complete revelatory re-reading, reviewing, and revising of the Bible, an endeavor that came to be known as JS’s “New Translation,” or Bible revision. By March 1831, JS and his scribes created a sixty-one-page manuscript containing a narrative account of the visions of Moses and a revised version of the Old Testament book of Genesis, from the beginning to chapter 24, verse 41. (See Old Testament Revision 1.)JS set that work aside when instructed in a March 1831 revelation to instead begin work on the New Testament. (Revelation, ca. 7 Mar. 1831 [D&C 45:60–61].) He and began the new document on 8 March 1831, titling it “A Translation of the New Testament translated by the power of God.” It is currently designated as New Testament Revision 1. , who had been directed by revelation to “write & keep a regulal [regular] history & assist my servant Joseph in Transcribing all things which shall be given him,” (Revelation, ca. 8 Mar. 1831–B [D&C 47:1]) began in early April 1831 to copy New Testament Revision 1 through Matthew 26:1, stopping a little short of where JS and Sidney Rigdon left off before they traveled to in June 1831. (JS History, vol. A-1, 126.)When JS resumed the revision of the New Testament, he did so using ’s copy, currently designated New Testament Revision 2. He began with Matthew 26:1, though he had previously translated through Matthew 26:71 in New Testament Revision 1. Work continued on the rest of the New Testament through late July 1832. In addition to , JS was assisted by John Whitmer, , and .New Testament Revision 2, presented here, consists of 203 pages. Work on this manuscript was completed in and , Ohio. During the revision project, JS adopted an abbreviated format for annotating the changes to be made to the New Testament. Previously, JS dictated the entire Bible text to his scribe, revising verses as he read from the Bible. But beginning after John 5, JS marked his copy of the Bible as he read in it, indicating where a change should be made. In the manuscript, the scribes wrote the scripture reference and the specifics of the revisions. Thus, the Bible and manuscript together now constituted the text of the revision project.In total, JS made changes to about 2,100 New Testament verses (Faulring et al., Joseph Smith’s New Translation of the Bible, 5). He introduced a number of significant changes to the King James New Testament text in New Testament Revision 2. Among the more prominent clarifications and corrections were those in Matthew 24 and Mark 13 related to Jesus’s discourse on the Mount of Olives, as well as those in the beginning verses of the Gospel of John. (See, Faulring et al., Joseph Smith’s New Translation of the Bible, 234, 303, and 424–425.)Note: The transcript of New Testament Revision 2 presented here is used with generous permission of the Brigham Young University Religious Studies Center. It was published earlier, with some differences in style, in Scott H. Faulring, Kent P. Jackson, and Robert J. Matthews, eds., Joseph Smith's New Translation of the Bible: Original Manuscripts (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2004), 229–581.
Verily I say unto you, Whosoever will not receive the kingdom of God as a 5/ little child, shall in no wise enter there in. 5 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? and Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? None is good, save one, that is God. Thou knowest the commandments; Do not commit adultry. Do not kill. Do not steal. Do not bear fals wittness. Honor thy father and thy Mother. And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet thou lackest one thing; sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me. And when he heard this, he was very sorrowfull; for he was very rich. And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowfull, he said, How hardly shall they who have riches enter in to the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a Camel to go through a needels eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they who heard, said unto him, Who then can be saved? And he said unto them, It is impossable for them who trust in riches, to enter into the kingdom of God; but he who forsaketh the things which 6/ are of this world, it is possable with God, that he should enter in. 6/ Then Peter said; Lo! we have left all, and followed thee. And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, there is no man who has left house, or parents, or breatheren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, who shall not receive many fold more in this present time; and in the 7/ world to come, life everlasting. 7/ Then he took the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things which are written by the Prophets concerning the son of man, shall be accomplished, For he shall be delivered unto the gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on; and they shall scourge and put him to death; and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things; and this saying was hid from them; neither remembered they the things which were spoken. 8/ And it came to pass, as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging. And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. And they told him that Jesus of Nazereth passed by. And he cryed, saying, Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me. And they who went before, rebuked him, telling him, that he should hold his peace; but he [p. 90 (second numbering)]
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