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.
13/ Iniquity. 13/ Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, & doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, who built his house upon a rock; and the rain decended, & the floods came, & the winds blew & beat upon that house; & it fell not; for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand; and the rain decended, and the floods came, and the winds blew & beat upon that house; & it fell; & great was the fall of it. And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings with his Deciples, the people were astonished at his doctrine; for he taught them as one having authority from God, & not as having authority from the Scribes.
Chapter VIII Jesus came down from the Mountain & did many mighty works sent the Deveils into swin &c
1/ And when Jesus was come down from the Mountain, great 2/ multitudes followed him. 2/ And behold, there came a leper worshiping him, saying, Lord if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean; and Jesus put forth his hand & touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprousy was cleansed. And Jesus said unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, & shew thyself to the Priests, and offer the 3/ gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. 3/ And when Jesus was entered into Capurnium, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, and saying, Lord, my servent lieth at home sick of the palsey, grieveously tormented. And Jesus said unto him, I will come & heal him. The centurion answered & said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof; but speak the word only, & my servent shall be healed; for I am a man under authority, having Soldiers under me; and I say to this man, go, & he goeth; and to another, come, & he cometh; and to 4/ my servent, do this, & he doeth it. 4/ And when they that followed him heard this they marveled. And when Jesus heard this, he said unto them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel; and I say unto you; that many shall come from the East, & the west, & shall sit down [p. 14 (first numbering)]
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