New Testament Revision 2 (first numbering)
New Testament Revision 2
Source Note
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; CHL.
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 so that the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS church) could publish it. It was in the possession of the RLDS church (now Community of Christ) until 2024, when The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints acquired it. The manuscript is now held at the Church History Library in Salt Lake City.
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.
Footnotes
- [1]
Call, “Copied from the Journal of Anson Call,” 9 and Cooper, “Spiritual Reminiscences, No. 2,” Autumn Leaves (January 1891): 18.
Call, Anson. “Copied from the Journal of Anson Call,” 1879. CHL. MS 4783.
Cooper, F. M. “Spiritual Reminiscences.—No. 2,” Autumn Leaves 4, no. 1 (Jan. 1891): 17–20.
- [2]
Emma Smith Bidamon, Nauvoo, IL, to Joseph Smith III, Plano, IL, 10 Feb. 1867, CCLA.
Bidamon, Emma Smith. Materials, 1842–1871. CCLA.
- [3]
The Holy Scriptures: Translated and Corrected by the Spirit of Revelation ([Plano, IL]: [Reorganized] Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 1867).
Historical Introduction
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.
with Abraham, & Isaac, & Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven; But <but> the Children of the Kingdom <wicked one> shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping, & gnashing of theth <teeth>. <5/> And Jesus said unto the centurion, go thy way, & as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servent was heal<6/>ed in the self same hour. <6/> And when Jesus was come into Peters house, he saw his wife’s mother laid, & sick of a fever. And he touched her hand, & the fever left her; and she arose <7/> & ministered unt[o] them. <7/> Now when the evening was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with Devils; And he cast out the evil spirits with the <a> <the> words<,> & healed them all that were sick; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the Prophet, saying, Himself <9<8>/> took our infirmities, and bear our sickness<es>. <9<8>/> Now when Jesus saw great mutitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side <of the sea.> And a certain Scribe came unto him and Said, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus saith <said> unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the <10/> son of man hath not where to lay his head. <10/> And another of his Deciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go & bury my father. But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; <10/> & let the dead bury their dead. <10/> And when he was entered into a <the> Ship, his Decipless followed <came unto> him. And behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the Ship was covered with the waves; but he was asleep. & <And> his Deciples came unto him and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us; else we perish. And he saith <said> unto them, Why are ye fearfull, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, & rebuked the wind waves <winds,> and the sea; & there was a great calm. But the men marveled, saying, What manner of man is <11/> this, that even the winds & the sea obey him? <11/> And when he was come on <to> the other side, into the country of the gargasenes <Gergasenes>, there met him two <a> men <man> possessed of <with> Devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might <could> pass <by> that way. </> And Behold, they <he> cried with <out>, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? Art thou come hither to torment us before the time? And there was a good way off from them a heard [p. 15 (first numbering)]
Source Note
Source Note
Document Transcript
Document Information
Document Information
Footnotes
Footnotes
- [28]
TEXT: The word “a” was subsequently retraced.
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