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.
him meat to eat. Jesus said unto them, My meat is to do the will of him who sent me, and to finish his work, Say not ye, there are yet four Months, then cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto you, lift up your eyes, & look on the feilds; for they are white already to harvest. and he who reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal; that both he who soweth, and he who reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. I have sent you to reap that whereon ye have bestowed no labour; the prophets have labou9red and ye have entered into their labours. 9 And many of the Samaritans of that City, beleived on him for the saying of the woman who testifyed, saying, he told me all that I have ever done. So when the Samaritans were come unto him they besought him that he would tarry with them; and he abode there two days. And many more beleived because of his own word; and said unto the woman, now we beleive, not because of thy saying; we have heard for ourselves, and know that this is indeed 10 the christ, the saviour of the world. 10 Now after two days he departed thence, and went into Gallilee. for Jesus himself testifyed that a prophet hath no honor in his own country. 11 Then when he had come into Gallilee, the Gallileeans received him, having seen all the things which he done at Jerusalem at the feast; for they also went unto the feast. So Jesus came again into Cana of Gallilee, where he made the watter wine. 12 And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard Jesus was come out of Judeah into Gallilee, he went unto him, and besought him, that he would come down, and heal his son; for he was at the point of death Then said Jesus unto him, except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not beleive. The nobleman said unto him, Sir, come down before my child die. Jesus said unto him, go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man beleived the word which Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down to his house, his servents met him, and spake, saying, thy son liveth. Then inquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. So the father knew that his son was healed in the same hour in the which Jesus said unto him, thy son liveth and himself beleaved, and his whole house. This being the second [p. 112 (second numbering)]
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