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.
her, Oh woman, great is thy faith; be it unto thee even as thou 5/ wilt. &And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. 5/ And Jesus departed from thence, & came nigh unto the Sea of Gallilee; and went up into a mountain, & sat down there. And great multitudes came unto him, having with them some lame, blind dumb, maimed, & many others, and cast them down at Jesus feet; & he healed them; insomuch that the multitude wondered when they saw the dumb to speak, & the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, & the blind to see. And they glorified the God 6/ of Israel. 6/ Then Jesus called his Desiples & said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, & have nothing to eat; & I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way. And his Deciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread, in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude? And Jesus saith unto them, How many loves 7/ have ye? And they said seven & a few little fishes. 7/ And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, & the fishes, & gave thanks, & brake the bread, & gave to his Deciples, & the Deciples to the multitude; & they did all eat & were filled. And they took up of the broken meat, seven basketfuls. And they that did eat, were four thousand men, besides women & children. And he sent away the multitude, & took Ship, & came into the coast of Magdala.
Chapter XVI Jesus cometh to the coast of Ceserea Philipi & asketh thishis Deciples who men say that hewas & Who they say that he was &c & delivered unto Peter the keys of the Kingdom &c &c
The Pharisees also, with the Sadusees came, and, tempting Jesus, desired him that he would shew them a sign from Heaven. And he answered & said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, The whether is fair; & in the morning, ye say, The whether is foul to day; for the sky is red & lowering. O hypocrites; you can dicern the face of the sky; but ye cannot tell the signs of the times. Ans wicked & adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; & there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the 2/ Prophet Jonas. And he left them & departed. 2/ And when his deciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed & beware of the leaven 3/ of the Pharisees & of the Saducees. 3/ And they reasoned among themselves, saying, He said this because we have taken no bread. And when they reasoned among themselves, Jesus perceived it; [p. 30 (first numbering)]
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