New Testament Revision 2
-
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.
-
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.
heard him , said, This man calleth for Elias. And straitway one of them ran, & took a sponge, & filled it with vinegar, & put it on a reed, & gave him to drink. The rest said, Let him be, let us see whe19/ ther Elias will come to save him. 19 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, saying, Father, it is finished; thy will is done, 20/ yielded up the ghost. 20 And behold, the veil of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; & the Earth did quake, & the Rocks wrant; & the graves were opened; & the bodies of the saints which slept, arose, who were many, & came out of the graves & after his resurrection, went into the Holy City, & appeared 21/ unto many. 21/ Now when the centurions, & they that were with him, watching Jesus, heard the Earth quake, & saw those things which were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the son of God. & 22 And many women were there beholding afar of, which followed Jesus from Gallilee, ministering unto him for his burial; among whom was mary magdalene, & mary the Mother of James & 23/ Joses, & the Mother of Zebedees Children. 23 When the evening was come, there came a rich man of Aramathea named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ Deciple; he went to Pilate & beged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be deliverd. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wraped it in a clean linen cloth, & laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; & he 24/ rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, & departed. 24/ & And there was Mary Magdalene, & the other Mary, sitting over against the 25/ Sepulchre. 25 Now the next day that followed the day of the Preperation, the Chief Priests & Pharisees came together unto Pilate, saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore, that the Sepulchre be made sure untill the third day, lest his deciples come by night, & steal him away, & say unto the People, He is risen from the dead; so this last imposter will be worse then the first. 26/ Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch; go your way, make it as shure as you can. So they went & made the sepulchre shure, sealing the stone, & seting a watch.
Chapter 28th
1/ In the end of the Sabath day, as it began to dawn towards the first day of the week, early in the morning, came Mary Magdale2/ ne, & the other Mary to see the sepulchre. 2/ & And behold there had been [p. 7 (second numbering)]
View entire transcript |
Cite this page
Cite this page
