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.
Chapter 5
1/ And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the Country of the Gaderenes, And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had been dwelling among the tombs; & no man could bind him, no, not with chains; because that he had been often bound with fetters & chains, & the chains had been plucked asunder by him, & the fetters broken in pieces; neither could any man tame him. And always, night & day, he was in the mountains, & in the tombs, crying, & cutting himself with stones. But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran & worshiped him, & cried with a loud voice, & said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus thou son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. For he said unto him, come out of the man, unclean spirit. And he comanded him, saying, Declare thy name. And he answered, saying, My name is Legion; for we are many. And he besought him much, that 2/ he would not send them away out of the countery. 2/ Now there was there, nigh unto the Mountains, a great herd of swine feeding. And all the Devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine that we may enter into them. And forth with Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, & entered into the swine; & the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, & they 3/ were about two thousand, & were choked in the sea. 3/ And they that fed the swine fled, & told the people in the City, & in the Country, all that was done unto the swine. & And they went out to see what it was that was done. And they came to Jesus, & saw him that was possessed with the Devil, & had the Legion, sitting, & Clothed, & in his right mind; & they 4/ were afraid. 4/ And they that saw the Maricle [miracle], told them that came out, how it befell him that was possessed with the devil, and how the Devil was cast out, & concerning the swine. & And they began immediately to 5/ pray him to depart out of their coast. 5/ And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the Devil, Spake to Jesus, & prayed him that he might be with him. Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but said unto him, Go home to thy friends & tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, & hath had compassion on thee. And he departed, & began to publish in Decapolis, how great things Jesus had done for him; & all that heard him did marvel. [p. 16 (second numbering)]
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