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.
still, and commanded him to be called. And they called the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, arise, he calleth thee. And he, casting away his garment, arose, and came to Jesus. And Jesus said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? And the blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith has made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus in the way.
Chapter (11)
1/ And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethpage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and said unto them, Go your way into the Village over against you; and as soon as ye have entered into it, ye shall find a colt tyed, whereon no man ever sat; loose him, and bring him to me. And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this. Say ye, that the Lord hath need of him; and straight 2/ way he will send him hither. 2/ And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without, in a place where two ways met; and they loosed him. And certain of them who stood by, said unto the disciples, Why loose ye the colt? and they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded; and they let them 3/ go. 3 And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on it; and Jesus sat upon it. And many spread their garments in the way; and others cut down branches off of the the trees and strewed them in the way. And they that went before him, and they that followed after, cryed, saying, Hosanah; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; That bringeth the kingdom of our father David; Blessed is he that cometh 4/ in the name of the Lord; Hosanah in the highest. 4/ And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the Temple. And when he had looked round about upon all things, and blessed the disciples, the even tide was come; and he went out unto Bethany with the twelve. 5/ And on the morrow, when they came from Bethany, he was hungary; and seeing a fig tree affar off having leaves, he came to it with his [p. 31 (second numbering)]
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