New Testament Revision 2 (second numbering)
New Testament Revision 2
Source Note
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; CHL.
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 so that the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS church) could publish it. It was in the possession of the RLDS church (now Community of Christ) until 2024, when The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints acquired it. The manuscript is now held at the Church History Library in Salt Lake City.
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.
Footnotes
- [1]
Call, “Copied from the Journal of Anson Call,” 9 and Cooper, “Spiritual Reminiscences, No. 2,” Autumn Leaves (January 1891): 18.
Call, Anson. “Copied from the Journal of Anson Call,” 1879. CHL. MS 4783.
Cooper, F. M. “Spiritual Reminiscences.—No. 2,” Autumn Leaves 4, no. 1 (Jan. 1891): 17–20.
- [2]
Emma Smith Bidamon, Nauvoo, IL, to Joseph Smith III, Plano, IL, 10 Feb. 1867, CCLA.
Bidamon, Emma Smith. Materials, 1842–1871. CCLA.
- [3]
The Holy Scriptures: Translated and Corrected by the Spirit of Revelation ([Plano, IL]: [Reorganized] Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 1867).
Historical Introduction
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.
Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? Couldest thou not watch one hour? Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into tempptation temptation. and they said unto him, The spirit truely <15/> is ready, but the flesh is weak. <15/> and again he went away and prayed, and spake then the same words. And when he returned, he found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; <16/> neither knew they what to answer him. <16/> when <And he> cameth <to them> the third time and he saith unto them, Sleep on <now> and take rest; it is enuff, the hour is come; behold the son of man is betrayed into the hand of sinners. And after they had finished their sleep, he <said,> Rise up, let us go; lo, he who b[e]trayeth me <17/> is at hand. <17> And immediately while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude, with swords and staves, from the cheif Priests, and the Scribes, and the Elders. And he who betrayed him, had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead him away safely. And <as> soon as he was come, he went <goeth> straightway to him and saith <said> master, master, and kissed him. <18> And they laid ther hands on him, and took him. <18> And one of them who stood by, drew his sword, and smote a servent of the high Priest, and cut off his ear. But Jesus commanded him to return his sword, saying, He who taketh the sword shall perish with the sword. And <19/> he put forth his finger, and healed the servent of the high Priest. <19/> And Jesus answered and said unto them, have <Are> ye come out as against a theif, with swords and staves to take me? I was daily with you in the Temple teaching, and ye took me not; but the Schripture must be fulfill<20/>ed <20> And the disciples, when they heard this saying, they all forsook him and fled. And there followed him a certain young man, <a disciple,> having a linnen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid <hold> on him, and he left the linnen cloth and fled from them naked, and saved him <21/> self out of their hands. <21/> And they led Jesus away to the high Priest, and with him were assembled all the cheif Priests, and the Elders, and the Scribes. And Peter followed him affar off, even into the pallace of the high Priest; and he sat with the servents and warmed himself at the <22> fire. <22<3>> And the cheif Preist and all the council, sought for wittness against <Jesus,> to put him to death; but found none; for <though> many bear fals wittness against him, but <yet> their wittness agreed not together. And there arose certain men, and bear <fals> wittness against him, saying, We heard him say, I will destroy this Temple that is made with hands, and in <within> three days I will build another made without hands; but neither did their wittness agree together. [p. 41 (second numbering)]
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