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.
great fever; and they besought him for her, to heal her. and he stood over her, and rebuked the fever, and it left her; and immediately she arose and administerd unto them. 11/ Now, when the sun was setting, all they who had any sick with divers diseases, brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them. and Devils also came out of many, crying out and saying, Thou art Christ; the son of God. and he, arebuking them, & suffered them not to speak; for they knew that he was chist. 12/ and when it was day, he departed, and went into a Solatary place; and the people sought him, and came unto him; and desired him that he should not depart from them. but he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other Cities, also, for therefore am I sent. and he preached in the Synegogues of Gallilee.
Chapter 5th
And it came to pass, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two ships standing on the Lake; but the fisher men wer gone out of them, and were wetting their nets. And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simons, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. and he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. 2/ Now, when he had done speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering, said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night and have taken nothing, nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had done this, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes; and their net brake, and they beconed unto parteners who were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. and they came and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw the Multitude of fishes, he fell down at Jesus knees, saying, depart from me; for I am a sinfull man, O Lord. For he was astonished, and all who were with him, at the draught of the fishes, which they had taken; and so were also James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. and Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not from henceforth, for thou shalt catch men. and when they had brought their ships to land, the forsook all, and followed him. 3/ and it came to pass, when he was in a [p. 56 (second numbering)]
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