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.
knowest thou what these witness against thee? But Jesus held his peace. And the high Priest answered & said unto him, I adjure the by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus said unto him, Thou hast said; nevertheless, I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the son of man siting on the right hand of 24/ power, & coming in the clouds of heaven. 24/ Then the high Priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blaspheme; what further need have we of witnesses? Behold now ye have heard his blasphemy; What think ye? They answered & said, he is guilty and worthy of death. Then did they spit in his face, & buffiteded him; & others smote him with the palms of their hands, saying, Prophecy unto us, thou 25/ christ, who is it that smote? Thee? 25 Now peter sat without in the Pallace; & a Damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Gallilee. But he denyed before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. And when he was gone out into the Porch, another saw him, & said unto them, that were there, This man was also with Jesus of Nazereth. And again he denied with an oath, saying, I do not know the man. And after a while came they that stood by, & said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech betrayeth thee. Then began he to curse & to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the words of Jesus, which he said unto him, Before the Cock Crow thou shalt deny me thrice. & And he went out & wept bitterly
(Chapter 27)th
27 1/ When the morning was come, all the Chief priests & Elders of the People took council against Jesus, to put him to death. And when they had bound him, they led him away, & delivered him to Pontius Pilate 2/ the Govenor. 2/ Then Judas, who had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, & brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief Priests & Elders, saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innosent blood. & And they said unto him, What is that to us? See thou to it; thy sins be upon thee. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the Temple, & departed, & went & hanged himself on a tree. And straitway he fell down, & his bowels gushed out, & he died. 3/ And the Chief Priests took the Silver pieces, & said, It is not lawfull for to put them into the treasuery, because it is the price of blood. And they took council, & bought with them the potters field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field was called, The field [p. 4 (second numbering)]
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