Textus Receptus Bibles
Julia E. Smith Translation 1876
| 9:1 | For truly, concerning the service to the holy ones, it is superfluous for me to write to you: |
| 9:2 | For I know your forwardness, which I boast of for you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was prepared from last year; and zeal from you excited the many more. |
| 9:3 | And I sent the brethren, lest our boasting for you be empty in this part; that, as I said, ye might be prepared: |
| 9:4 | Lest if in some way the Macedonians come with me, and find you unprepared, we should be ashamed, (that we should not say, ye) in this principle of boasting. |
| 9:5 | Therefore I thought necessary to beseech the brethren that they go before to you, and prepare beforehand your praise, having been proclaimed beforehand, this same to be prepared, so as praise, and not as covetousness. |
| 9:6 | And this, He sowing sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he sowing in praises shall reap also in praises. |
| 9:7 | Each as he chooses in the heart; not of grief, or of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver. |
| 9:8 | And God able for all grace to abound in you; having always all sufficiency in everything, ye abound in every good work: |
| 9:9 | (As has been written, He scattered; he gave to the poor: his justice remains forever. |
| 9:10 | And now he furnishing seed to him sowing, and bread for food, furnish and multiply your sowing-season, and increase the fruits of your justice;) |
| 9:11 | Enriched in everything in all simplicity, which works through us gratitude to God. |
| 9:12 | For the service of this office is not only filling up the wants of the saints, but also abounding through many thanks to God; |
| 9:13 | By the proof of this service honouring God for the subjection of your assent to the good news of Christ, and to the simplicity of mutual participation to them and to all; |
| 9:14 | And by their prayer for you, longing for you through the exceeding grace of God upon you. |
| 9:15 | And grace to God for his indescribable gift. |
Julia E. Smith Translation 1876
The Julia Evelina Smith Parker Translation is considered the first complete translation of the Bible into English by a woman. The Bible was titled The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues, and was published in 1876.
Julia Smith, of Glastonbury, Connecticut had a working knowledge of Latin, Greek and Hebrew. Her father had been a Congregationalist minister before he became a lawyer. Having read the Bible in its original languages, she set about creating her own translation, which she completed in 1855, after a number of drafts. The work is a strictly literal rendering, always translating a Greek or Hebrew word with the same word wherever possible. Smith accomplished this work on her own in the span of eight years (1847 to 1855). She had sought out no help in the venture, even writing, "I do not see that anybody can know more about it than I do." Smith's insistence on complete literalness, plus an effort to translate each original word with the same English word, combined with an odd notion of Hebrew tenses (often translating the Hebrew imperfect tense with the English future) results in a translation that is mechanical and often nonsensical. However, such a translation if overly literal might be valuable to consult in checking the meaning of some individual verse. One notable feature of this translation was the prominent use of the Divine Name, Jehovah, throughout the Old Testament of this Bible version.
In 1876, at 84 years of age some 21 years after completing her work, she finally sought publication. The publication costs ($4,000) were personally funded by Julia and her sister Abby Smith. The 1,000 copies printed were offered for $2.50 each, but her household auction in 1884 sold about 50 remaining copies.
The translation fell into obscurity as it was for the most part too literal and lacked any flow. For example, Jer. 22:23 was given as follows: "Thou dwelling in Lebanon, building as nest in the cedars, how being compassionated in pangs coming to thee the pain as in her bringing forth." However, the translation was the only Contemporary English translation out of the original languages available to English readers until the publication of The British Revised Version in 1881-1894.(The New testament was published in 1881, the Old in 1884, and the Apocrypha in 1894.) This makes it an invaluable Bible for its period.