Textus Receptus Bibles
Julia E. Smith Translation 1876
| 4:1 | Lords, render ye to servants Justice and equality; knowing that ye also have a Lord in the heavens. |
| 4:2 | In prayer persevere, watching in it in gratitude |
| 4:3 | Praying together also for us, that God would open to us a door of the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, by which also I was bound; |
| 4:4 | That I might manifest, as is fitting for me to speak. |
| 4:5 | In wisdom walk toward them without, purchasing the time. |
| 4:6 | Your word always in grace, Seasoned with salt, to know how it is fitting for you to answer one another. |
| 4:7 | All things concerning me shall Tychicus make known to you, a dearly beloved brother, and a faithful servant and fellowservant in the Lord: |
| 4:8 | Whom I sent to you for this same, that he might know the things concerning you, and comfort your hearts; |
| 4:9 | With Onesimus, the faithful and dearly beloved brother, who is of you. They shall make known to you all the thing here. |
| 4:10 | Aristarchus my fellowcaptive greets you, and Marcus, sister's son to Barnabas, (for whom ye received commands: if he come to you, receive him;) |
| 4:11 | And Jesus, called Justus, they being of the circumcision. These only fellow workers in the kingdom of God, which were a consolation to me. |
| 4:12 | Epaphras, who of you, greets you, a servant of Christ, always contending for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfected and completed in all the will of God. |
| 4:13 | For I bear testimony to him, that he has much zeal for you, and for them in Laodicea, and for them in Hierapolis. |
| 4:14 | Luke, the dearly beloved physician, greets you, and Demas. |
| 4:15 | Greet the brethren in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church in his house. |
| 4:16 | And when the epistle shall be read among you, make that also it be read to the church in Laodicea; and that ye also read that from Laodicea. |
| 4:17 | And say to Archippus, Look out for the service which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fill it. |
| 4:18 | The greeting of Paul by my hand. Remember my bonds. Grace with you. Amen. |
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.