Textus Receptus Bibles
Julia E. Smith Translation 1876
| 9:1 | And Job will answer and say, |
| 9:2 | I knew that so the truth: and how shall man be just with God? |
| 9:3 | If he shall desire to contend with him, he shall not answer him one from a thousand. |
| 9:4 | Wise of heart and strong of power: who was hard before him and shall be requited? |
| 9:5 | Removing the mountains and they knew not: who overturned them in his anger; |
| 9:6 | Moving the earth from her place, and her pillars will tremble; |
| 9:7 | Saying to the sun, and it shall not rise; and for the stars he will seal them up |
| 9:8 | He alone spread out the heavens and he trod upon the heights of the sea. |
| 9:9 | He made Ash-Chesil and Cimah, and the chambers of the south; |
| 9:10 | He did great things even not searched out; and wonders even no number. |
| 9:11 | Behold, he will pass by me, and I shall not see: and he will glide on and I shall not understand for him. |
| 9:12 | Behold, he will catch and who shall turn him? and who shall say to him, What wilt thou do? |
| 9:13 | God will not turn back his anger, the helpers of pride bowed down under him. |
| 9:14 | How much less shall I answer him, shall I choose my words with him? |
| 9:15 | Whom, if I was just, I shall not answer; I will make supplication to my judge. |
| 9:16 | If I called and he will answer me, I shall not believe that he will give ear to my voice. |
| 9:17 | Who will assail me with tempest, and he multiplied my wounds without cause. |
| 9:18 | He will not give me to draw in my spirit, for he will fill me with bitterness. |
| 9:19 | If for strength, behold him strong: if for judgment, who shall arraign me |
| 9:20 | If I shall be just, my mouth shall condemn me: I am blameless, and he will declare me perverse. |
| 9:21 | I am blameless, I shall not know my soul: I shall despise my life. |
| 9:22 | It is one: for this, I said, The blameless one and the unjust one he finishes. |
| 9:23 | If the scourge shall fall suddenly, he will deride at the trial of the innocent |
| 9:24 | The earth was given into the hand of the unjust one: he will cover the faces of her judges; if not now, who is it? |
| 9:25 | My days were swift above a runner: they fled, they saw not good. |
| 9:26 | They glided along with the ships of desire: as the eagle will pounce upon food. |
| 9:27 | If my saying, I will forget my complaint, I will let go my face, and I will be cheerful: |
| 9:28 | I was afraid of all my pains, I knew that thou wilt not acquit me. |
| 9:29 | Shall I do evil, wherefore this shall I labor in vain? |
| 9:30 | If I washed myself in snow-water, and cleansed my hands clean; |
| 9:31 | Then thou wilt immerse me in the ditch, and my garments abhorred me. |
| 9:32 | For not a man as I; I shall answer him, we shall come together in judgment |
| 9:33 | There is not between us a reprover; he will put his hand upon us two. |
| 9:34 | He will take away his rod from me, and his truth shall not make me afraid. |
| 9:35 | I will speak, and I shall not fear him; but not so am I with myself. |
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.