



Produced by Keith G Richardson




A TRANSLATION

OF THE

NEW TESTAMENT

FROM THE

ORIGINAL GREEK.

HUMBLY ATTEMPTED

WITH A VIEW TO ASSIST

THE UNLEARNED

WITH CLEARER AND MORE EXPLICIT VIEWS OF THE

_MIND OF THE SPIRIT_

IN THE

SCRIPTURES OF TRUTH.

BY T. HAWEIS, L.L. B.

RECTOR OF ALL-SAINTS, ALDWINCKLE, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE; AND CHAPLAIN TO THE
LATE COUNTESS OF HUNTINGDON.

London:

PRINTED FOR T. CHAPMAN,

NO. 151, FLEET-STREET.

1795.



PREFACE.

APPEARING before the Public as a translator of the Oracles of God, it
would ill become me to deprecate the severity of criticism, when I most
cordially desire the intelligent and learned of my brethren to point
out my mistakes for correction, and, in love and in the spirit of
meekness, to smite me friendly. Should, however, the shafts of
malignity, and the weapons not of our warfare, be employed against this
humble, yet well-meant, attempt to make the Scriptures better
understood, I shall endeavour to pluck the honey-comb from the lion's
carcase, and be thankful for real information, in whatever mode it may
be communicated.

Respecting highly, as I do, the translation of our Reformers, whose
language has dignity, and whose soundness in the faith I hope, living
and dying, to maintain, it must be acknowledged--that there are in our
present version, obscurities which may be avoided--words become in the
lapse of ages obsolete--expressions feeble and inexact--for which
others more accurate and energetic may be substituted--and in some
passages the sense embarrassed, and probably mistaken. To make
therefore the Scriptures as intelligible as I can to men of common
capacity, who are destitute of the knowledge of the Original, and
sometimes perhaps to suggest a sense not unworthy the adoption of the
judicious scholar, I have endeavoured to render every passage with the
most literal exactness--to use the most forcible and clear expressions
corresponding with the Original--not to omit a particle--preserving the
participles--and following, as much as the genius of our tongue will
permit, the exact order of the Greek words, persuaded that, thus
placed, the sense often receives clearness and energy.

To transfuse the spirit of the Original into a Translation must be
admitted to be very difficult in any language, peculiarly so where the
matters treated of are so weighty, and the words so significant, and
where holy men of God are speaking as they were moved by the Holy
Ghost, without whose continual light and teaching I humbly conceive no
man ever did or can understand and receive the things which are of the
Spirit of God, so as to know them as he ought to know.

As the words of the Spirit contain one precise meaning, and to
communicate his mind is the intention of Revelation, it must be our
endeavour not to leave them equivocal, but to fix a clear and
determinate idea to each, in exact conformity to the Original, that the
true sense may be understood, which can be but one.

That I have endeavoured to obtain this knowledge it is no presumption
to affirm. During forty years and upwards this blessed book of God hath
been continually in my hands--never a day hath passed in which it hath
not been matter of my meditation; I may venture to say I have read it
over more than an hundred times, and many of the passages much oftener.
I have consulted the works of the most godly and ingenious of the dead,
and often conversed with some of the ablest and most experienced
ministers of Christ among the living. I have at two different times of
my life translated and transcribed the whole of the New Testament, and
considered every word, and phrase, and passage, with attention: indeed
the leading object and employment of my whole life hath been to
discover and communicate to mankind the truth as it is in Jesus; and
every day have I bowed my knees to the Divine Interpreter, who giveth
wisdom and understanding to the simple, that he would lighten my
darkness, and shine into my heart, to give the light of the knowledge
of the glory of God, as it is manifested in the face of Jesus Christ.

I recommend to my readers to tread in the same path, looking up to the
Fountain of wisdom and knowledge. I am not ashamed to own my
conviction, that an unlearned person thus seriously attentive to the
Scriptures, and crying to God for the spirit of wisdom and revelation
in the knowledge of Him, will be led into all saving truth; and gain
greater and clearer discoveries of the mind of the Spirit in the
Scriptures than any mere natural man, however ingenious and learned. A
word, a phrase, an allusion, may indeed exercise critical acumen, and
afford a display for erudition; but the scope and tendency of the
Sacred Oracles, the doctrines therein revealed, the principles
inculcated, and the practice enjoined, never were, and never will be
truly known, but by those who are taught of God.

As the division of the Scripture into verses interrupts the subject,
and often embarrasses the sense, I have preferred paragraphs, placing
the verses of the old Version in the margin, for the sake of reference
and comparison; and though I have admitted the same division of
chapters, in a few instances they might be more judiciously arranged:
Matt. ii. 1. belongs to the former chapter, as also Acts, viii. 1.
Coloss. iv. 1.

I have only now to commend this labour of love to the divine
benediction. The Translation itself, and the necessary attentive
consideration of every passage, hath not, I trust, been without
instruction to myself, and some sweet savour of the truth: so far I
have already my reward. It will be highly enhanced if God my Saviour
deigns to make this service acceptable and profitable to his people,
and the means of communicating clearer and more explicit views of his
revealed will to the poor and unlearned of the flock. To them I have
long dedicated my life and my labours, believing that of such is the
kingdom of heaven.

Every attempt to make the Scriptures more read, and better understood,
must be acknowledged laudable. Should the present effort fail to answer
this end, it may yet provoke men of more wisdom and spiritual gifts, to
produce a translation more exact, and suited to general edification.
Then I shall be content to be forgotten.



THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW.

CHAP. I.

THE book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of
Abraham.

(2)Abraham begat Isaac, and Isaac begat Jacob, and Jacob begat Judas
and his brethren, (3)and Judas begat Phares, and Zara of Thamar, and
Phares begat Esrom, and Esrom begat Aram; (4)and Aram begat Amminadab,
and Amminadab begat Naasson, and Naasson begat Salmon, (5)and Salmon
begat Boaz of Rachab, and Boaz begat Obed of Ruth, and Obed begat
Jesse, (6)and Jesse begat David the king, and David the king begat
Solomon of her _that had been the wife_ of Urias, (7)and Solomon begat
Roboam, and Roboam begat Abia, and Abia begat Asa, (8)and Asa begat
Josaphat, and Josaphat begat Joram, and Joram begat Ozias, (9)and Ozias
begat Joatham, and Joatham begat Ahaz, and Ahaz begat Hezekias, (10)and
Hezekias begat Manasses, and Manasses begat Amon, and Amon begat
Josias, (11)and Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time
they were carried away to Babylon, (12)and after they were brought to
Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel, and Salathiel begat Zorobabel,
(13)and Zorobabel begat Abiud, and Abiud begat Eliakim, and Eliakim
begat Azor, (14)and Azor begat Sadoc, and Sadoc begat Achim, and Achim
begat Eliud, (15)and Eliud begat Eleazar, and Eleazar begat Matthan,
and Matthan begat Jacob, (16)and Jacob begat Joseph, the husband of
Mary, of whom is born Jesus, who is called Christ. (17)So all the
generations from Abraham to David _are_ fourteen generations, and from
David to the carrying away into Babylon fourteen generations, and from
the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ fourteen generations.

(18)Now the generation of Jesus Christ was attended with these
circumstances: His mother Mary being betrothed to Joseph, before they
cohabited together, she was found with child from the Holy Spirit.
(19)Then Joseph her husband being a just man, and not willing to expose
her publicly, designed to put her away privately. (20)And as he was
revolving the matter in his mind, behold, an angel of the Lord in a
dream appeared unto him, saying, Joseph, son of David, fear not to take
Mary for thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy
Spirit. (21)And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his
name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. (22)Now the
whole of this was done, that what was spoken of the Lord, by the
prophet, might be fulfilled, saying[1], (23)"A virgin shall be with
child and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name
Immanuel," which is being interpreted, God with us.

(24)Then Joseph when arisen from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord
commanded him, and took his wife; (25)and he knew her not, until she
had brought forth her son, the first begotten, and he called his name
Jesus.

CHAP. II.

NOW when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the
king, lo! Magians from the East came to Jerusalem, (2)saying, Where is
he that is born king of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the
East, and are come to pay him homage.

(3)Now when Herod the king heard this, he was much agitated, and all
Jerusalem with him. (4)And assembling all the chief priests and scribes
of the people, he enquired of them, where the Messiah should be born.

(5)Then they answered him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written
by the prophet[2], (6)"And thou Bethlehem, land of Judah, art in no
respect the least amongst the princes of Judah, for from thee shall go
forth the Ruler, who shall conduct my people Israel."

(7)Thereupon Herod secretly calling to him the Magians, enquired very
particularly of them the time of the star's appearing, (8)and sending
them to Bethlehem said, Go, and procure the most exact information
respecting this child; and when you have found him, bring me
intelligence, that I may come, and pay him homage also.

(9)So having heard the king, they went on; and lo, the star, which they
had seen in the East, had gone before them, till it came and stood over
the place where the infant was. (10)And when they saw the star, they
were exceedingly transported with joy. (11)And coming into the house,
they found the infant with Mary his mother, and falling prostrate, they
paid their homage to him. And opening their treasures, they made their
offerings to him, gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. (12)And having
received warning in a dream not to go back to Herod, they departed into
their own country by another road.

(13)Now when they were gone, behold an angel of the Lord appeared unto
Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the infant and his mother by
night, and flee into Egypt, and stay there, till I speak to thee, for
Herod will search for the infant to destroy it. (14)So rising up, he
took the babe and his mother by night, and retired into Egypt, (15)and
was there till the death of Herod; that what was spoken of the Lord by
the prophet, might be fulfilled, saying[3], "Out of Egypt have I called
my son."

(16)Then Herod, perceiving that he was treated delusively by the
Magians, was greatly exasperated, and he sent and slew all the male
infants, that were in Bethlehem, and in all its territories, from their
entering their second year and all under it, according to the time,
which he had accurately enquired from the Magians. (17)Then was
fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying[4], (18)"A
cry was heard at Ramah, lamentation, and wailing, and bitter moaning,
Rachel weeping for her children, and will not be comforted, because
they are no more."

(19)Now when Herod was dead, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in
a dream to Joseph in Egypt, (20)saying, Arise, and take the little boy
and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they who sought the
life of the infant are dead. (21)So he arose, and took the child and
his mother, and came unto the land of Israel. (22)But hearing that
Archelaus reigned in Judea in the stead of Herod his father, he was
afraid to go thither. And being divinely warned in a dream, he retired
into the country of Galilee, (23)and came and dwelt in a city called
Nazareth: that what was said by the prophets might be fulfilled, that
he shall be called a Nazarean.

CHAP. III.

THEN in those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the desert
country of Judea, (2)and saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is
nigh. (3)For this is the person spoken of by Isaiah the prophet,
saying[5], "The voice of one crying aloud in the wilderness, Prepare
the way of the Lord, make his paths strait." (4)Now this John had his
garment made of camel's hair, and a girdle of leather about his loins,
and his food was locusts and wild honey.

(5)Then went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea, and all the regions
about Jordan, (6)and were baptized by him in Jordan, on making
confession of their sins. (7)But when he saw many of the Pharisees and
of the Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, O ye broods of
vipers! who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (8)Produce
then worthy fruits of repentance: (9)and think not to say in
yourselves, We have Abraham for our father: for I say unto you, that
God is able out of these stones to raise up children to Abraham.
(10)And now also the ax is laid to the root of the trees: every tree
therefore which produceth not good fruit, is hewing down, and casting
into the fire. (11)I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but
he that is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not
worthy to carry: he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with
fire: (12)whose winnowing fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly
cleanse his threshing floor, and will collect the wheat into his
granary; but the chaff will he burn up with fire unquenchable.

(13)Then came Jesus from Galilee unto Jordan to John, that he might be
baptized by him. (14)But John earnestly withheld him, saying, I have
need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? (15)But Jesus
answering said unto him, Permit it to be so now, for thus it becometh
us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he permitted him. (16)And Jesus,
after his baptism, came straight from the water: and lo! the heavens
were opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as it were
a dove, and coming upon him: (17)and lo! a voice from the heavens,
saying, This is my Son, the beloved, in whom is my delight.

CHAP. IV.

THEN was Jesus led away by the spirit into the wilderness, to be
tempted by the devil. (2)And when he had fasted forty days and forty
nights, afterwards he became hungry. (3)And the tempter coming to him
said, If thou art the Son of God, command that these stones be made
loaves. (4)But he answering said, It is written[6], "Man shall not live
by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of
God."

(5)Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and placed him on a
wing of the temple, (6)and saith to him, If thou be the Son of God,
cast thyself down: for it is written[7], "that he shall give his angels
a charge concerning thee: and in their hands shall they hold thee up,
lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone." (7)Jesus said
unto him, It is written again[8], "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy
God."

(8)Again the devil taketh him unto an exceeding high mountain, and
sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory; (9)and
saith unto him, All these things will I give thee,