uscripts in the world, and following in the steps of Lachman by editing solely from ancient authority, has brought the text of the New Testament to a degree of perfection not anticipated or even hoped for in past ages. It is a high recommendation of this translation, and will command for it an additional respect from all competent judges, that it follows this highly improved text. Readers will be able by this to see what is the Bible and what is not. It is not claimed for the text of Tischendorf that it is perfect; no text can be; but it is claimed for it, that it retains no known interpolation in the sacred books, and omits nothing known to belong to them. Future laborers will doubtless make some improvements on the text of Tischendorf, as he has done on that of Lachman; but they cannot be expected to change it essentially.

I have deviated from Tischendorf in omitting Jesus as the proper name of Barabbas in two instances in Matt. xxv. 4, and occasionally in punctuation, and have retained two important interpolations in the text, duly noted as such, Mark, xvii. and John, x. 8.

The recent work of Trench on the English Bible came to hand after considerable progress had been made in stereotyping this volume. The translator was highly gratified to find that nearly all the improvements and corrections suggested by that eminent scholar were already made in this work, together with many others.

The arrangement of the books and divisions of the chapters and verses in this Translation are believed to be great improvements on those in common use. As such they are

commended to the attention of translators and editors in different languages, and it is hoped will be found satisfactory.

The chronology of the New Testament is involved in great obscurity. The Christian Era was first proposed by Dionysius Exiguus, about A.D. 550, and was gradually adopted in the seventh and eighth centuries. By a mistake of Dionysius it was made to commence from four to six years too late. The birth of Christ was from 4 to 6 B.C.; his baptism, in the fifteenth year of Tiberius, A.D. 24; his death, probably, A.D. 28; and the events recorded in the first part of Acts prior to the death of Herod, A.D 44, occurred considerably earlier than the dates usually assigned to them.

Matthew and Luke probably wrote their gospels A.D. 62 or 63; Mark and John, theirs A.D. 65-68. Acts was written A.D. 63. All the books of the New Testament were probably written before the destruction of Jerusalem, in the interval of seventeen years from A.D. 53 to 70.

The author of Revelation bears the same name as one of the Evangelists. But this does not prove that he was the same person, neither is the church tradition on the subject entitled to undoubted confidence. The author of Revelation does not claim to be an apostle; and by not making that claim in a book so extraordinary, virtually teaches that he is not such. His style also presents points of diversity from that of the Evangelist, that seem to be incompatible with the supposition that the same author wrote both works.

With these few explanations I commend this volume to the acceptance and blessing of our kind Father in heaven, and send it forth, accompanied with many prayers, to call men from sin to holiness, and from death and sorrow to the only true life and joy.

BOSTON, Mass., October, 1858.

THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW.

CHAPTER I.

THE GENEALOGY AND BIRTH OF CHRIST.

1 AN account of the birth of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham begat Isaac, and Isaac begat Jacob, and Jacob begat Judah and his brothers; and Judah begat Pharez and Zarah by Thamar; and Pharez begat Hezron, and Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Aminadab, and Aminadab begat Nashon, and Nashon begat Salmon, and Salmon begat Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz begat Obed by Ruth, and Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David the king.

2 And David begat Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon begat Rehoboam, and Rehoboam begat Abijah, and Abijah begat Asa, and Asa begat Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat begat Jehoram, and Jehoram begat Uzziah, and Uzziah begat Jotham, and Jotham begat Ahaz, and Ahaz begat Hezekiah, and Hezekiah begat Manassah, and Manassah begat Amon, and Amon begat Josiah, and Josiah begat Jechoniah and his brothers at the Babylonian exile.

3 After the Babylonian exile, Jechoniah begat Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begat Zerubabel, and Zerubabel begat Abiud, and Abiud begat Eliakim, and Eliakim begat Azar, and Azar begat Zadoc, and Zadoc begat Achim, and Achim begat Eliud, and Eliud begat Eleazar, and Eleazar begat Matthan, and Matthan begat Jacob, and Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, called Christ. All the generations therefore, from Abraham to David, are fourteen generations; and from