Mutilating the Bible.

Hastings Standard, Issue 29, 30 May 1896, Page 4

Mutilating the Bible.

The Board of Education of Chicago has now completed its version of the Bible for use in schools. The Committee who have had charge of this work have expunged all passages or incidents which seemed to the members in the least degree questionable. The " revised version " of the Bible says Dalziel, has been in preparation for some years. It contains only two prayers, one being the Lord's Prayer, which is set to music. The twentythird psalm also finds a place in it. The Song of Solomon is omitted entirely ; so also are the stories of .Jacob and Sarah. The Psalms have been greatly cut, so that only terse extracts appear. The story of Joseph has been treated serially, each adventure being narrated in a separate chapter: the Potiphar episode is left out. The revised Bible opens with the thirtieth arid thirty-first verses of the twelfth chapter of the Gospel according to Mark, followed by the tenth chapter of the same Gospel. Then come the Proverbs and the Book of Job, and the other selected passages. The whole volume consists only of 200 pages of large print. A Westminster Gazette representative, who had a chat on the subject with Mr Henry Frowde, of the Oxford University Press, learnt that this Chicago version of the Bible is not so unique as some might suppose, a publication of a very similar kind having been in course of publication for some years bf the Oxford Press. This is an edition of the various books of the Bible suitable for use in schools and for young read is generally, of which the Rev. H. M. Clifford, M.A.. is the editor. As in the case of the Chicago version, passages to which exception could be taken are omitted from those volumes, while comments and annotations are also supplied. The following are believed to be among the passages omitted in the new American Protestant Bible : And God saw everything that he bad made, and heboid it was very good. (Gen. 1, 31.) And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. (Gen. vi, 6.) And the Lord- spake to Moses *<> /'<nv, as a man speaketh to his friend. (Ex. xxxiii, 11.) No man has seen God at any time. (John i, 18.) With God all things are possible. (Matt, xix, 26.) And the Lord was with Judah, and he drove out the inhabitants ol the mountain, but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley because they had chariots of iron. (Judges i, 19.) And it came to pass after these things that God did tempt Abraham. (Gen. xxii, 1.) Let no man say when he is tempted, " lain tempted of God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man. (James i, 18.) Thou shalt not kill. (Ex. xx, 13.) Thus saith the Lord God of Israel. Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour. (Ex. xxxii. 27.)

Thoa shalt not bear false witness. (Ex. xx, 16.) And there came forth a spirit and stood before the Lord and said .... I will go forth and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets ; and he sait . Go forth and do so. Now, therefore, behold the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the month of all thcf■> thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee. (1 Kings xxii, 21, 22, 23.) Toon shalt not steal. (Ex. xx, 15) When ye go, ye shall not go empty ; bnt every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourned in her house, jewels of silver and jewels of gold, and raiment; and ye shall put them upon your sons, and apon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians. (Ex. iii, 21, 22.) Thou shalt not commit adnlterv. (Ex, xx, 14.) When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies and the Lord thy God hath delivered them into thine hands .... and seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and thou hast a desire unto her that thou wouldst have her to thy wife ; then thou shalt bring her home to thine house .... and after that thou shalt .... be her husband and she shall be thy wife. (Dent, xxi, 10, 11, 12, 1:3.) Now, therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman . but all the woinea children keep alive for yourselves. (Num. xxxi, 17, 18.) The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are all His works. (145 th Psalm, 9.) And Joshua did unto them as the Lord bade him. He houghed their horses and burnt their chariots with fire . . . and smote all the souls that were therein with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them ; there was not any left to breathe. . . . And, all the spoil of these cities and the cattle the children of Israel took for a prey unto themselves, but every man they smote with the edge of the sword." (Joshua, xi, 9,11.)