| Select Parts of the Holy Bible for the use of the Negro Slaves in the British West-India Islands | |
|---|---|
 The title page of an excerpted bible printed for reading to slaves, London 1807. Passages such as most of the Book of Exodus are removed. | |
| Complete Bible published | 1807 |
| Derived from | King James Version (1611) |
| Translation type | Formal equivalence |
| Copyright | Public domain |
The creation of heaven and earth. Of man in the image of god. The appointment of food. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. | |
TheSelect Parts of the Holy Bible for the use of the Negro Slaves in the British West-India Islands, shortly known as theSlave Bible, is an abbreviated version of theBible specifically made for teaching a pro-slavery version ofChristianity toenslaved people in theBritish West Indies. Over 90% of theOld Testament and over 50% of theNew Testament were removed from the Bible in this edition.[1]
The Slave Bible was produced in England in the early 19th century for use in theBritish West Indies.[2] All "references to freedom and escape from slavery" were removed, while passages encouraging obedience and submission were emphasized.[3] These references emphasizing loyalty and submission to the slave master were instructions handed down byBeilby Porteus (then Bishop of London), who stated: "prepare a short form of public prayer, together with select portions of scripture particularly those which relate of the slave duties toward the master."[4]
British missionaries used it in the education and conversion of the enslaved population. The editors included only 10 percent of theOld Testament and half of theNew Testament. For example, among the excluded passages areGalatians 3:28 which states: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus". Exodus 21:16 and Deuteronomy 23:15–16 were also removed.[1]
The publishers of the Slave Bible thought these sections, such asthe Exodus, thePsalms, and theBook of Revelation, "could instill in slaves a dangerous hope for freedom and dreams of equality".[1] Passages likeEphesians 6:5, "Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, withfear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ", were retained.[5] TheMuseum of the Bible, during a 2018 exhibition called "The Slave Bible: Let the Story Be Told", exhibited an example from 1807. This bible was one of three copies of this version, and is owned byFisk University. It was printed by Law and Gilbert of London, for the Society for the Conversion of Negro Slaves.[6]
