Septuagint
For generations this was the principal complete English translation of the Septuagint, and it is still widely reprinted. Its scope is the Septuagint, or Greek Old Testament — the ancient Greek version of the Hebrew scriptures that circulated widely in the early church and shaped many of the Old Testament citations found in the New Testament — rendered here directly from the Greek. Classed as a fresh translation rather than a revision, it follows a formal philosophy, staying close to the wording and structure of its source. The base text is the Septuagint, substantially based on Codex Vaticanus as it was then edited. Two features distinguish it for modern readers: its English style is strongly nineteenth-century, in the idiom of its era, and its Greek base predates modern critical editions of the Septuagint. It has long served students, clergy, and general readers seeking access to the Greek Old Testament in English.