The Lexham English Septuagint, Second Edition (LES)

A Fresh Translation of the Septuagint

The Lexham English Septuagint (LES) is a new translation of the Septuagint, the Greek version of the Old Testament writings used during New Testament times and in the early church. Beautifully typeset in a comfortable, single-column format, the LES provides a literal, readable, and transparent English edition of the Septuagint for modern readers. Retaining the familiar forms of personal names and places, the LES gives readers the ability to read it alongside their favored English Bible. Translated directly from Swete’s edition of the Septuagint, the LES maintains the meaning of the original text, making the Septuagint accessible to readers today.

The second edition of the LES makes more of an effort than the first to focus on the text as received rather than as produced. Because this approach shifts the point of reference from a diverse group to a single implied reader, the new LES exhibits more consistency than the first edition.

1304 pages

Familiarity with the Septuagint is vital for any interaction with both the New Testament authors and the Ancient Church, for by and large this was their Old Testament. There is then a need to have a good translation of the Septuagint, and this one, the second edition of the Lexham English Septuagint, fits the bill to a T. It is by far the best on the market in terms of both its reliable textual basis and its faithful, consistent, readable translation. I am thrilled to see this new edition out and honored to endorse it. .

–Michael A.G. Haykin, FRHistS, Chair and professor of Church History The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky