About this
Translation
This work is not in any sense presented as a definitive translation. It is essentially a non-scholarly version for the non-scholarly reader. It is based primarily upon the standard Greek Bible, published by the Orthodox Church of Greece (1991 edition). The order of books follows that of the Greek Bible, as do the arrangement and numbering of chapters and verses. There are two additions from the Slavonic, namely the Prayer of Manasseh and 3 Ezra. The Prayer of Manasseh was contained in the Book of Odes, which is drawn from both Old and New Testaments, and was found in some editions of the Greek Bible. Here it is taken from the Slavonic, and is appended to 2 Chronicles as it is in the Slavonic. 3 Ezra is also taken from the Slavonic, and placed at the end of the Old Testament as it is in the Slavonic, but before 4 Maccabees, which is not in the Slavonic but forms an appendix to the Old Testament in the Greek. The Slavonic text used is that of the Russian Bible Society reprint of 1997.
The present translation is therefore based entirely upon texts which belong to eastern tradition, rather than western scholarship. They are followed uncritically, with no attempt at reconciliation or conformity with any other text or version, and with the objective of presenting the content of Holy Scripture to the English reader in a form that will be closer to that in which it was received by the early Church, without theological, scholarly, or denominational bias derived from later times, although a Christian point of view is assumed throughout. Every effort is made to produce in good, readable, but not necessarily modern English, a version that will be faithful to the plain sense of the original texts, resorting neither to slavish literalism nor free interpretation, preserving as far as possible the idiom of the original language, maintaining the character and dignity of the ancient text, while also retaining something of the familiar style of the traditional English Bible.
The style of English used is evolving as the project proceeds. It must be thoroughly readable, having a good natural flow, and make good English sense, but contemporary idiom and modernisation for its own sake are avoided. A particular problem is that of the second person singular (thee/thou), which modern English no longer uses, but the biblical languages most certainly do. After much consideration It has been decided to drop it in the narrative, except where it is crucial to the sense, but to retain it in some poetic or liturgical sections, such as the Psalms. Similarly, the –eth endings of the third person singular are for the most part dropped, but may occasionally be used in a poetic context. Proper names present another problem. Names of persons and places, originally Hebrew but transliterated into Greek, are on the whole unfamiliar to the English reader and make very awkward reading. For this reason the more prominent names are, for the most part, retained in their familiar anglicised form, which generally follows the Hebrew. The more obscure names, such as those that occur in long lists, will normally follow their Hebrew form, except where the Greek indicates a completely different name, in which case the Greek form will be followed. Really there is no hard and fast rule, and often the result is a compromise, smoothed over for the sake of readability in English.
Paragraphing follows that of the Greek Bible with occasional modifications according to context. Capitalisation follows normal English usage, but is on the whole quite restrained. Most other features of the translation, its style, and presentation will be self-apparent to the reader. It is offered humbly, in a spirit of deep reverence, and with an emphasis on the devotional rather then the theological or scholarly. Translation according to plain sense is aimed at rather than either literal correctness or dynamic equivalence. If the sense is obscure it is left obscure, with no attempt to force an interpretation.
It is the conviction of this
translator that his approach must be similar to that of an icon painter. He may
establish his own style, but with strict limitations. He is not free to pursue
his own artistic imagination. He seeks to paint a literary and verbal icon. It
must be an object of spiritual, as well as literary beauty. It is the word of
God, through which the Spirit of God lives and breathes. It is the icon of
Christ, the living Word, who is made manifest in the written word that speaks of
him.