About This Translation This edition of The Book of Psalms in English is a new, updated version based on the classic English translation of the Greek Septuagint by Sir Lancelot Charles Lee Brenton. This new edition of The Book of Psalms builds on Brenton's classic work, with the goal of providing easier readability for the modern reader. Archaic language has been updated, and some grammatical changes have been made to aid readability and flow, and to conform to norms of contemporary American English. Modest corrections have also been made to Brenton's translation based on reference to the Greek text. Why Septuagint? The Septuagint (from the Latin for "seventy," also known as the LXX) is a 3rd century B.C. translation of the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek. As the Christian Gospel spread quickly among Gentiles and Hellenistic (Greek-speaking) Jews throughout the Roman Empire, the LXX became the Early Church's first Bible, with the Psalms as its hymn book. New Testament writers primarily favored the LXX wording when quoting the Old Testament. Knowledge of the LXX is therefore critical to understanding the mind of the early Church.