Analytical-Literal Translation of the OT - Volume Four

The Analytical-Literal Translation of the Old Testament (ALT: OT) is available in five volumes. This Old Testament is based on the Greek Septuagint (LXX). The LXX is a third century B.C. Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. This ALT: OT will enable the reader to come as close to the Greek text as possible without having to be proficient in Greek.

This fourth volume contains the Prophetic Books (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi). In these books, the LORD, speaking through His prophets, denounces Israel, Judah, and surrounding nations for their sins. These warnings are applicable to us today, as the USA and other nations are now engaging in similar sins. But there is also much uplifting material in these books, with the prophets expressing strong faith in the LORD in the face of hardships.

Paperback: 190 pages (8-1/2”x11”). $10.75. Order from the publisher via their website: Amazon.

Hardback: 190 pages (8-1/2”x11”). $18.50. Order from the publisher via their website: Amazon.

PDF (Acrobat Reader) eBook: 311 pages (6”x9”). 3,024 KB. $3.50. Order and download from the publisher via their website: Lulu Publishing.

ePUB (for iPad, Nook, etc.) eBook: $3.75. Order and download from the publisher via their website: Lulu Publishing.

Paperback: 190 pages (8-1/2”x11”). $11.50. Order from the publisher via their website: Lulu Publishing.

Hardback: 190 pages (8-1/2”x11”). $19.50. Order from the publisher via their website: Lulu Publishing.

The “Regular” paperback and hardback versions of the ALT: OT listed above are printed on 8-1/2”x11” pages in double columns using Times New Roman 10-point font. However, there is also available a Personal Size Version. It is printed on 6” x 9” pages in single columns using the same font size, Times 10. Many requested this smaller page size, so I am making it available. However, due to the smaller page size, the number of pages and thus the cost of the book is greater.

Paperback: 336 pages. $11.99. Order from the publisher via their website: Amazon.

Hardback: 336 pages. $19.75. Order from the publisher via their website: Amazon.

Paperback: 336 pages. $12.25. Order from the publisher via their website: Lulu Publishing.

Hardback: 336 pages. $20.25. Order from the publisher via their website: Lulu Publishing.

Notes: Different formats and publishers might have different covers, but the content is the same in all of them. The newest version of the ALT: OT published in 2023 is a corrected text not a full new edition. Only minor corrections have been made, plus the appendixes and covers have been updated. Look for “2023” in the copyright notices on pages 2 and 4 for the latest version.

The Kindle versions of the ALT listed on both Amazon pages are identical. It has just been duplicated on each page.

Also, I've been asked about reducing the number of volumes of the ALT by combining some of the volumes. That would not be possible due to page limitations with my current method of publishing my books and technical difficulties of working with what would be very large files.

The links to Amazon are advertising links, for which I receive a commission in addition to my royalty if a product is purchased after following the link.

Note: The paperback and hardback versions of the ALT are in double columns. But it is not possible to reproduce that format here.

The Analytical-Literal Translation of the Holy Bible (ALT) is translated by Gary F. Zeolla (www.Zeolla.org). The ALT consists of seven volumes. They are.

Volumes I to IV contain the Old Testament (OT). All 39 of these books are considered canonical by Jews and all Christian groups. The word “canon” means list of authoritative books, so canonical books are those which are included in this list. They are believed to be inspired by God and reliable for basing doctrine and practice upon. As such, all 39 of these OT books are a trustworthy guide to correct faith and practice and to spiritual enrichment.

Volume V is the Apocryphal/ Deuterocanonical (A/D) Books. These are the “extra” books found in the OTs of Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Bibles as compared to Jewish Bibles and the OTs of Protestant Bibles. There is much debate over if these books are canonical or not. They were all written in the period between the end of the OT and the beginning of the New Testament (NT). They are thus included in the ALT as, inspired or not, they are worth reading and provide background to the NT.

Volume VI contains the NT. All 27 of these books are considered canonical by all Christian groups. They are thus the bedrock on which Christian doctrine and practice are built upon and provide much spiritual benefit.

Volume VII of the ALT contains the Apostolic Fathers (APF). These are the writings of Church leaders of the late first to mid-second centuries, most of whom were direct disciples of the apostles. Some of these books were seriously considered for inclusion in the canon of the NT. These are marked with an asterisk on the Table of Contents. They were ultimately rejected for the canon, but all of these APF books were popular in the early centuries of the Church. They give insight into the mindset of the early Church shortly after the apostles and provide background to the NT. As such, they are very much worth reading.

[the] – Words added for clarity are bracketed (e.g., Isaiah 1:1). But note, very often the definite article (“the”) is not used in the LXX with the word kurios (“LORD” or “Lord”). But the added article is not bracketed in this case only as its frequency made it prohibitive to do so.

[Heb 2:6-8] – Reference for when the OT is quoted in the NT or the OT in the OT (e.g., Isaiah 6:10).

“trouble” – Meaning of a proper name, placed in quotation marks (e.g., Isaiah 1:1).

about – Modern-day equivalent for measurements and monetary units (e.g., Isaiah 7:23).

and elsewhere in – The bracketed information applies to other occurrences of the preceding word or phrase in the given range, but not necessarily to all occurrences (e.g., Isaiah 5:4).

and throughout/ and in – The bracketed information applies to all occurrences of the preceding word or phrase throughout the given range (e.g., e.g., Isaiah 16:3).

fig. – Figurative. Possible figurative meaning or paraphrase of preceding literal translation (e.g., Isaiah 1:14).

Gr. – Greek. The Greek word previously translated, with the Greek letters transliterated (changed) into English letters (e.g., Isaiah 5:14).

Heb. – Hebrew. Indicates the reading of the Hebrew OT when there is a notable difference between it and the LXX. But note, no attempt is made to indicate all differences between these two texts (e.g., Isaiah 5:24).

i.e. – Explanatory note (“that is” or “in explanation”) (e.g., Isaiah 1:1).

lit. – Literal. Indicates the literal rendering when the text uses a less than literal rendering (e.g., Isaiah 2:6).

LXX – Septuagint. Very often, the spelling of proper names in the LXX differs from how the name is commonly spelled. For notable names, the common spelling is used in the text, but the first time it appears in a book, the LXX spelling is also given (e.g., Isaiah 1:1). But note, no attempt is made to give the common spelling for all names.

or – Alternative, traditional, or slightly less literal translation (e.g., Isaiah 2:2).

But – Indicates the use of the Greek strong adversative (alla – e.g., Isaiah 3:6) instead of the weak adversative (de, translated as “but” when used in an adversative sense – e.g., Isaiah 1:2).

LORD – Lord – The former indicates the Hebrew OT has Yahweh (the Hebrew proper name for God –Isaiah 1:2). The latter indicates the Hebrew OT has adonai (the general word for “lord”) or that there is no equivalent in the Hebrew OT for the LXX’s use of “Lord” (Gr., kurios – e.g., Isaiah 5:13). When the LXX has “God” (Gr., theos) where the Hebrew has Yahweh, “GOD” is used (e.g., Isaiah 6:12).

you – Indicates the pronoun is emphasized in the Greek text (also, he, she, etc. – e.g., Isaiah 1:2).

you* – Indicates the original is plural (also, your* – e.g., Isaiah 1:4). With no asterisk the second person pronoun is singular (e.g., Isaiah 1:25).

Isaiah 53

O LORD, who believed our report? And to whom was the arm of the LORD revealed? ²We reported before Him as a child. [He is] as a root in a thirsting land; there is no form nor glory to Him; and we saw Him, but He was not having form nor beauty. ³But His form [was] dishonored, failing [fig., inferior to] all people of humanity, being in misfortune, and knowing to be carrying sickness, for His face has been turned away; He was dishonored, and not accounted [fig., esteemed].

⁴This [One] bears our sins, and suffered pain for us; yet we accounted Him to be in toil, and in misfortune, and in mistreatment. ⁵But He was wounded because of our iniquities, and was softened [fig., bruised] because of our sins; [the] discipline of our peace [was] upon Him; [and] by His wound[s] we were healed. [1Peter 2:24; cp., Rom 4:25; Heb 5:8; 9:28] ⁶All we as sheep were led astray; [every] person was led astray in his [own] way; but the LORD gave Him up for our sins. [cp. 1Peter 2:25]

⁷And He, because of having been mistreated, did not open [His] mouth; He was led as a sheep to slaughter, and as a lamb before the one shearing, He [was] silent, thus He does not open His mouth. [cp. Matt 26:63; 27:12-14; Mark 14:61; 15:5; Luke 23:9; John 19:9] ⁸In [His] humiliation His judgment was taken away; who will declare His generation? For His life is taken away from the earth. [Acts 8:32,33] “Because of the iniquities of My people He was led to death. ⁹And I will give the wicked [people] for His burial, and the rich [people] for His death; for He did no iniquity, nor was deceit found in His mouth.”

¹⁰And the LORD desires to purge Him of His misfortune. If you* shall give [an offering] for sin, your* soul will see a long-lived seed. ¹¹And the LORD desires to take away from the suffering of His soul, to show to Him light, and to form [Him] with understanding; to justify a just [person] serving many [people] well; and He will bear their sins. ¹²Therefore He will inherit many [people], and He will divide [the] spoils of the strong [ones]; instead of which His soul was delivered to death; and He was counted among the lawless [people]; and He bore [the] sins of many [people], and was delivered up because of their sins.

[i.e., The word “Servant” and the pronouns are capitalized in the preceding five paragraphs because the NT writers quote from this passage as being a prophecy of Christ, as the cross references indicate.]

Jeremiah 1

The word of God which came upon Jeremiah [“Appointed by the LORD” – LXX, Jeremias] the [son] of Hilkiah [LXX, Chelcias], from the priests, who was dwelling in Anathoth in [the] land of Benjamin, ²[to] whom [the] word of GOD came to him in the days of Josiah son of Amom [LXX, Amos] king of Judah [LXX, Juda], in [the] thirteenth year in his reign. ³And it was in the days of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah king of Judah, until [the] eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, until the captivity of Jerusalem in the fifth month. [i.e., 608-586 BC]

⁴And [the] word of the LORD came to me, saying, ⁵“Before Me to form you [fig., I formed you] in [the] womb, I know you; and before you came forth from [the] womb, I have sanctified you; I have appointed you a prophet to [the] nations.” ⁶And I said, “O Master LORD, behold, I do not know [how] to be speaking, for I am young!” ⁷But the LORD said to me, “Stop saying, ‘I am young,’ for you will go to all, whomever I shall send you, and according to all, as many [words] as I shall command to you, you will speak. ⁸You shall not be afraid before their presence; for I am with you to be delivering you,” says the LORD.

⁹And the LORD stretched forth His hand to me, and touched my mouth; and the LORD said to me, “Behold, I have put My words into your mouth. ¹⁰Behold, I have appointed you this day over nations and kingdoms, to be uprooting, and to be tearing down, and to be destroying, and to be rebuilding, and to be planting.”

¹¹And [the] word of the LORD came to me, saying, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” And I said, “A rod [fig., branch] of an almond tree.” ¹²And the LORD said to me, “You have seen well, for I have raised up My words to perform them.”

¹³And [the] word of the LORD came to me for a second time, saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “A caldron being on the fire; and the face of it away from [the] face of [the] north.” ¹⁴And the LORD said to me, “From [the] face of [the] north there will be kindled the evil [things] upon all the ones inhabiting the land. ¹⁵For behold, I call together all the kingdoms from [the] north of the earth,” says the LORD; “And they will come, and will set each his throne at the entrances of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls round about her, and against all the cities of Judah.

¹⁶“And I will speak to them with judgment, concerning all their wickedness, as they forsook Me, and sacrificed to strange gods, and prostrated in worship to the works of their hands. ¹⁷And you wrap a belt around your waist, and stand up, and speak to them all, as many [words] as I shall command to you; you shall not be afraid because of their face, neither shall be you be terrified before them; for I am with you to be delivering you,” says the LORD. ¹⁸“Behold, I have made you in the today day [fig., this very day] as a strong city, and as a bronze wall, strong against all the kings of Judah, and her princes, and the people of the land. ¹⁹And they will fight you; but they shall by no means prevail against you; because I am with you, to be delivering you,” says the LORD.

Lamentations 1

{And it happened, after Israel was taken captive, and Jerusalem was desolated, [that] Jeremiah [LXX, Jeremias] sat weeping, and lamented this lamentation over Jerusalem, and said:} How the city having been multiplied with people sat alone! She became as a widow, [the] one having been multiplied among [the] nations, ruling among [the] countries, became for a tribute [Heb., forced laborer]. ²Weeping, she wept [fig., She wept bitterly] in [the] night, and her tears [are] on her cheeks; and there is not existing the one comforting her from all the ones loving her; all the ones affectionately loving her rejected her; they became to her for enemies.

³Judea was resettled because of her humiliation, and because of [the] abundance of her servitude [or, slavery]; she sat among [the] nations, she did not find rest; all the ones pursuing her overtook her in [the] midst of the ones oppressing [her]. ⁴[The] ways of Zion [LXX, Sion] mourn, because not to be ones coming to [the] feast; all her gates having been ruined; her priests groan deeply, her virgins being led, and she being embittered in herself. ⁵The ones oppressing her became for [the] head, and her enemies were prospering; for the LORD humbled her because of the multitude of her ungodlinesses; her young children were marched into captivity before [the] face of [the] ones oppressing. ⁶And all her beauty came out from [the] daughter of Zion; her princes became as rams not finding pasture, and were going with no strength before [the] face of [the] one pursuing.

⁷Jerusalem was reminded of [the] days of her humiliation, and her repulsion, all the objects of her desire, as many as which were from [the] days of old, when her people fell [lit., in to fall her people, and similarly elsewhere in book] into [the] hands of [the] one oppressing, and there was not the one helping her; her enemies having seen, they laughed at her deportation. ⁸Jerusalem sinned a sin; therefore she become into a raging wave; all the ones honoring her, humbled her, for they saw her shameless act; and indeed, she [is] groaning and turning behind. ⁹Her uncleanness [is] before her feet; she was not reminded of her last [days], and she brought down her boastful [tone]; there is not the one comforting her. See, O LORD, my humiliation; for [the] enemy magnified himself!

¹⁰[The] one oppressing stretched out his hand on all her objects of desire; for she saw [the] nations entering into her sanctuary, which You commanded them not to enter into Your assembly. ¹¹All her people [are] groaning, seeking bread; they gave her objects of desire for food, to return [fig., restore] [their] life.

[Jerusalem cries out,] “See, O LORD, and look, for I became having been dishonored.” ¹²All the ones passing by [the] way, do not return to you*, and see if there is grief according to my grief, which became. The LORD having spoken by me, humbled me in [the] day of [the] anger of His wrath [fig., His fierce anger]. ¹³He sent fire from His height [fig., lofty habitation]; He brought it into my bones; He spread a net for my feet; he turned me back to the [things] behind; He made me having been destroyed, suffering pains the whole day. ¹⁴He watched over my profane acts; they were twined about my hands; they went up on my neck; my strength failed; for the LORD placed pains in my hands. I will not be able to stand. ¹⁵The Lord drove out all my strong [men] from my midst; He summoned against me a time to crush my choice [men]; the Lord tread a winepress for [the] virgin daughter of Judah [LXX, Juda]. ¹⁶For these [things] I weep. My eye brought down water, because the one comforting me was removed far from me, the one returning [fig., restoring] my life; my sons [and daughters] became having been destroyed, because the enemy was strengthened.”

¹⁷Zion spread out her hand, [but] there is not the one comforting her; the LORD commanded to Jacob, the ones oppressing him [are] round about him; Jerusalem became for a being set apart [fig., an unclean] [woman] among them.

¹⁸[Jerusalem cries out,] “The LORD is righteous; for I provoked His mouth; hear now, all the people, and see my grief; my virgins and my young men were marched into captivity. ¹⁹I called my lovers, but they deceived me; my priests and my elders failed in the city; for they sought food for themselves that they shall return [fig., restore] their lives, and did not find [it]. ²⁰See, O LORD; for I am oppressed; my belly was troubled, and my heart was turned within me; for rebelling, I rebelled [fig., I was greatly rebellious]; outside [the] sword made me childless, just as death at home. ²¹Hear, now, for I groan; there is not the one comforting me; all my enemies heard my harms, and rejoice because You did [it]; You brought upon [the] day; You called [the] time; and they became like to me. ²²May all their wickedness come before Your face; and gather them, [in] which manner they made a gleaning for all my sins; for my groans [are] many, and my heart is grieved.”

Jonah 1

Now [the] word of the LORD came to Jonah [“Dove” – LXX, Jonas] the [son] of Amathi [cp. 2Kings 14:25; 782-753 B.C.], saying, ²“Rise, and go to Nineveh [LXX, Nineve], the great city, and preach in it; for the outcry of its wickedness came up to Me.” ³But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish [LXX, Tharsis; i.e., Tarshish was west of Israel, while Nineveh was east] from [the] presence of the LORD. And he went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; and he paid his fare, and embarked into it, to sail with them to Tarshish from [the] presence of the LORD.

⁴But the LORD raised up a wind on the sea; and there became a great wave on the sea, and the ship was being in danger to be broken in pieces. ⁵And the sailors were frightened, and were crying out each to their god, and made a jettison of the goods in the ship into the sea, to be lightened from them [[fig., threw overboard the cargo in the ship into the sea to lighten the load]. But Jonah went down into the hold of the ship, and was sleeping, and was snoring. ⁶And the captain came to him, and said to him, “Why are you snoring? Rise, and call upon your God, in order that [your] God shall save us, and we shall not perish!”

⁷And each [sailor] said to his neighbor, “Come, let us cast lots, and find out on account of whom this evil is upon us!” So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah. ⁸And they said to him, “Tell to us on account of what is this evil on us? What is your occupation? And from where do you come? And from what country and from what people are you? ⁹So he said to them, “I am a servant of the Lord; and I worship the LORD God of heaven, who made the sea, and the dry [land].”

¹⁰Then the men feared a great fear, and said to him, “What [is] this you did?” For the men knew that he was fleeing from [the] presence of the LORD, because he told them. ¹¹And they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that [lit., and, and elsewhere in book] the sea will abate for us?” For the sea was going, and lifted a great wave. ¹²And Jonah said to them, “Take me up, and cast me into the sea, and the sea will abate for you*, for I have known that on account of me this great wave is upon you*.”

¹³But the men were trying hard to return to the land, but were not being able, for the sea was going and was raising more against them. ¹⁴And they cried out to the LORD, and said, “By no means, LORD! Let us not perish on account of the life of this man, and do not bring righteous blood upon us; for you, O LORD, did [in] which manner you were intending.” ¹⁵So they took Jonah, and cast him out into the sea: and the sea stood still from its raging wave. ¹⁶And the men feared the LORD with a great fear, and sacrificed a sacrifice to the LORD, and vowed vows. ¹⁷Now the LORD commanded a great sea-monster [or, sea creature, and throughout book] to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the sea-monster three days and three nights. [cp. Matt 12:40; 16:4]

Translator’s Note

Occasionally, the LXX includes extended “extra” passages that are not found in the Hebrew text. It is a matter of debate whether these extra passages are inspired or not. As such, I wasn’t sure how to handle these passages in Volumes One and Two of the ALT: OT. There were few such passages in Volume One (e.g., Gen 46:20). But in Volume Two, there were several such passages, especially in 1Kings and Esther. I did not include the extra passages in 1Kings as they were mostly just repetitious of material found elsewhere in 1Kings. But I did include the passages in Esther. I did so as they included mainly “new” material.

This extra material can be identified in Volumes One and Two as they are generally included at the end of numbered verses, making those verses rather long, sometimes up to several paragraphs. In Esther, the passages are found in 1:1; 3:13; 4:17; 5:1; 8:12; 10:3. Starting with Volume Three, I will include these extra passages but enclose them in brace brackets. But, unfortunately, I did not think of enclosing such materials in brace brackets until after Volumes One and Two were published.

Similarly, the LXX includes books that are not found in the Hebrew text. These are called apocryphal or deuterocanonical books. There again is debate whether these “extra” books are inspired or not. None of them are included in Jewish or Protestant Bibles, but many are included in Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Bibles. As such, Volume V of this ALT: OT will contain these apocryphal/ deuterocanonical books.

Translator’s Note for Online Bookstores Paperback

The following note appears only in the paperback version of Volume Three available from Amazon and other online bookstores"

Occasionally, the LXX includes “extra” words, phrases, and even entire paragraphs that are not found in the Hebrew text. Starting with Volume Three of the ALT: OT, all of these extra passages are being included, but the longer and more important passages are enclosed by brace brackets, i.e., {…} (e.g., Isa 2:1). However, no attempt is made to bracket every single “extra” word.

It is a matter of debate whether these extra passages are inspired (or “God-breathed”) or not as the rest of Scripture are. That is why longer and more important ones are being enclosed by brace brackets. But they are being included as they are part of the LXX and make for interesting reading.

There are some minor differences between this edition of Volume Four versus the initial edition. As I was working on the final volume, I was making changes throughout the OT to be as consistent as possible in my translations. But the changes are mostly minor, so this is not a second edition. It is Edition 1.1.

To explain, when I first published Volume One, I made it available in all of the formats indicated at the top of this page and in paperback format to be sold at online bookstores, but no one purchased that version, probably because it is more expensive than the Lulu paperback and far more expensive than the digital versions. As such, I did not bother to make Volumes Two to Five available in paperback format at online bookstores. But after Volume Five was published, I checked my revenue report and saw that several copies of Volume One in that format had sold by that time, so I figured it was worthwhile to make the rest of the volumes available in that format as well. But by then I had made the indicated changes to the texts of Volumes Two to Four. And since those would contain the updated text, I figured I might as well update Volume One in that format as well. But the amount of work to update all of the volumes in all of the formats would be prohibitive.

The online bookstores paperback version also uses a higher quality paper than the Lulu paperback version. Only the reader can decide if the these slight differences between the Lulu versus the bookstores paperback justifies the higher price. But if you wish to purchase the bookstores versions, they are available at online bookstores like Amazon.