• 15:1 But it is high time to leave them, and to shew in brief what we proposed to ourselves, and what course we held, in this our perusal and survey of the Bible.
• 15:2 Truly, good Christian reader, we never thought from the beginning that we should need to make a new translation, nor yet to make of a bad one a good one, (for then the imputation of Sixtus had been true in some sort, that our people had been fed with gall of dragons instead of wine, with whey instead of milk:) but to make a good one better, or out of many good ones, one principal good one, not justly to be excepted against; that hath been our endeavour, that our mark.
• 15:3 To that purpose there were many chosen that were greater in other men's eyes than in their own, and that sought the truth rather than their own praise.
• 15:4 Again, they came, or were thought to come, to the work, not exercendi causβ (as one saith), but exercitati, that is, learned, not to learn: for the chief overseer and ergodiwkthV under his Majesty, to whom not only we, but also our whole Church was much bound, knew by his wisdom which thing also Nasianzen [Nazianzen. eiV rn. episk. parout. Idem in Apologet.] taught so long ago, that it is a preposterous order to teach first and to learn after, yea, that to en piqw kerameian manqanein, to learn and practise together, is neither commendable for the workman, nor safe for the work.
• 15:5 Therefore such were thought upon, as could say modestly with Saint Hierome, Et Hebrζum Sermonem exparte didicimus, et in Latino Penθ ab ipsis incunabulis, etc. detriti sumus. Both we have learned the Hebrew tongue in part, and in the Latin we have been exercised almost from our very cradle.
• 15:6 S.Hierome maketh no mention of the Greek tongue, wherein yet he did excel, because he translated not the Old Testament out of Greek, but out of Hebrew.
• 15:7 And in what sort did these assemble? In the trust of their own knowledge, or of their sharpness of wit, or deepness of judgement, as it were in an arm of flesh? At no hand.
• 15:8 They trusted in him that hath the key of David, opening, and no man shutting; they prayed to the Lord, the Father of our Lord, to the effect that S.Augustine [S.Aug lib. 11. Confess. cap. 2.] did: O let thy Scriptures be my pure delight, let me not be deceived in them, neither let me deceive by them.
• 15:9 In this confidence and with this devotion, did they assemble together; not too many, lest one should trouble another; and yet many, lest many things haply might escape them.
• 15:10 If you ask what they had before them, truly it was the Hebrew text of the Old Testament, the Greek of the New.
• 15:11 These are the two golden pipes, or rather conduits, wherethrough the olive branches empty themselves into the gold.
• 15:12 Saint Augustine [S.August. 3. de doct. c. 3. etc.] calleth them precedent, or original, tongues; Saint Hierome, fountains. [S.Hieron. ad Suniam et Fretel.]
• 15:13 The same Saint Hierome affirmeth, [S.Hieron. ad Lucinium, Dist. 9. ut veterum.] and Gratian hath not spared to put it into his decree, That as the credit of the old books (he meaneth of the Old Testament) is to be tried by the Hebrew volumes, so of the New by the Greek tongue, he meaneth by the original Greek.
• 15:14 If truth be to be tried by these tongues, then whence should a translation be made, but out of them?
• 15:15 These tongues, therefore, (the Scriptures, we say, in those tongues,) we set before us to translate, being the tongues wherein God was pleased to speak to his Church by his Prophets and Apostles.
• 15:16 Neither did we run over the work with that posting haste that the Septuagint did; if that be true which is reported of them that they finished it in 72 days; [Joseph. Antiq. lib. 12.] neither were we barred or hindered from going over it again, having once done it, like S.Hierome, [S.Hieron. ad Pammac. pro libr. advers. Jovinian.] if that be true which himself reporteth, that he could no sooner write anything, but presently it was caught from him, and published, and he could not have leave to mend it:
• 15:17 neither, to be short, were we the first that fell in hand with translating the Scripture into English, and consequently destitute of former helps, as it is written of Origen, that he was the first, [prwtopeiroi] in a manner, that put his hand to write commentaries upon the Scriptures, and therefore no marvel if he overshot himself many times.
• 15:18 None of these things: the work hath not been huddled up in 72 days, but hath cost the workmen, as light as it seemeth, the pains of twice seven times seventy-two days, and more: [filei gar oknein pragm anhr prasswn mega. Sophoc. in Elect.] matters of such weight and consequence are to be speeded with maturity; for in a business of moment a man feareth not the blame of convenient slackness.
• 15:19 Neither did we think much to consult the translators or commentators, Chaldee, Hebrew, Syrian, Greek, or Latin, no, nor the Spanish, French, Italian, or Dutch;
• 15:20 neither did we disdain to revise that which we had done, and to bring back to the anvil that which we had hammered:
• 15:21 but having and using as great helps as were needful, and fearing no reproach for slowness, nor coveting praise for expedition, we have at the length, through the good hand of the Lord upon us, brought the work to that pass that you see.

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To be brief, Josephus says 70 interpreters worked 72 days, but current copies of Aristeas say 72 interpreters worked 70 days. (And there are 71 names of elders listed in present copies. :)

According to the legend, each day began with a trip to the king in the morning, followed by a long trip out the causeway to the island of Pharos, to the northern part, where they worked on their interpretations until the "ninth hour" (3pm) when they were released to attend to personal matters or recreation. So obviously, according to the fable, they only worked about 6 hours each day, for 72 days, and NO MENTION of them resting on the sabbath! Plainly, the mythological Septuagint legend has more holes than swiss cheese.
See also the other Seventy footnotes from Section 7 below.

"through the good hand of the Lord upon us" - Bible Critics who claim that "the King James Translators were not inspired", do GREATLY ERR, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. Let no man deceive thee by any means. The hand of the Lord is most surely upon the pure word of God, to bless them that believe; and to send strong delusion to them that refuse to: Remember that Jesus is the Lord, and receive the love of the truth. Grace be to them that cherish the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. --Richard Clark, SBG

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

AV 2Tim.3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
AV 2Tim.3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

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