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Septuagint	3rd-2nd century B.C.	Translated from Hebrew to Greek	Earliest complete biblical manuscripts preserved today.	*Did Isaiah 7:14 predict the virgin* birth of a king?** That’s a theological—and linguistic—sore point. The Vulgate set the standard when Jerome knowingly translated the Hebrew word for “young woman” to the Latin word for “virgin.” See how other translations treat the issue:
Jerome’s Latin Vulgate	4th century	Hebrew/Greek to Latin	Commissioned by Pope Damasus I; Jerome accused of “Judaizing” text, which caused riots in North Africa; became the official Catholic Bible.
The Wycliffe Bible	late 14th century	Latin to English	First full English Bible
The Tyndale Bible	1535	Hebrew/Greek to English	Venomously anti-Catholic; banned copies smuggled into England under bales of cloth; widespread public Bible burnings.
King James Version (KJV)	1611	Hebrew/Greek to English	Attempt to create a universally accepted English version; has a record number of margin notes; became the standard-bearer; still in use today.	“Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son…”
American Standard Version (ASV)	1901	Hebrew/Greek to English	For Protestants; brought KJV in line with modern scholars.	Same as KJV
Scofield Reference Bible	1909	English	Top-selling, most important reference for fundamentalists; its notes transform KJV into an apocalyptic text.	Same as KJV
Jewish Publication Society	1917	Hebrew to English	King James Old Testament with Christian interpretations removed.	“Behold, the young woman shall conceive, and bear a son…”
Revised Standard Version (RSV)	1952	Hebrew/Greek to English	Updating of ASV at peak of McCarthy era; denounced as communist-inspired and blasphemous.	“Behold, a young woman shall conceive, and bear a son…”
Good News Bible (Today’s English Version)	1976	Hebrew/Greek to English	Breaks with KJV; replaces archaic idioms with surprisingly modern language.	“A young woman who is pregnant will have a son…”
New International Version	1978	Hebrew/Greek to English	Christian evangelicals’ attempt at less liberal RSV; best-selling Bible in America today.	“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son…”
New King James Version	1982	Hebrew/Greek to English	Evangelicals retroactively decide the KJV translations were inspired by God; margin notes stripped.	“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son…”
Jewish Publication Society (new version)	1985	Hebrew to English	Independent of the KJV and other Christian church versions; applies 2,000 years of Jewish and other scholarship.	“Look, the young woman is with child and about to give birth to a son.”