The Voice of Psalms, Paperback

Full review can be found at my blog

Most Bibles are translated with the assumptions of systematic theology undergirding them, acting as if what makes the Bible divine is that is has this particular combination of these particular words. The Voice, on the other hand takes seriously the assumptions of biblical theology, that the Bible is divine because of the true God and true story of redemption it testifies to. In translating The Voice, biblical scholars and theologians are teamed up with artists, writers, poets, novelists, memoirists, playwrights, lyricists, and other creative minds in order to make the translation both beautiful and unique for each book of the Bible.

In this book, they have succeeded tremendously with the Psalms. In short, I love this book. I'm using the Lent reading guide in this season to aid in my meditations and prayers. And that's what this book is best for — stirring your devotional heart for God. This Bible is not for proper systematic biblical study. The Voice will never be the primary text for citation in scholarly works, but that's not it's purpose. If you've never “prayed Scripture” or have a hard time trying to do so with the relatively wooden translations of most Bibles, this is the perfect book to begin. If you, like me, use some sort of Lectionary like the Book of Common Prayer to guide daily or seasonal readings that are heavy in the Psalms, let me encourage you to purchase this book to use in those readings. It could change the dynamism of those times.

I really can't commend this book enough to all of you that want to start cultivating a deeper, richer, and more intimate relationship with the God of Christianity. For those tired sojourners in the desert of doctrine wars needing an oasis, reading and praying these Psalms — in such beautiful prose as this — can do nothing but benefit your soul in every way.