The Complete Psalms

The Book of Prayer Songs in a New Translation

By: Pamela Greenberg, Susannah Heschel - foreword

Narrated by: Kymberly Dakin

In her new, complete translation of the Book of Psalms, Pamela Greenberg "favors beauty before theology," in the words of Mary Karr, writing in the Washington Post of the unpublished manuscript of this book, "breathing new life into the ancient texts." It is precisely the honesty of these prayer songs, overflowing into wild jubilance or deeply wrenching despair, that Greenberg has captured in her new translations, making them touch us so deeply.

Traditional translations - from those of the medieval Jewish commentator Rashi to early Christian commentators to the King James version—have downplayed anger at God and reinterpreted the Psalms in ways that would be doctrinally more palatable, but which flatten the richness and subtlety of the Hebrew verse. Greenberg's translation aims to restore the poetry and vibrancy of the Psalms as a prayerful act, replicating their emotional passion while both wrestling with the text as living liturgy and remaining as true as possible to the originals. Her desire in this new translation is to rekindle the relevance of the Psalms, to bring to life what makes their words cry and breathe and shout—a labor of yearning, necessity, and love.

©2010 Pamela Greenberg. Foreword 2010 Susannah Heschel (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Not my cup of tea

This is one person’s interpretation of the Psalms which spoiled, for me, the hope of using it for prayer. I wanted the traditional format.

Poorly Structured

All thoughtful, careful, and considerate translations of the adapter can promote insight the format of this edition limits its uses. Dr. T.

Narration not suited to title

What would have made The Complete Psalms better?

Though Greenberg's translation is beautifully poetic and interpretative, listeners should know that the narrator of this book makes numerous mispronouncements of the transliterated Hebrew words found throughout. Though I was able to correct for these in my own mind as I listened, I would caution against purchasing this title if one is hoping for proper and correct pronunciation.

What did you like best about this story?

Greenberg's translation is interpretative and beautifully poetic.

What didn’t you like about Kymberly Dakin’s performance?

Though the narration itself is quite beautiful, the numerous mispronouncements of transliterated Hebrew detracted from my enjoyment.

Frustrating

Why would there be a reading of psalms that does not include an easy way to find individual psalms? There are chapters that include several psalms which makes it very difficult to find a particular psalm.