How many Psalms are there in the Bible? Nobody knows. Psalms are scattered all through the Old Testament, but this new translation is concerned only with the Psalms in the Biblical book of that title. Even here, however, the actual number is uncertain. Some Psalms have been duplicated, some have been joined together, others split apart. Most Bibles number the Psalms from 1 to 150. Which numbers correspond to which Psalms, however, differs from Protestant to Catholic and Orthodox versions. For easy reference, both numbers are used in this book. And when Psalms that have been split apart are joined back together, this also is clearly indicated. Disregarding duplications and material that fails to qualify as either powerful or praiseworthy, 84 uplifting Psalms are given new life and meaning in this inspired and inspiring translation from the ancient Greek Old Testament, the Septuagint. Neither the original meaning nor the poetry is lost or diluted, for each selected Psalm is rendered in both a literal translation and a more poetic paraphrase. The book is thus divided into two sections. In the First Section, we find a literal English translation from the Greek Septuagint Bible. In Section Two, however, the aim has been to write a more poetic paraphrase. The Psalms are poems after all! Needless to say, there is no difference in meaning between the two versions, and most readers prefer the more literal interpretations. In actual fact, however, there is very little to mark the changes between the literal translation and the paraphrase. On some occasions, a paraphrase can not only be more inspiring but even more accurate than a literal rendering. Here's one way to discover this truth for yourself!
