The Psalms Of David

The Psalms of DavidJames S. Freemantle Foreword by Stephen Freemantle Back in print, The Psalms of David is a unique, beautifully illustrated edition of the revered religious work, also known as the Book of Psalms. The lifework of a little known genius, this facsimile edition of a magnificent hand-painted illumination of the Psalms of David is a stunning tribute to love and spiritual devotion. Born in India, James Freemantle traveled through the Middle East during his years in the British Army. Shortly after his second marriage, he began this hand-lettered, illustrated volume for his beloved bride, Clara. For the next thirty years, he periodically worked to transfer the psalms into a book that would physically match the lyrical beauty of the poetry. Throughout the book one finds the brilliantly colored blooms of India: the jacaranda, the flame-of-the-forest, huge yellow laburnums, brilliant poinsettias, and highly scented mimosa. The pages are alive with kingfishers and larks, drummers and hoppie butterflies, storks and pheasants. There are pictures of the lake near Freemantle's home, the nearby Brahmin temple, and the view from the train as he went up to school in the hills. Scenes from his travels in the army, Middle Eastern harbors and villages, and copies of illustrations from Victorian travel books reveal his draftsman's training in the accuracy of every detail. A labor of love, a work of art, a volume to treasure, this illuminated edition of the King James version of the Psalms of David is the perfect gift for all seasons.

"A book you will want to read and read again." -- Eugene Peterson Afterword by Bono. How can we find a more transparent, resilient, and fearless life of faith? The book of Psalms has been central to God's people for millennia, across all walks of life and cultural contexts. In reading it, we discover that we are never alone in our joys, sorrows, angers, doubts, praises, or thanksgivings. In it, we learn about prayer and poetry, honesty and community, justice and enemies, life and death, nations and creation. Open and Unafraid shows us how to read the psalms in a fresh, life-giving way, and so access the bottomless resources for life that they provide. "David Taylor’s take is 'open and unafraid' alright. He really goes there, exposing himself before God in the most beautiful way. He might have called the book Naked, because if you don’t find your own self feeling a little exposed here, it might be time to take some armor off." -- Bono, from the Afterword "A book that you will want to read and read again, and yet again, in order to discover the wisdom of the Psalms that shows us how to walk in the life-giving way of Jesus." -- Eugene Peterson, from the Foreword "A winsome, accessible entry into the Book of Psalms…Connects the poetry of the psalms to real-life wonders and struggles." -- Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary "Taylor reads these biblical prayers with Dr. Seuss, rappers, and other poets, along with theologians and the daily news....Guides readers in tracing out patterns of holy speech that have the potential for healing our hearts and our communities." -- Ellen F. Davis, Duke Divinity School "I have always loved the psalms--for their defiant devotion, their deep joy, and their brutal yet beautiful honesty. And after reading this fantastic book about them, I love them even more." -- Matt Redman, worship leader and song writer "In these fraught and fearsome days, we need the psalms more than ever. And we need more faithful artists and thinkers like David Taylor to mine the infinite gifts the psalms offer across the ages." -- Karen Swallow Prior, author of Fierce Convictions

What's really going on in the Psalms? Is it just an anthology of old Israelite songs? Or is there more to it than anyone ever guessed? This evergreen classic is the book that first proposed, in 1997, a messianic metanarrative in the Psalms. It explains how someone arranged the Psalms to outline a program of future events like in Zechariah 9-14. There is an appendix of apocalyptic midrashim, translated into English for the first time. A bridegroom-Messiah gathers exiled Israel. He sets up a kingdom, but dies a violent death. Israel are scattered in the wilderness of the nations. Then they are gathered again in troublous times. Finally, they are rescued by a king from the heavens. He sets his throne on Zion and receives the homage of the nations. 160,000 words. Read all about it!

The NIV is the world's best-selling modern translation, with over 150 million copies in print since its first full publication in 1978. This highly accurate and smooth-reading version of the Bible in modern English has the largest library of printed and electronic support material of any modern translation.