I found the comparison of this kind of difficult at first until I went through line by line and analyzed two like that. I think the book of Bay Psalms was a lot harsher in wording. The 1600s were a time where God was to be feared, the “almighty smiting” type one may say. The much newer translation has a much softer way to it and the flow is far more poetic with less emphasis on direct translation.
“Serve yee the lord with reverence rejoice in him with fear”, Bay Psalm 2:11. http://books.google.com/books?id=Fn48yVYkqvAC&pg=RA1-PR2&img=1&zoom=3&hl=en&sig=ACfU3U3nQF7hb6PnANH_I8yvxf4rfX_BNQ&ci=264%2C1083%2C485%2C70&edge=0 here basically it is saying that one needs to look to God with the upmost respect and fear. In the newer addition the line is much softer. http://books.google.com/books?id=Fn48yVYkqvAC&pg=RA1-PR2&img=1&zoom=3&hl=en&sig=ACfU3U3nQF7hb6PnANH_I8yvxf4rfX_BNQ&ci=191%2C796%2C502%2C134&edge=0 in this part it is totally different from the Alter translation. In the Bay translation the word “Heathen” is used but has no place in the newer version.
I definitely prefer the Alter translation; it’s much softer and more relatable. The idea of fearing God is no longer as relevant as a more giving one.
I agree that Alter's translation is less harsh than the Bay Psalm Book's translation. However I don't see Alter's translation as being more poetic than The Bay Psalm book. Alter strove to translate the psalms as accurately as possible and wasn't terribly concerned about the poetry aspect. The Bay Psalm Book on the other hand was made for singing the psalms as hymns and although some of the wording may be awkard and the phrases may seem backward to us, it made the psalms fit into the meter that could be sung. I think part of the reason that Alter's version is more relatable is that we no longer speak like the Puritans spoke, we no longer use words like thou and thy and wroth in everyday speech, so of course we're going to connect better with a more modern translation.
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