When 'Lord' might be OK: reading Adonai through NT glasses

WHILE I HAVE been seeking to establish a workable and scalable methodology for translating Kyrios (Greek for 'Lord') in the New Testament, I have increasingly wondered where some Lordship language might be allowed to be preserved.

I am critical of some of the shortcomings of the Eugene Nida-influenced dichotomy since it fails to account for original register and usage.

However, if we wanted to say replicate an experience of relating say 600 year-old sacred texts, such as the first century Jews were, then a scattering of understandable-yet-historical language might well be beneficial to communicate that experience. 600 years is the period separating those Jews from some super-significant events in their people's history, most notably their exile. 600 years is also the period separating us from the times in which 'Lord' was selected by Wycliffe and others as a suitable medieval title for translating Kyrios. That's an interesting parallel I'm not sure I've heard before and creates an interesting possibility.

Given the overarching desire to make the Word of God both holy and meaningful to a contemporary audience, primary titles for God and Yahweh should fulfil both criteria. However, secondary titles could be candidates for the aforementioned idea of communicating historical depth.

On these grounds, I find the idea of translating Adonai (when not occurring alongside other divine names or titles) by 'Lord' quite feasible. Once again I find myself endorsing Peterson's translation. Here is an important passage of Psalms, Ps 97:5, which reads in the NASB :

The mountains melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, 

At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.

(Here the NASB reflects an identical reading between the two lines as translated into the Greek Septuagint: 

. . .ἀπὸ προσώπου κυρίου
    ἀπὸ προσώπου κυρίου . . . !)

The Message communicates my above concerns and 'Lord' opportunity best, however:

'The mountains take one look at God And melt, melt like wax before earth’s Lord.'

Psalm 97:5
https://my.bible.com/bible/97/PSA.97.5'The mountains take one look at God And melt, melt like wax before earth’s Lord.'

Psalm 97:5
https://my.bible.com/bible/97/PSA.97.5'The mountains take one look at God And melt, melt like wax before earth’s Lord.'

Psalm 97:5
https://my.bible.com/bible/97/PSA.97.5The mountains take one look at GOD

And melt, melt like wax before earth's Lord.

As Christians, we are sometimes exhorted to read the OT through NT glasses. Maintaining some scope for 'Lord' language when translating Adonai might align quite well with this objective.