The Voice Bible

The Voice is a faithful dynamic equivalent translation that reads like a story with all the truth and wisdom of God's Word. Through compelling narratives, poetry, and teaching, The Voice invites readers to enter into the whole story of God with their heart, soul, and mind, enabling them to hear God speaking and to experience His presence in their lives. Through a collaboration of more than 120 biblical scholars, pastors, writers, musicians, poets, and artists, The Voice recaptures the passion, grit, humor, and beauty that is often lost in the translation process. The result is a retelling of the story of the Bible in a form as fluid as modern literary works, yet remaining painstakingly true to the original manuscripts. (from the publisher)


Several months ago I read the New Testament portion of The Voice Bible, and I was very happy to be given the opportunity to read the entire book. I still love and will continue to use the Bible I normally use, but I love The Voice for additional reading and study! Written in a screenplay style, it clarifies who is speaking to whom, and provides background info to help deepen one's understanding of the cultural relevance or background that further explains what is happening. 

I find it a refreshing new look at Scripture. I admit that I am guilty of skimming through certain books of the Bible, such as Leviticus and Numbers, so I appreciated the additional info about why something was happening and to know who was speaking. (By the way, The Voice also properly capitalizes pronouns that refer to God. That is very important to me.) While some of the poetry of the Psalms may not seem to flow as well, I found it to be applicable to my life. After all, one of the main reasons I read my Bible is to live my life in a manner that glorifies and pleases God.


Features include:
--Reading plans
--Maps
--Italicized information added to help contemporary readers understand what the original readers would have known intuitively
--In-text commentary notes include cultural, historical, theological, or devotional thoughts
--Screenplay format, ideal for public readings and group studies
--Book introductions

Go to their website ( http://hearthevoice.com/ ) to explore more about The Voice for yourself. I admit, that I am hoping their next step will be to put this on cd so I can literally hear the voices and music. In the meantime, whether you are wanting a fresh look at the Bible, or you are looking for a Bible for someone who doesn't have a church/Biblical background, I recommend The Voice Bible.

 Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255