I recently received The Voice New Testament Bible published by Thomas Nelson. Initially in my reading I wasn’t sure I would like this Bible at all. I like direct translations. I trust them. The Voice is a retelling, it is not a literal translation.
However, I wanted to give an honest review, and attempted to read the introduction with an open mind. Once I was finished with that I compared Ephesians (my favorite book) between The Voice and my ESV Bible.
After reading the introduction I was intrigued. The Voice was written because “the way a new generation processes ideas and information raises obstacles to traditional methods of teaching biblical content.” “The Voice is a retelling of the scriptures, not of words, but of meaning and experience.”
While I could not recommend this a Bible, I can recommend it as a study guide, a good piece of literature, and a good asset for learning more about the time periods in which each book was written.
The particular copy I got has thick pages with some room for taking notes. I love how easy it is to read; the font is nice, the layout is good, and I found myself sitting here for quite some time comparing it to my ESV Bible.
There are a few things I do love about the The Voice. First is that when there is a dialogue, it reads like a script. The person is speaking is in a colored font and then the words they spoke come after. In between the dialogue are the verses with WHAT they are doing.
Second I love the little bits of information in between the verses. Tidbits about that time period or what the people of that day and age might have already understood.
Third is that I haven’t found an instance where the writers have taken this to a gender neutral theme. Nor have they lessened sin in any way. In fact, I found Ephesians 5, in its expanded view, to be more direct as to certain sins, and even more direct to husbands and wives in their roles to each other.
Like I said earlier, I wouldn’t recommend this as a Bible for someone that wants to learn scripture, that wants to study God’s own words. But I think I’ll keep this one on my shelves as a piece of literature, just like I would any other history book that seeks to expand my knowledge of that time period.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Friday, February 5, 2010
Book Review - The Voice Bible
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