John + Letters of John

Here is a version of the Gospel of John and the letters of John. This is a revision of Rotherham's 1897 NT. Part of the revision is to use the sacred names for God. It uses El, Elohim, Yahshua, etc. Compiled by K. M. Young, 2011. Download it here.

Johannine Decapla

A few years ago, I put together the book of John in 10 versions. It includes Wycliffe's 1382, Tyndale's 1534, Coverdale 1535, Matthew Bible 1549, Great Bible 1540, Geneva 1587, Bishops 1568, AV 1611, RV 1881 and the 1901 ASV. This is not a facsimile - it is a newly printed text. Right now, I have a sale going on for 15% off. To order, visit this page. Use the code FIRESIDE305 at the checkout. This offer is only good till February 15th.

Beginning Reader's Bible

The Beginning Reader's Bible. Nashville: Tommy Nelson, 2011. ISBN 978-1-4003-1702-8.

I received a complimentary copy of this Bible from Thomas Nelson Publishers for review purposes. Their gift does not affect the content of this review in any way.

This is a large (9" x 10") hardcover collection of twenty-six Bible stories for children. The Bible text used is the International Children's Bible. Additional sections provide key passages such as the ten commandments, the 23rd Psalm and the Lord's prayer.

The book was compiled by Tama Fortner and illustrated by Marijke ten Cate. Marijke ten Cate is an illustrator from the Netherlands. She has worked on many projects, including the Children of God Storybook Bible.

Each pair of pages presents full page, colorful artwork that spans both pages. The paper is heavy - it appears to be a very durable book. Some pages also have memory verses, prayers, or activities.

The layout and artwork of this book seem to be for a younger child than the Bible text itself. I intend to let some children read this and ask their opinions. It may simply be a question of personal preference.

In general the stories selected present the major flow of God's plan, man's fall into sin and the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We may use this Bible in some children's lessons. It also appears to be a good book for a church library. The bright, colorful pages and short Bible selections make this a good book for reading aloud to small groups of children as well.

The Beginning Reader's Bible

New American Bible Revised Edition

According to the blog Catholic Bibles, the revised edition of the New American Bible will be released March 9th.

Lifespring! Family Bible

This is a new translation of the Bible underway here. It is being posted both in text format and as an audio podcast.

Daily Reading Bibles

I made a short list of some daily reading Bibles with built-in schedules for the members of my church. If you are interested, see my list here. It is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of all daily reading Bibles.

Revised Grail Psalter

Thanks to the blog "Catholic Bibles" for this item:

The Revised Grail Psalms: A Liturgical Psalter is being released this month. More information is posted on Timothy's blog. It is available through Printery House. There is also a singing version available.

Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional

Graham, Billy. Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional. Thomas Nelson, 2010. ISBN 978-0849946219.

All right, I admit that I a big fan of Billy Graham's ministry and writings. Perhaps student would be a better word. I have learned so much from his writings and from observing his ministry. So this review may not be unbiased. Also, I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through their "BookSneeze" program. However, I am not obligated to write a positive review.

This is actually a revised, reprinted devotional that first came out twenty five years ago. It has been updated for a new generation of believers.

The layout is simple with a Bible verse, a meditation and a prayer taking at most just one page. Rev. Graham's meditations, though short, are not trivial or simplistic. He presents Biblical faith concepts in a straightforward manner that both encourages and enlightens me in the Lord.

Many of the Scriptures are in the King James Version. However, this devotional also uses the American Standard Version, Amplified, Jerusalem Bible, Moffatt New Testament, New American Standard Version, New International Version, New King James Version, Revised Standard Version, Today's English Version and the Living Bible. How's that for sampling of Bible Versions?

My experience with this work is that it was truly a devotional. I read a Bible version, got an inspirational thought and a prayer to get my day started. Then I continued to ponder on this teaching throughout the day. The lesson is short enough that I can remember it clearly. This allows me to begin applying it to my own life throughout the day. I almost always find myself in agreement with Graham's teachings, so theology was not a problem for me here.

I would recommend this work to others as a good daily devotional. It would serve well in a personal, family or church application.

Unto the Hills

International Standard Version

The International Standard Version is now finished. Microsoft fixed the bug that was causing problems in publishing so the New Testament plus Psalms and Provers is now available in hardback or paperback on Amazon.com. Electronic versions are also available for free on their download page. The full Bible should be available in print in a few months.

New Matthew Bible

I just received an e-mail (thanks, Bill) that the New Matthew Bible Project has posted the book of Romans. The entire book with notes is available for reading in PDF format. There is also a download of the editor's notes. There is a Scripture Index page now with the currently available portions.

The Action Bible

This is another of the "graphic novel" or comic book style Bibles. It is the newest one from David C. Cook publishing. It appears that it is an update of or a replacement for The Picture Bible. It has new artwork, I am unsure about the text itself. 215 Bible stories are included in this 752 page work. The pages I was able to preview on Amazon.com had different text that my old Picture Bible. There are over 40 reviews on Amazon.com already to help you get a feel for what this new book might be like.


The Action Bible