Holy Bible N.L.T. (LARGE PRINT)

Rating:
Summary: Nearly Perfect in Packaging
Review: First, to set the record straight: This is a review of the New Living Translation (NLT) Bible, Personal Edition, Black Bonded Leather, ISBN: 0842354484 . Some of the reviews for different Bible products have been lumped together and somehow caused confusion.

This Bible is nearly perfect in terms of "packaging": compact, light, beautiful, and yet the typeface is amazingly readable. It is not much bigger than the palm of your hand, but its print/font is clear and easy on your eyes by any standard, complimented with adequate line spacing. It is even much more readable than most of the regular-sized Bibles that I own by other publishers.

Not everyone I've shown this Bible to is a fan of the New Living Translation, but they all love this Bible for the above stated reasons. It is a beauty inside and out AND it is practical and useful - now that combination is a rarity.

Now, unto the translation itself: I have studied most of the major translations available (NIV, NASB, KJV, NKJV, NRSV, ESV, NLT, and HCSB) and found that each translation has its strengths and weaknesses. Personally, I love the NLT translation and for now use it as a supplement to my study of the other versions. I find its writing style beautiful and the rendition inspirational ,even though the language is thoroughly contemporary. If I can someday find enough reasons to use it as my primary Bible, I will do so.

I would say that, if you are looking for an NLT Bible or an addition to your existing collections, and you don't "need" cross-references or study notes, then this Personal Edition in Black Bonded Leather is "absolutely" a keeper, whether you intend to use it for long study at home/work (and therefore desire comfortable print) or for occasional reading on the road (and therefore desire portability).

As for which translation is most "suitable" for you, you'll have to do some research and ultimately seek wisdom from God to reach the right answer.

By the way, I would really LOVE to see the other publishers come up with something comparable: a Bible that is compact, beautiful, durable, and yet has "clearly" and "comfortably" readable print/typeface. I myself am eager to own something similar in other translations. If Tyndale can do this with NLT, I really don't see why Zondervan, World, and Nelson (just to name a few) can't do the same with, say, NIV, NASB, and NKJV.

Rating:
Summary: I failed -- it didn't
Review: I bought this particular Bible, hoping that by reading and meditating on the wonderfully numerous calligraphic passages, I'd be inspired to read the surrounding passages ... until by the end, I would have covered much of the Bible. At least that was the plan. Well the calligraphy is beautiful, but the plan didn't work. It's hard for me to read a Bible that doesn't have references or a concordance. So this one gets 3 stars for looking pretty on the coffee table (if anyone has the needed room on his/her coffee table), but that's about it. Imagine the added beauty of a few well-selected references calligraphically done! Then it would have been 5 stars for sure. As it is, I think my copy will make a nice Christmas present for a friend.

Rating:
Summary: Holy Bible - New Living Translation - Large Print
Review: I have been a born-again Christian for over 30 years. I have tried for all of these years to read the King James version and the Living Bible. Neither one was able to break the scriptures down into a language I could truly understand. Now I can! I can finally understand God's word, His wonderful message! Not only do I find this translation understandable but also fasinating! I can barely put it down. I am amazed at how much of the New Testament I have read in such a short time. This version holds my attention and keep me yearning for more.

So much of what I have heard in sermons and been taught in Sunday School over the years finally come together for me.

I am very careful when someone talks about what God has to say. Too many put their own twist on the Word to suit their purpose instead of using the Word as it is intended. I have cross checked The New Living Translation with the King James version and I find the NLT to be very accurate. So does my Pastor!

This version will fire you up for Jesus! Imagine Gods pleasure that in this day and age we can understand His will on our own. No other interpretation is needed.

This is a "must have" for all Believers in Christ.

Rating:
Summary: Actually - 10 Stars
Review: I have every book I have ever been able to find by this cal1grapher. Always beautiful, always inspirational, always a pleasant read. I keep Tim's Books on my coffee table to share with all of my friends, and I read them over and over without tiring of them. He's the best! I especially loved the "Proverbs". Timothy makes observations about each Proverb and writes a little prayer. Heart warming and insightful. I can not get enough of his works!

Rating:
Summary: A Nice Translation
Review: I started reading the New Living Translation while working through an upper level course on Greek exegesis. I was simply looking for a version that emphasized a sentence-by-sentence translation as opposed to a word-for-word translation (because I was required to do this type of translating for my assignments). I was pleasantly surprised with the NLT. It is a very impressive work, and makes for very smooth reading. The translation team also made the wise decision to translate the dates in the text into their modern equivalents. So, whereas previous translations might read that a certain event happened in, say, the twelfth year of a certain king, the NLT will (based on historical data) read that it happened in "586 BC" or "on April 22nd, 722 BC" They have also done the same thing with other forms of measurement (including currency, weight, and time). This makes the events seem much easier to relate to.
For these reasons (and others too) I think this is a really good version. So, if you are looking for a translation that focuses more on the overall meaning of each sentence, and not just the meaning of each word, I heartily recommend this one.

Rating:
Summary: Easy to understand
Review: I've been a believer for about 2 years now. I found New Living Translation to be very easy to understand. I am using NLT more and more during my prayer time. For my personal bible study, I still use my New International Version translation (NIV). I also keep my English Standard Version (ESV) bible nearby during my study hours.

Rating:
Summary: New Living Translation: The perfect way to start your day!
Review: My friend recently purchased a Bible (New Living Translation) and allowed me to exchange my Bible (New King James Version) with hers. I am an instructor in a Seminary and therefore very picky with the versions I choose to read. I usually prefer either the New American Standard or the New Revised Standard Versions. However, I found the NLT to be an inviting one. While I was sharing my experience with the NLT with my other friends, one of them, Karen Davila, who is a popular, award-winning, television journalist here in Manila, Philippines (GMA-Channel 7) mentioned how pleasant it was to read the NLT. It was a '...perfect way to start your day...'

A few of my students who are freshmen enjoy the version too. I will request our Library that we acquire a few copies. A colleague of mine is thinking of purchasing one. Frankly, I probably would go back to NRSV/NASB when I teach or write, primarily for the reason that they are much closer to the original languages. But, for daily quiet time and while keeping my journal, the NLT looks like an appropriate choice. I thank the Lord for all those who invested their time and efforts in giving all of us the NLT. God bless you.

Rating:
Summary: Easy to Read, Improved Version of The Living Bible
Review: The first Bible I read was the King James. In 1965 my mother gave me a copy of Living Letters [the first instalment of The Living Bible]. It opened up the Letters of Paul to me. Despite its Arminian bias, I was confronted with God's sovereignty when I got to Romans 9.

At the same time I read Norman Vincent Peale's The Power of Positive Thinking. I found Paul appealing, and Peale appalling!

The New Living Translation is a huge improvement of Ken Taylor's original, because it has been revised by bona fide Bible scholars,such as Don Carson, Craig Blomberg and Willem vanGemeren, some of whom also worked on versions such as the NIV, ESV, etc.

The NLT is reliable and very readable. If you are serious about bible study you will also use versions such as the NIV and NRSV and ESV, because it is beneficial to use a variety of bible versions.

If you are able, studying Greek, Hebrew and Aramiac is the best way to get close to the original bible.

I recommend the NLT as a great place to start your reading of the bible, and a terrific version to use to read large chunks quickly.

Rating:
Summary: *The Perfect Bible for ALL Truth Seekers*
Review: There is simply no other way to describe this particular translation of the Bible, other than to say that it is one of THE greatest blessings of my entire life.

For years, I had attempted to read the Bible (most often KJV), and got absolutely NOTHING out of it, since that particular style of language and writing has been extinct forever and been irrelevant for just as long, and does nothing at all to convey anything of any real meaning or value to the average modern-day reader.

What a blessing it was to pick up THIS Bible and actually have the words come alive for me like never before! Suddenly, it has become downright exhilarating -breathtaking even!- to read the Bible, and there's this inner-sense of absolute certainty that it is nothing less than divinely inspired of God, not just in the scriptural sense, but in the fact that this book was intended to be read and interpreted by EVERYBODY, and not just by a handful of elitist snobs who totally miss the point anyway.

The only individuals I can imagine giving this Bible a bad review, are modern-day Pharisaical hypocrites who care more about mere superficialities and maintaining their own ignorance, instead of reaching peoples' hearts and filling their souls with the Living Word of God.

In conclusion, if you are sincerely seeking answers to every question you've ever had about anything, I strongly advise and encourage you to obtain a copy for yourself; it will be one of the greatest blessings of your life.

Rating:
Summary: Small steps away from Biblical Truth
Review: Timothy Botts's illustrated edition of the NLT Bible is a rare and special treat. I've always been a partisan of the NASV (and now the updated NASV), and it remains my first choice for daily devotions and, especially, for serious study, but I find myself using the NLT more and more and recommending it to friends. Not only are the translators a veritable "Who's who" of evangelical commentary writers, but stylistically the NLT is so dead-on perfect when it comes to modern American idioms that you often find the truth of the Scriptures touching you in a new eye-opening way.

So now comes along the Botts Illustrated edition of the NLT and you have something that is hard to resist. Often in the world of the arts you find that Christian artists are, to put it bluntly, second-rate (think of Contemporary Christian Music, though it is improving). On the other hand, if you have an eye for calligraphy, I think you will find that Timothy Botts is one of the most talented calligraphers you will ever find. In terms of technique (i.e., the actual formation of the characters), Botts consistently produces beautiful work. Add to that the wide range of hands he has mastered (or even improvised) together with his wonderful creativity in marrying text with his own simple but expressive illustrations, and you have a truly delightful work.

Evangelicals like myself tend to downplay the notion of the "sacred" but as I hold this substantial volume, I do find myself approaching the Word of God with a bit more reverence. One fellow in my workplace Bible study said it reminded him of the illustrated psalters we saw on a trip to the Getty last year (though of course the style is quite a bit different!).

If you own (as I do) Botts's book of selected Proverbs, you will have a good idea what this illustrated edition is like. However, one friend familiar with Botts's earlier work lamented the fact that the calligraphy in this book is not on glossy paper as were the Proverbs. There is some validity to this criticism, but overall I think the decision was a good one because it allows both text and artwork on the same page.

A final bonus in this edition is that Botts has produced (with the assistance of his son) a special calligraphic-style font exclusively for this Bible. I find it a very attractive font, though some may find it a tad hard to read due to the point size.

I feel that Tyndale Publishers has done the Christian community a great service in producing this Bible, which I imagine was rather expensive to produce. I think it will be wonderful for leading my family in devotions. If you've been thinking of buying a nice family Bible, this would be a good candidate (though I don't believe it has a section for recording births, marriages, etc.). Get a copy before it goes out of print.