[.ca] New Living Translation - Large Print: Imitation Leather ... (ISBN 0842351485)

Nearly Perfect in Packaging:
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.

Great compact, beautiful bible!:
I recommend this bible to anyone who's looking for an easy to understand translation. If something is comprehendible, you will obtain a great interest in reading it until the end. I have never sat down and read the bible until now. I enjoy reading it very much. If you get the bonded leather or genuine leather, it's truly a beautiful book to keep for years and years and to pass on to the future. A great and worthy investment! I bought the Genuine Leather with Thumb Indexed and even had my name inscripted on the front cover. It's so beautiful, I love to show it off. Not only the outside is lovely but of course it has that inner beauty. It's also small and convenient to carry around especially when bringing it to church or taking it on the road. I plan to purchase another one of these as a gift for my younger sister.

Easy to Read, Improved Version of The Living Bible:
The first Bible I read was the King James. In 1965 my mother gave me a copy of Living Letters \othe first instalment of The Living Bible\c. 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.

Easy to understand:
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.

*The Perfect Bible for ALL Truth Seekers*:
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.