ESV Complete Bible on MP3 CDs [Audiobook] [MP3 CD]

Overall I am happy with this audio Bible, but there are some little things that could be better. Since other reviewers have done a good job of pointing out the good, here are my nitpicks:

1. This is the 2001 version of the ESV, not the 2007 update. Not a big deal, but it is annoying when you use both the audio and your Bible to memorize passages of scripture and they occasionally have minor differences. In fact, if you use an ESV Bible printed prior to the 2007 update, this might be a plus for you.

2. There is only a bit over 1 GB of data, so why does it come on three CDs when it only uses 2 CDs worth of data? With only 2 CDs, it could have fit in a normal size CD case for easier storage.

3. The audio files are named intelligently so that you know exactly what passage a file contains (40matthewchapter07.mp3 -- the 40 is for Matthew being the 40th book of the Bible), but the MP3s do not have any id3 tags. Thus when you load them into iTunes (or similar applications), all you get are file names. I would have expected something like:

Artist=God
Title=Matthew 07
Album=Matthew
Genre=Audio Book
Track=7

While it is quick to mass tag the artist and the Genre, as they are all the same, it would take a small eternity to tag each of the 1189 chapters properly. As such, I will probably write a Perl script to do the tagging, but that is beyond the abilities of most users.

Again, I do want to say that the audio is very good, unfortunately it is little details like these (number 3 in particular) that keep it from being a great product.

First of all, I have some major reservations about the price of Christian resources. I once worked in a Christian bookstore and it wasn't too long before it made my stomach churn seeing how expensive some of the bibles were. (as a side note, a sound financial policy is just another reason that I love the Desiring God ministries so much; check this out). So as far as money is concerned, this audio bible is hits the mark perfectly. Brand new, it's under $20 and if you're willing to take a second-hand copy, which I highly recommend, you'll get one in hand. Not too bad.

This version of the bible comes on standard compact discs, but these probably aren't going to play on your ordinary shelf CD player. On each of the three CD's are mp3 files. If you haven't been living under a rock for the past three or four years, you should already know what an mp3 is and what to do with it. If you don't, you might want to google-it-up, or wade through this article and get your feet wet. In any case, this bible will easily fit onto any decent size mp3 player and obviously, you're free to burn these files onto as many CD's for car listening as you want. Compared to The Listener's Bible in the NIV version, this bible will take up less than half the amount of the space on your computer and thus, on your mp3 player.

Any audio bible is pretty much made or broken by the reader. If the reader is too theatrical, he's going to read inflection into the text which might lead listeners to the wrong conclusion. Of course, the inverse, if the reader is too dry and calm, is also possible. In this instance, Stephen Johnston does a good job communicating the text without adding to what's there. His voice is deep, clear and well pronounced. He is not monotone, but also is not so inflected that we're distracted from the actual text.

Some audio bibles are accompanied by sound effects or background music. Personally, I find these additions distracting. This version has no accompaniment whatsoever. It is only Johnston's voice.

So far, I really only have three criticism for this audio bible. At times, Johnston's pronunciation can be mildly comical. At times, his voice resembles a television commercial narrator. Don't take this too far though. It's only on occasion and never dominant. My other criticism is that at some times Johnston reads only a tad too quickly. I noticed this most clearly at the beginning of the book of Romans and at some parts of the poetic literature, such as Psalms. Again, I wouldn't give too much attention to these deficiencies. In addition to that, another reviewer mentioned that the mp3 files do not include id3 tags which makes is less than convenient when loading files into itunes or Windows Media Player and even less so when loading them onto an mp3 player. With the right software you can add id3 tags in less than 30 minutes, but it's still a bit tedious.

I definitely recommend this audio bible. For the money, it's an excellent value. The reading, by and large, is good. Go ahead and pick one up on Amazon, before they're all gone!

This is the best audio Bible to which I have listened. Stephen Johnston narrates like no other. He has narrated more audio Bibles than anyone else, so he has experience and credentials. His voice fits the bill with its baritone range.

The clarity of the audio in this audio Bible is very good. This audio Bible does not have distracting background music or sound effects. It is simply a voice-only reading of the English Standard Version of the Holy Bible. You will not find any theatrics or dramatizing of the text. The narrator will use a sense of emotion to convey the mood of the scripture, especially when the scripture is someone speaking in anger or anguish. However, it is in no way distracting and is done in modesty.

In my opinion, the English Standard Version is one of the best word-for-word translations of the Holy Bible--only second to the New American Standard Bible (also available in audio format narrated by Stephen Johnston). If you are looking for a clear, easy to understand, easy to listen to audio Bible, I highly recommend this one to be in your consideration for purchase.