New Living Translation - Reference Edition [Hardcover]

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.

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.

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.