The Voice Complete Bible, Hardcover

As one who worked on the The Voice---and did so entering in with some skepticism--I can say that much care was given to be accurate as pastors and scholars were teamed up to produce the text. That care is still being shown. As an explanatory paraphrase, a genre with a rich history in biblical translation, The Voice can open up the point of the text in effective ways. This also means it is being checked and reevaluated to make it even better in bringing out the force of the text. With such a commitment to reflecting the text, this translation can serve the church well and help people appreciate the richness of the message of Scripture. - Darrell Bock, Research Professor of New Testament Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary

The Bible informs the intellect about God, the world, and ourselves, but it is more than an information book. God is interested in us as whole people, so his Word also stimulates our imagination, arouses our emotions, and appeals to our will. The Voice combines the skills of biblical scholars with the sensitivities of musicians, novelists, and poets and the result is an accurate and stimulating English translation that readers will find hard to put down. Long time as well as new readers will benefit greatly from their experience of The Voice. - Tremper Longman, Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies Westmont College

If it is true that the Word of God is alive and active, and if it is also true that many people have not experienced the Bible as a life-giving text, then The Voice can help bridge that gap. Contemporary language, format, and insight make The Voice a wonderful place to hear the old, old story in fresh ways—and in that story to encounter the living God. - Michael J. Gorman, The Ecumenical Institute of Theology, St. Mary’s Seminary & University, Baltimore, MD

I appreciate very much the fresh and timely translation of The Voice. It provides current English-speaking cultures with a textual bridge that brings them to an ancient and inspiring voice. - J. Andrew Dearman, Professor of Old Testament, Associate Dean and Director of Fuller Seminary Texas

I have been involved in The Voice project for over five years. Many might well ask, "Why do we need yet another Bible translation?" Why? The Bible is an amazingly transparent and yet amazingly puzzling document. Theologians have been translating and interpreting it for millennia, and I daresay they will continue to do so for millennia to come. The Voice represents a new "voice" in the translation and interpretation undertaking, one that genuinely attempts to make the text accessible to the reader of the twenty-first century. Read it for yourself; better, engage it for yourself. Let it draw you in; let it speak to you. And discover in its words "the voice" of the biblical text. - Nancy L. deClaisse-Walford, Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Languages McAfee School of Theology, Mercer University, Atlanta, Georgia

The Voice has the best of both worlds in that it is both a lively contemporary dynamic translation by people who have a sense of contemporary idiom and the product of careful, thoughtful review by biblical scholars with respect to its accuracy in conveying the original languages. This is combined with a clear and attractive layout and some explanations of cultural and theological terms, and one has a biblical translation that people can understand without needing a pastor or commentator – it is the Bible for those who are turned off by or simply do not understand “religious” language. It has been a delight to work on this translation and to realize how clearly it will communicate to this or that person whom I know. It is also a translation that I enjoy reading myself, when I do not want to read the text in Greek and Hebrew. - Peter H. Davids Visiting Professor in Christianity, Houston Baptist University

Translating for The Voice put me in touch with the Bible in new ways, both intimate and playful. Working so closely with the Hebrew texts reminded me again of their multivalency and the importance of a project like this. It gives readers a first-hand sense of the many voices that populate God's Word, and it allows possibilities for conveying meaning not bound by one-to-one translation. Given room by VOICE editors to reach within our own language, I could strive for a living text -- evocative, poignant, inspirational, disturbing, and comforting -- some of the many ways that the biblical texts mean most powerfully. - Kristin M. Swenson, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Religious Studies Virginia Commonwealth University

The screenplay format of The Voice offers churches a key resource for today. It will help congregations rediscover the extraordinary power of Scripture when publicly read in a dramatised way. And Christians who may be struggling in their personal Scripture engagement will find the stimulating background details contained in outlined boxes and the overall reader-friendly layout to be really helpful in rediscovering the compelling story of the Bible. - Rev. Dr. Fergus MacDonald, Director, Center for Scripture Engagement Taylor University, Indiana

Rather than imposing a flat, artificial style on the entire Bible, The Voice allows the unique personalities of the biblical writers to shine through their texts. Various features are included to help us “feel” as well as hear scriptural speech and dialogue. Readers experience the Bible as the living word. - Kenneth L. Waters, Sr., Associate Dean of the Division of Religion and Philosophy and Professor of New Testament, Azusa Pacific University

How something is said can be as important as what is said. All translation is interpretation; but a mechanical meaning offers a text with little texture. The Voice Bible version distinguishes itself and uniquely lives up to its name by making the English text more engaging and enjoyable to read by giving more attention to the mood and mentality of the speakers, which adds muscle to their message. - W. Creighton Marlowe, Ph.D. Assoc. Professor of Old Testament Evangelische Theologische Faculteit, Belgium

It has been a joy for me to work on The Voice translation and other projects. Those who led the projects were not just professional, they were also personable and, while they demanded excellence, they treated every contributor with utmost respect. Readers have often said that they find VOICE’s retelling of the good news of the kingdom of God very refreshing. This was one of the goals the projects had aimed at achieving, without sacrificing the truth in the original text. I found it challenging and liberating at the same time to work on being creative without forgetting the need to maintain the authentic, soul-penetrating message of the text. - Dr. Felisi Sorgwe, Assistant Professor of Christianity, Houston Baptist University, Houston, TX, Pastor, Maranatha International Church, Houston, TX

Since my work happened near the end of the process, I had the pleasure of seeing and experiencing the fruit of the effort that others had already put into the project. As I read through the New Testament, I was struck by several things. Even though my day-to-day job is to study and teach the New Testament, reading through The Voice helped bring to life the message of encouragement that pervades these writings. Through them we don’t just hear random voices of the various human authors. Rather, God’s voice speaks through them, and it was His voice that I heard afresh when reading through these texts. In particular, it was God’s message to the different Christian communities to remain faithful no matter how hard things get that I heard.

With the waning cultural dominance of the church, the need for a contemporary expression of the church’s faith as revealed in the Bible is becoming urgent. The early church struggled to follow God in their pluralistic world, where their claims to truth were not well received. As a result while reading through The Voice, the idea of faithfulness in the face of suffering was more pervasive than I had previously realized. The church today is and will be increasingly facing similar issues and needs a fresh encouragement to remain faithful in the midst of social pressure. Part of that faithfulness is the responsibility to continue to witness to the truth of the Anointed One. As we bring the message of the good news revealed in the Bible and communicated through The Voice, the culture may reject it because of its truth claims, but at least they won’t reject it because it is communicated with archaic or merely ecclesiastical terminology. - Ben Blackwell, Assistant Professor of Christianity, Houston Baptist University

What I appreciate most about THE VOICE is the emphasis on the story of the Bible. It is this story of God’s redemptive plan that THE VOICE presents in such an engaging and powerful way. Whether in the classroom or at Church, it is this story that draws us, speaks to us, and transforms us. - Frank Patrick Adjunct Professor, Samford University Associate Pastor, Double Oak Community Church

I have shared The Voice with my family and ministry partners. Without exception, those people—parents in their 70s, ministry partners who are long-time ministers, and teenagers—have found The Voice to be a refreshing, readable, and enlightening presentation of the biblical text. I have received positive feedback using The Voice for individual devotional reading, small group study, and public worship service readings. - Chuck Pitts, Ph.D. Professor of Old Testament, Houston Graduate School of Theology

The commitment to Biblical accuracy on this project is astounding. As one of the Biblical Scholars involved in the early reviewing process, my editorial suggestions are only one stage in a long, detailed progression from the initial rendering of the text to its final republication. The publishers of THE VOICE are serious in their dedication to conveying the meaning of the Biblical text in a fresh manner while staying as close to the original texts as possible. - Brett W. Dutton, PhD, Senior Pastor, Magnolia Creek Baptist Church League City, Texas