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496 of 497 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Respectful, and wonderfully rewarding., April 9, 2002
Consisting of 64 audio CDs in plastic sleeves in a zippered box, here you have the entire text of the NIV Bible in audio format. A brief overview of the strengths, weaknesses, and benefits of this great product: Strengths:
1. Overall it is very respectful.
2. The voices are generally not overly dramatic, and yet sufficiently expressive.
3. The voices are very clear and pleasant to listen to.
4. The music and sounds are mostly calm, appropriate and respectful.
5. Using different voices for different speakers enhances the hearing of the text and the listening experience.
6. There are different narrators for different Bible books, giving some variety in style.
7. The text is exactly the NIV text, word for word.
8. There are helpful brief introductions to each Bible book.
9. Each chapter is on a separate track, so it is easy to select which chapter to listen to. Weaknesses:
1. The sounds and music are sometimes overly dramatized, occasionally detracting from the Biblical text.
2. The vocalization of "selah" in the Psalms is unnecessary and somewhat annoying.
3. The decision as to which voices should be used is sometimes subjective and interpretive (eg what verses of the Song of Solomon are to be attributed to the different speakers is a controversial and difficult exegetical matter). To be fair, the audio Bible simply follows the interpretation suggested in the headings of the NIV translation, so this is more of an issue with the translation, not the recording.
4. Although the chapters that are on each CD are printed on the CD itself, an additional booklet with this information would be helpful.
5. Some Bible books are read somewhat too fast by the narrator (eg Jonah).
6. One of the Old Testament narrators is somewhat repetitive and predictable in expression. Benefits:
1. You can listen to it while you are travelling or are busy doing other things.
2. You notice things in the Bible that you overlook when you are reading it.
3. You don't need the energy to absorb the Biblical text, unlike reading.
4. You can easily listen to several chapters at a time, or a whole book.
5. Children love listening to the familiar Bible stories - straight from God's Word Our family has benefited immensely from this product, and you are sure to find the same! Very highly recommended!
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