The Essential Evangelical Parallel Bible: New King James Version English Standard Version New Living Translation The Message (Hardcover)

~ John R., III Kohlenberger (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The Essential Evangelical Parallel Bible enables readers to easily compare a quartet of modern translations that span the full range of approaches, from the most precise and literal to the most dynamic and reader-friendly. The New King James Version and English Standard Version permit close word-study, while the New Living Translation and The Message present the text as its earliest audiences might have experienced it. The complete texts of the four translations featured in this volume are conveniently displayed on facing pages (two translations per page), with the same set of verses on each one. The EEPB is particularly noteworthy because it is the first parallel Bible to feature the updated NLT text.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 3072 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (December 31, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195281780
• ISBN-13: 978-0195281781
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.7 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #690,815 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well done., July 19, 2005

By	Robert C. Grove "Bob Grove" (MD) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I highly recommend The Essential Evangelical Parallel Bible. It is a simple 4 column (2 on the left page, 2 on the right) Bible that allows you to compare New the King James Version, English Standard Version, New Living Translation, The Message.

I use the ESV and have really been enjoying the NLT lately. Bill Mounce suggests using these two to get a fuller understanding of the original meaning of the Biblical authors. The ESV is good for Bible study because of its accuracy and closeness to the original words. The NLT is good because it is accurate, but also in today's language. The New King James is also easy to read and very accurate. I'm not sure of the accuracy of The Message, but look forward to reading some of it. It may be mostly good as a commentary. We'll see.

All in all, this Bible is an excellent addition to my library.

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good choice, December 8, 2005

By	Ha Ha Ha "linchemanoa" (Hongkong) - See all my reviews

The Bible translations in this parallel Bible are generally well chosen. Most modern English translations of the New Testament are based on the critical text. NKJV is based on the Received Text. Inclusion of NKJV helps those who don't know the Greek see the differences between these two texts. ESV is a good, literal translation. It reads better than NASB. Inclusion of NASB would not be very useful since both NKJV and ESV are already included. NLT second edition is more accurate than the 1st edition. Therefore it is a good choice. The point of using a parallel Bible is to compare different TYPES of translations. So it is helpful to have both literal and more dynamic translations in a parallel Bible. The Message can be a good read sometimes. It is a paraphrase. Contrary to what is stated in a previous review, the translator did consult Hebrew and Greek texts. I presonally would like to have either Holman Christian Standard Bible or TNIV to replace the Message in this parallel Bible. HCSB is a very good translation, at places daring to differ from other modern translations. TNIV is a revision of NIV. Many people are turned off by its more inclusive language and it might not a good idea to use it as the sole translation for study purpose. But inclusion of it in a parallel Bible would not be as a big problem.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars ease up on the message kids!, February 14, 2006

By	Steve-o "tenmintoofar" (bristol, ri) - See all my reviews

theres been a lot of ink spilled over the accuracy of the message, and everyone here is railing its inclusion in a parallel bible, but honestly, thats why i chose this bible to buy. while the message may not be entirely accurate and shouldnt be used to argue fine points of theological brilliance, it is very helpful for breaking down complex passages and giving the scriptures a much more easy read than the typical translation. I think that it is a valuable inclusion in this bible. if you think of it less as a comparitive tool and more like a 4 in 1 bible that lets you pull scripture to fit your audience or to simply help you to better understand then the message fits right in.