NIV Audio Bible Dramatized CD [AUDIOBOOK] [UNABRIDGED] (Audio CD)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Hands-Down the Finest Audio Bible You Can Own The NIV Audio Bible is more than a Bible you listen to. It’s an experience that helps you enter into God’s Word . . . So God’s Word can enter into you. Read by professional readers.

From the Back Cover
· The complete Bible—64-CD set includes both Old and New Testaments · New International Version—today’s most read, most trusted translation · New Testament selected by Audio Publishers Association as Audie Award® winner—the most prestigious award for audio products · Multiple-voice dramatization brings the Bible to life with world-class narration and colorful, true-to-the-text character renderings · Fully orchestrated background with sound effects provides maximum enhancement of the text reading · Digital engineering from start to finish delivers the ultimate in clarity and listening enjoyment · Brief book introductions give you a quick, preparatory overview of each book of the Bible · Location markers make finding and keeping your place as you listen as easy as hitting "fast-forward" or "reverse" · Running time 76 hours · Lifetime guarantee stands behind this product’s performance

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Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Zondervan; Unabridged edition (January 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310918634
• ISBN-13: 978-0310918639
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 7.3 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (116 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #9,739 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

469 of 470 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Respectful, and wonderfully rewarding., April 9, 2002

By	Godly Gadfly (Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

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!

271 of 271 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A super value, January 16, 2002

By A Customer

Don't be confused -- this is the entire Bible, Old and New Testaments, so don't buy the New Testament separately. There are 64 CDs. They are housed in a zippered case for convenient carrying. The zippered case fits into a slip case which is hole-punched so you can put the whole thing into a three-ring binder if you want. All in all, a very high-quality product and an excellent value. The quality of the CDs themselves is excellent. The dramatization is very unobtrusive -- subtle background music or sounds of nature, couple with different voices whenever someone speaks (God, Eve, Noah, whatever). The narration and other voices are not the least bit hokey and don't detract from the majesty of the material. There is also an introduction to each book to put it into context. Lastly, each chapter is a separate track on the CD, so you can easily find a particular chapter or repeat one. I've owned a couple of cassette versions of the Bible, including the King James version by Alexander Scourby, and this is FAR superior. You can't go wrong with this.

130 of 133 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for newbies or on the go refreshers!, May 20, 2002

By A Customer

I am by no means a Bible expert. My parents had very little religious influence on me. Now that I'm on my own and in my mid 20's I took it upon myself to find out what it's all about.

I chose the NIV because it's simple and easy to comprehend for me (I get lost with all the "thou's, shalt's, etc." in the King James version). I read a review here once that bashed this NIV bible CD because it wasn't the King James version and it wasn't in "God's words". Well guess what? Unless you speak and read Hebrew they are all translations!

I also chose this CD dramatized version because I'm on the road 4hrs a day along with a regular 8hr work day and have very little time to sit down and read.

The dramatization really helps to visualize the scenarios. On rare occasions it does get slightly cheesy, but overall it's very tasteful.

If you're new to religion and/or need something laid out right in front of you in plain simple English this is EXACTLY what you need!

Worth every cent!