NIV Audio Bible New Testament 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 New Testament—16-CD set · 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 18 hours · Lifetime guarantee stands behind this product’s performance

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Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Zondervan; Unabridged edition (September 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310920280
• ISBN-13: 978-0310920281
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 6.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #213,479 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

63 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, but get the version with the whole Bible!, May 30, 2002

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

Consisting of 16 audio CDs in plastic sleeves in a zippered box, here you have the entire text of the NIV New Testament 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 decision as to which voices should be used is sometimes subjective and interpretive. 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.
3. Although the chapters that are on each CD are printed on the CD itself, an additional booklet with this information would be helpful.
4. Some Bible books are read somewhat too fast by the narrator.
5. This product only contains the New Testament, and the package containing both Old and New Testament is not significantly more expensive.

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! However, be aware that this particular product only contains the New Testament (16 CDs). Zondervan also offers the entire Bible in 64 CDs, which for the little extra money is much better value because it includes the whole Old Testament as well as this New Testament. Purchasers would do well to consider spending a bit more and getting the complete version, since the quality of the Old Testament production nearly matches that of the New. Very highly recommended!

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic! Great performances, voices, quality & price!, September 18, 2001

By	Alpha & Omega (Elizabethtown, KY) - See all my reviews

I was totally blown away by this recording! The narration is superbly done (whoever does it) and so easy on the ears you might forget you're listening to it and find yourself "re-living" it--much like radio listeners of the past once did. The quality of the recording is top notch. There is music made specifically for this recording but it doesn't start and stop in odd places as some audio Bibles do and it doesn't blare up from the background to distract you from what is being read. It is perfectly complimentary to the reading and you forget it's there . . . but wouldn't if it dissappeared! And if that weren't enough the producers have added introductions to each section and book of the Bible. These are read by a different (female) voice so that there is no confusion that these portions are not in-and-of-themselves part of the scripture. And they're wonderfully done and informative. Of course, if you don't want to listen to them you can always skip past them (on the CD).
I highly recommend this recording. Unless you just don't like dramatizations of the Bible I can hardly think of anything anyone would dislike!

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well done, January 7, 2004

By	Vincent Lasmarias (Highlands Ranch, CO United States) - See all my reviews

Reasons for buying this:

a. The NIV is a very good translation.
b. It's a good memorization tool.
c. It's a good aid to your Quiet Time and Bible Study (especially when driving long distances in the car equipped with a CD player).
d. Some people learn better visually. Others learn better audibly. Others learn by doing. This is good for people who learn well audibly.
e. This is well-made as evidenced by it being a winner of the 2002 Audie Award (no small feat).
f. I liked the multiple voices. It makes it easier distinguishing when different characters are speaking. Most of the characters' voices are very well-done.
g. Effective sound effects (e.g., storm in the boat; groaning voices in Revelations).
h. The narrator has a good, clear voice.

Reasons for not buying this:

a. Jesus' voice lacks passion. Even in passages when Jesus was angry (e.g., when he was whipping the money-changers out of the temple in John 2 ) or when Jesus was very sad (while being "deeply moved" during Lazarus' resurrection in John 11), the emotion in Jesus' voice hardly changes. Most of the time, he sounds like a scientist narrating fact after fact.
b. It would be nice if each book starts on a new CD, but Zondervan decided it was too important to minimize the number of CDs. Why can't the book of John start in its own CD?
c. Not a biggie, but the "good guys" have "nice-guy" voices, and the "bad guys" have relatively "evil" voices. Some of the "bad guys" in the Bible are actually well-intentioned but misled people.
d. You may not like the background music (others may not agree, but I wouldn't have minded if they matched the background music with the tone of the particular passage).
e. Sometimes, the loudness of the voices changes too much (in Revelations, I had to keep adjusting the volume knob as it sounds like the narrator sometimes is not as close to the mike as he should be).
f. I wish it would be more accessible in terms of price (it's the Bible after all).
g. You may want the full bible (Zondervan has that version as well).