So I finally got a copy of the buzzed and most talked about latest bible translation (The Voice) and can’t wait to share my experience using it with you in this review.
I have a big thing for Bible translations and paraphrases,
honestly I do. And it’s not really an obsession of sorts; it’s just the beauty
and advantage they bring along in making the bible relevant with today’s
culture. How the context is amplified and how there so much rich enlightenment
and practicality by just reading a modern translation. Texts that made no
meaning in the old somehow just pops out and become a life verse or a wisdom
nugget in the new. This has been seen in popular versions such as ‘The
New Living Translation’, ‘The Message’ (by Eugene
Peterson) and ‘The New Century Version’.
So the BIG question is (which I also asked as I opened up ‘The
Voice’ for the first time) ‘What does ‘The Voice’ (uniquely) has to offer?’ or
better said ‘Why should I choose ‘The Voice’ over other versions in
the market?’
The first thing that caught me off guard as I opened ‘The
Voice’ was the ‘Shakespearean’ format in which it was written (obviously not
language or grammar wise. Lol). It’s written like a play, where the person
speaking is highlighted before the statement, and this is so creative and
beautiful. I can’t wait for a couple of friends to get it too so we can read
the bible out loud together choosing different characters in a particular
passage. One word; Coolness! Another great
feature I noticed was the addition of context, i.e. a verse is actually written
in such a way that supplementary information which is contextual but not
scriptural is included to help readers who are unfamiliar with the story or
with the ancient world understand the text better. For example let’s say
Matthew 2:22 (where the bible talks about King Herod’s son), it reads like this
in ‘The
Voice’
Soon he learned that
Archealaus, Herod’s oldest and notoriously brutal son, was ruling Judea. Archelaus
might not be any friendlier than Herod had been. Joseph was simply
afraid. He had another dream, and in this dream, he was warned away
from Judea; so Joseph decided to settle up
north in a district called Galilee.
We see in this verse how the italicized lines aren’t really
a part of the verse in the other translations but help give context to the
verse.
Something else which makes the voice unique are inbuilt
commentaries written by yours truly modern people such as artists like Matt Wertz,
Tara
Leigh Cobble, Jill Phillips, Charlie Hall, Kendall
Payne, Sara Groves and also writers such as the much loved Donald
Miller ( 'Blue Like Jazz') , Lauren Winner ('Girl Meets God') , Matthew Paul Turner ('What You Didn't Learn from Your Parents About Christianity') and Kerry
Shook ( Senior Pastor 'Woodlands Church' Texas).
With a few days already (digging) into this version, I must
say it is packed and there is so much more (including several charts (also genealogy
charts) to give a quick and larger context to a biblical passage, Added information to
set the scene for dialogue, Longer commentaries, study charts and lots more).
I believe ‘The Voice’ is a great study resource
and also a bible to take for group meetings. It is rich and had the modern, hip
reader in mind who has spent a major part of his life reading and watching
stories set in set in scenes and dialogue while being translated and also the
reader who wants more and has a thirst for what God has been trying to say
through his word.
Looking for the bible to come alive in 3D with rich colors like
a cinema screen before you? ‘The Voice’ is your best bet.
* Please note, ‘The Voice’ is a modern language dynamic
equivalent translation.
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