Bible Reviewer on NKJV reader edition

Having grown up with the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible, I did not become an instant fan of the New KJV when Thomas Nelson released it in 1982. Then (and now as new English translations appear) my first inclination was to compare Bible verses, especially those favorites I memorized as a child and did not want anyone to change! Thirty years later, however, a God-incidence changed me and my mind.

During Lent, I felt drawn to reading the Bible cover to cover without footnotes or articles to distract me, which meant I needed a reader edition. Since I prefer either paperback or genuine leather, the poor quality bindings available in the Christian book store discouraged me, and I was prepared to leave empty-handed when I saw a box labeled “genuine leather” but available only in the NKJV. I started to pass it by then saw it been marked down. Below $50 seemed like an incredible price for a good quality leather Bible – even one with Thomas Nelson’s lifetime warranty. Although that Bible publishing company has had a fine reputation for over 200 years, I still felt skeptical as I opened the box, but here’s what I found:

Genuine Leather – Thick, supple, and of good quality, this leather looks and feels sturdy and long-lasting. By applying a leather conditioner or handling with hands very lightly coated in mineral oil, the softness increases even more.

Font Size – The very readable 9-point font looks to be the equivalent of a 10 to 11-point type found in word processing software such as Microsoft Word.

Single-Column Bible – Instead of the line breaks that typically occur with a KJV or NKJV, this edition has the regular paragraphing used in most books, which make reading more natural and easy on the eyes.

Headings – The addition of headings also adds visual interest and helps readers readily locate passages.

NKJV – Considered to be a word-for-word translation like the KJV, this English version is highly accurate, too, but with the advantage of biblical scholarship in areas such as word origins or etymology. Like the KJV, the NKJV offers intelligent word choices, a devotional tone, poetic quality, and literary excellence while offering easy-to-comprehend contemporary English.

The format and paragraphing has made this Bible as easy to read as any book, but the translation itself has certainly helped too. Instead of comparing this verse to that, I immediately got caught up in the ongoing story of our relationship with God and settled in to enjoy this good, good read:


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© 2012, Mary Harwell Sayler. If you want your church, Bible study, or other group to have this information, please tell people where you found it. Thanks. For more Bible topics and articles for Christian poets and writers, see which include blogs by Mary.

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Which Bible would Jesus choose?

Since Jesus spoke Aramaic and Hebrew, He probably read scrolls written in those languages. Most likely He and the apostles were also familiar with the Septuagint or Greek Bible since, during their lifetimes, the extra books contained in that version were generally read, accepted, and quoted by the peoples of God.

After the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 A.D., scholarly leaders among both Jews and Christians wanted to canonize Holy Scripture, so everyone could, figuratively speaking, be on the same page. But, Jewish scholars decided to stick with Hebrew Scriptures exclusively, which meant excluding books written in Greek, whereas Christians initially kept all of the books in the Septuagint. In fact, not too long after Latin and other European languages morphed into English, the King James Version of the Bible came into being (1611) with all of the books still intact.

After the Reformation, however, Protestants took out the books now referred to as the Apocrypha. The word is a bit of a misnomer, though, since it means hidden, and, well, the apocryphal books have always been highly visible in Catholic and Orthodox editions of the Bible. So, when Catholic and Orthodox Christians refer to apocryphal books, they mean those such as the Gospel of Thomas that were never, ever part of canonized scripture. Nevertheless, the extra books in the Septuagint remain outside the Jewish canon, so Catholic and Orthodox Christians sometimes refer to them as deuterocanonical books.

Yeah, it’s confusing at first! But the important thing is whether you want a Bible with all of the books.

To find out, read Sirach (aka Ecclesiasticus) on the Internet, especially my favorite verse Sirach 2:18: “Let us fall into the hands of the LORD and not into human hands, for equal to God’s majesty is the mercy that He shows.”

To most readers, I and II Maccabees just won’t seem as inspired as wisdom books because they’re not always inspiring! However, they do provide us with an interesting record of historical events that occurred in the few hundred year’s gap between the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament.

Deciding whether to get a Bible with the Apocrypha will not be your only choice though! You have other choices to consider too:

Word for Word Translation
This option gives you the closest possible meaning of the original texts when Bible scholars translated the Hebrew, Aramaic, and/or Greek manuscripts into English. If you want biblical accuracy, these choices give you that, literally, but you may need footnotes to explain what now-archaic phrases initially meant.

In alphabetical order, the more literal translations of the Bible into English include: Amplified, Douay-Rheims, English Standard Version (ESV), King James Version (KJV), New American Standard Bible (NASB), and New King James Version (NKJV.)

Of these, the Douay-Rheims and KJV with the Apocrypha will give you all of the books.

Thought for Thought Translation
This option gives you the most readable text with each thought kept as close as possible to the original intent as shown by overall context.

Again alphabetically, these translations include: the Common English Bible (CEB), Contemporary English Version (CEV), Good News Bible (GNB) also known as Today’s English Bible (TEB), New American Bible (NAB), New Century Version (NCV), New International Version (NIV), New Jerusalem Bible (NJB), New Living Translation (NLT), New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), Revised English Bible (REB), and Revised Standard Version (RSV.)

Reportedly, the CEB, CEV, ESV, GNB, NAB, NJB, NLT, NRSV, REB, and RSV can now be found with all of the books that were originally included in the Septuagint and early Christian Bibles.

Paraphrase
This choice provides an easy-reader especially helpful to children and readers of English as a second language. Although most Bible students want more accuracy and fewer words than paraphrases have, both the Living Bible (LB) and The Message continue to be very popular.

But, to get back to our first question:

Which Bible would Jesus choose?

I cannot prove this, of course, but His tender regard for peoples of all ages, backgrounds, cultures, and levels of faith show me that He has most probably chosen them all!

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© 2012, Mary Harwell Sayler. If you want your church, Bible study, or other group to have this information, just promise me you will tell people where you found it. Also, I hope you remember to name drop my blogs and websites to your friends. Thanks. For more Bible topics and writing tips, see .

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Covering other Bible covers

After posting an article on genuine leather covers, I finally had the opportunity to visit a Bible bookstore and ask the clerk about various covers that Bible publishers seem to be using. Her response was to show me imitation leather, leatherflex, and genuine leather Bibles, so I could feel and handle the covers myself – something not possible when researching options on the Internet.

Here’s what I found:

Imitation leather has traditionally felt stiff, unnatural, and inflexible, which may no longer be true, but to be on the soft side, just visit this choice in person, rather than ordering and being disappointed with the quality. This gives you the opportunity, too, to check out TruTone, NuTone, and other polyurethane covers that sometimes feel more like leather than real leather does at first touch. That generally changes with time, however, as leather softness continues to improve, while synthetics are apt to dry out and fade as did my dusty rose Bible that's now the color of wilted petals.

Bonded Leather consists of fibers and scraps leftover from cut leather and held together with some kind of bonding agent or adhesive. The thickness and quality of the individual ingredients determine longevity, so the standards of the Bible publisher matter greatly. Over the years, many of my Bibles have had bonded leather covers that, sooner or later, ringed with tiny rifts and splits around the edges. Interestingly, the publisher of the Bible I just purchased also published my one remaining bonded leather edition that's still fissure-free and flexible. Therefore, I highly recommend that you see which companies stand by their products with some type of warranty.

Paperback Bibles often have a vinyl coating to increase durability, but this type of cover will curl, like my hair, with too much humidity. Most importantly, though, paperbacks seldom have Smyth-sewn pages. As the glue ages, the glued-in pages loosen and, yeah, come unglued. Nevertheless, this is my top choice for a reader edition (no study notes) of a new or new-to-you translation you want to try when you’re looking for a personal favorite with whom you can fall in love. Yes, love. Just yesterday, for example, I heard the store clerk exclaim, “I LOVE my King James Bible!” whereas someone in a Bible study group inevitably says, “I LOVE my Living Bible.” Pick almost any other choice too, and if you’re around enough Bible lovers, you’ll eventually hear the beloved name of every translation into English.

Hardback Bibles have a way of poking and prodding body parts so might be ideal for people who need God to remind them, “Yes, I’m talking to YOU!” For most readers, though, a hardback cover works exceptionally well for study Bibles – as in plural, Bibles. Of these, Bible lovers and all students of Bible study need many options to get, grab, compare, and see the bigger picture.

Leatherflex consists of heavy duty paper coated in a flexible, sturdy vinyl to give a cover the look and feel of quality leather or suede. Besides providing you with covers of many colors, leatherflex keeps goats and cows from losing their hides. Since the store I visited mainly carried Thomas Nelson Bibles, I have not checked into the policies of other companies, but this one offers the same “Guaranteed for Life” seal and registration on Symthe-sewn leatherflex and bonded leather Bibles as it does for the genuine leather NKJV I just bought on sale. This might not mean much with a new Bible publishing company, but Thomas Nelson has been around since 1798.

Leather soft covers, unlike leatherflex, begin with actual leather that has been treated to soften quickly as real leather will do on its own over time. If you already have a leather Bible that feels dry or stiff, just give it a soft body treatment! To soften my Bibles, for example, I lightly coat my hands in mineral oil since that oil does not turn rancid as vegetable or animal oils will do. I then stroke every inch of the cover – back and front, corner to corner – to distribute the oil evenly. Then, using a clean terry washcloth, I rub with the grain, holding the Bible under the light to make sure the cover does not remain greasy but gains the soft patina of healthy skin that’s highly responsive to a quick kiss and a hug.

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© 2012, Mary Harwell Sayler. For more Bible topics to choose from as well as articles on poetry and the Christian writing life, see .

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Judging the cover on The Book

If you want a new Bible to read during Lent or you plan to give someone a special Easter gift, the number of choices may first seem overwhelming! Lord willing, we’ll talk about the many study Bibles and English translations in weeks to come, but instead of starting with the mental assurance of biblical accuracy or the spiritual lift that elevates some translations over others, let’s start by getting physical.

Why? Like any book, your response to The Book begins with first impressions involving your senses.

Do you want a Bible to drape in your hand and lay flat on a table?

Do you want a binding that will last for many years?

Do you want The Book to smell good, feel silken to the touch, and not jab you in the stomach as you read?

If you answered “yes,” you probably won’t bond well with bonded leather! While that type of cover or a hardback work fine for thick, heavy study Bibles kept on a shelf, a Bible you really, really want to pick up, hold, smell, stroke, hug, and read will most likely be a reader’s edition with a good quality leather cover such as French Morocco leather, calfskin, or goatskin.

To briefly cover those covers:

Goatskin is wonderfully soft and worthily expensive since it provides the top quality for a thin-line Bible or a reader edition with no study articles and notes to distract your cover-to-cover reading. My personal favorite is a wide-margin Bible with space for penciling my thoughts in the margins as I read, and goatskin encourages this by lying nice and flat. As I physically interact with God’s word in this way, the Bible becomes even more personal to me with its soft, responsive cover especially huggable on a bad day!

French Morocco, the next highest high quality leather, also lays flat and drapes nicely in the hand. Instead of goatskin though, this cover comes from calfskin that’s split to make it slightly thinner and soft, yet durable enough to last for many years.

Calfskin leather, often labeled “genuine leather,” gives your favorite reading Bible a durable binding too. Typically this cover feels thicker than the above choices and not quite as soft but may lay flat – or not! This depends somewhat on size with larger Bibles more apt to stay open. However, the method of binding also makes a discernible difference in overall quality, including the physical ability to stay flat.

Smythe sewn bindings are considered the best since the pages are sewn together prior to being glued to the inner spine. These Bibles stand up to wear-and-tear far better than glued-in pages, which are apt to get unglued as you walk along, giving new meaning to a paper trail.

If paperback is the only cover you can afford right now, the Bible can be inserted into a leather cover later, of course. However, the glued-in pages will not provide long-lasting durability. Consider, too, that the price of a paperback plus the price of a leather cover can easily add up to the cost of The Book you really, really want to read and read and read.

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For posts on a variety of topics, see In a Christian Writer's Life blog by Mary Sayler.

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