Published by
Crossway, who kindly sent me a copy to review, the Every Day Bible: 365 Readings
Through the Whole Bible weaves together scriptures from the Old
Testament (Hebrew Bible) and the New Testament with text from the English Standard Version (ESV) of the
Bible.
This highly
acclaimed word-for-word translation is, as the Preface tells us, “essentially literal” with a goal “to reproduce the precise wording of the
original text and the personal style of each Bible writer.” As a writer
myself, I appreciate the aim to retain the tone or voice of biblical writers,
which clearly differentiates the long, complex sentences of the Apostle Paul from
the brief, practical statements of James or poetic voice of John.
I wish this nice
edition showed which verses are on which page in case we want to find a
particular passage. Also, I’m interested in how the producers of the book
decided which portions of scripture would be placed on which page. Was this,
for instance, random or were themes intended to be developed or was each date
for a day’s reading influential? (Looking at the readings for December 25th,
however, I’d have to say the latter is unlikely.)
Regardless
of the emphasis I might have had, the publisher succeeded
well in carrying out its own excellent purpose and “goal of helping you engage with God’s Word every day of the year. Each
daily reading can be completed in approximately fifteen minutes, and includes a
passage from the Old Testament, the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs.”
The handy
book size, clear font, and slick cover encourage reading, and the large
lettering used for each day of the year helps readers to find their place easily
by a quick glance at a calendar. More important, the quality of the book should
support years of use as this unusual paperback actually has a Smyth-sewn
binding!
If you’ve
been looking for a scripturally-sound devotional book and/or a reminder to read
the Bible every day, I highly recommend combining both with the Every Day Bible: 365 Readings Through the Whole Bible from Crossway.
Mary HarwellSayler, ©2020, poet-writer, and Bible reviewer eagerly awaits review copies of the
next new editions or translations of the Bible – especially in large print!
…