Recently ThomasNelson sent me a copy of The Voice to review. The Voice is from the Ecclesia Bible Society and I wasn't sure if this would be an actual translation (NIV, ESV) or a Paraphrase (Message) and honestly, I still am not sure, I think it falls somewhere between.
I was somewhat skeptical at the beginning as some of the contributors are people who I don't always agree with theologically, however I felt that as a whole this project really came together nicely!
I appreciated the "arts" feel to it. They had contributions from songwriters, poets and story tellers and that really comes across.
It is easy to read and I think would be a great New Testament for many people. I don't think I would use it as my regular "Study Bible", but when I just want to sit down and read The Word, I think it could be perfect!
Overall I felt like it came across as very readable and very poetic. It does take some getting used to as some of the phrases have been changed, for example: "Messiah" is "Liberating King" - Nothing I disagree with but it can be a bit of a change.
I would say that if someone is looking for a fresh, readable New Testament, The Voice would be a good option.
You can find out more about The Voice at their website: www.hearthevoice.com
Thank you for posting this review. I had never heard of The Voice and I was able to find it on-line and ordered it from Amazon. Most of the reviews that I found were very similar to yours. I look forward to reading this translation for myself.
ReplyDelete