The Word of Promise Complete Audio Bible: NKJV

Majestic!! I have for many years wanted to go through the scriptures but due to limited eyesight I had all but given up!! Michael York's reading is beyond anything I expected. The music in the background makes it so much more powerful! I listen to it as I go to sleep at night! Pour yourself a cup of tea, sit back in a comfortable chair and prepare to be transported to another place and another time. What a value for one credit!! I am a believer in audible.com! Thank you!!

First, the good: This is a terrific bargain for a single credit. For readability, I have most recently relied either upon the NIV or New Living Translations, but I was pleased with the NKJV translation. It is accurate and easily understandable; this translation was suited perfectly for an Audio book. The readers were outstanding, and there was just enough dramatization, music and background effects to keep the stories moving without being annoying or overly-distracting. The sound quality was flawless.

Now, the bad: As other reviewers have detailed, dividing the Bible into 17 tracks is puzzling. Finding any particular passage is laborious and frustrating.

If you are seeking an Audio presentation of the Bible to listen to and experience a cover-to-cover read, you will find this production very much to your liking. If, on the other hand, you are looking for an Audio Bible to add to your library to listen to various individual scriptures, this format is not well suited for such an endeavor; other audio renditions may be more navigable for such a purpose.

This version of the Bible is the best audio version I have ever heard hands down. This one is treated, almost, like a normal book, but with small (tasteful) sound effects and music. Other versions I have heard either have a terrible narrator or the sound effects and music is so triumphal and overdone it drowns out the Bible it self. Michael York does a fantastic job as the primary narrator. The only gripe is that it is hard to navigate. The books not separated, some seem to be split down the middle and then other books are bundled together. The math says it all about this 66 books only 17 parts. 66 books 66 parts would be easier for a book like the Bible. A normal book split in to chapters would be ridiculous, but Bible readers want to hear a certain book not have to go hunting. Again, just fantastic the first useable audio version of the Bible I have ever used.

I really enjoyed experiencing the bible this way! It brought me a better picture and perspective on many of the stories that can be harder to get though. I wish it was broken up a bit better but other than that one of the best purchases I have ever made! Thank you for providing this! Faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God, so this works for me in more way than just one!

Without a doubt, get over any bias you have with your favorite bible translation, and get this! Download the enhanced format (64kbps/22kHz) stereo production and use a good set of earphones/earbuds and hold on! This brings to life what it was like to be there when each book was written. No additional wording, no additional explanations, just word-for-word NKJV bible! I am through to 2nd Samuel and can't wait to turn it on again and continue reading. Use this in the off times when you can't read the Book, like in the car, around the house, at lunch time. You will enjoy this. Keep on reading!

This presentation is EXCELLENT!! I onlly wish the enhanced version didint take up so much space so - I could bring it with me on my ipod.

I would like to share it with other people....hopefully I can burn it to a DVD(s)

I'm quite pleased with the quality and eloquence with which this audio Bible is put together. The NKJV, which is probably one of the most accurate and thorough translations, comes to life in this convincing - but not overdone - dramatization. The narrator does an excellent job, as well, with clear pronunciation and a good feel for the text. He may not be quite as strong as he should be, but better that than too dramatic. Over all a very good work, and I highly recommend it.

I have been listening to this audio Bible and it is so superb. I love the Amplified Bible but this is entirely different in that it is dramatized, and very professionally done. It is like listening to a motion picture audio. They have captured the essence of each book, of each chapter, with the voice and music bringing you into it and revealing what God is saying in a way that no other dramatized version has done. I have others. When he says, "In the beginning God created...," the enunciation of the text with the orchestra makes it seem as if we know the significance of the event. I got it for the Old Testament because it is harder to be attentive to some passages, while the Amplified Bible brings out meaning in devotional passages where it is easier to connect with God. As I listened through it, I gained a greater respect for God. I saw humanity and the world as not just under His control, but He created everything and has a purpose. The scene where Cain is telling God that because of the punishment on him, that anyone who comes upon him will kill him, God seems so manifested. God established that if they did their punishment would be 7 times greater. The way it was conveyed was so real, I began talking to God as to His mercy there, and He said, no, justice. When it comes to the flood and then the animal sacrifices after leaving Egypt, it is grievous because God is such a wonderful Father, and no one was getting it. They were carnal and in the flesh and totally unaware that God is what is desirable, not the forbidden fruit and the other distractions. I felt so intimate with God because of it. The Psalms are amazingly intimate. The narrator of the Psalms has a voice with a touch of rasp that sounds melodiously beautiful and intimate with God. It is a blessing. Wow is a good brief description for the overall impact. Everyone should hear it, as it will bless every part of your life as you see God's ability and love to give you life abundant.

Thomas Nelson, Jim Caviezel and all the actors associated with this work have brought the Bible to life in a new way. The sounds and words become visible. Excellent job!

The Word of Promise is a stunning production. On the basis of the production values alone, it easily deserves five stars or even more. The acting, music, and sound effects are all superb -- often achieving "movie quality" as claimed -- and it sounds terrific in Audible's enhanced format. The books are broken down into meaningful chunks of files with lots of bookmarks for navigation. Of particular note, among the books I've listened to so far, are Michael York as narrator, Stacy Keach as Job, Gary Sinise as David, and Martin Jarvis as the voice of God. (Portions of the New Testament have been re-recorded with Martin Jarvis in this role, replacing the original performance by Terence Stamp. It may have simply been for consistency, but it's a welcome change; Jarvis's performance is much stronger.)

Why not five stars, then? Because of the translation. The more I hear the NKJV, the less I like it. Whatever its other merits as a study text, it doesn't lend itself well to immediate comprehension in an audio setting. While the text has been modernized to some extent, there are still many archaic sentence structures, many familiar words used in archaic (and therefore unfamiliar) senses, and many personal pronouns that lack clear referents. In narrative books and in the Psalms, it works well; likewise if you're already deeply familiar with a particular passage or book. But it's just not an ideal choice for an initial exploration of difficult or unfamiliar books. The prophets fare particularly badly in this respect, and to a lesser extent so do several of Paul's letters. I often found myself reaching for another translation to make sense of what I just heard.

Of course, without the NKJV and the support of Thomas Nelson, the Word of Promise probably wouldn't exist at all. But it does mean you need to carefully gauge what you want out of an audio Bible and whether this particular one is a good fit.