ESV Hear the Word Audio Bible: The Bible for Life

If you're looking to do without the music and drama that some of the other versions put out on Scripture, this is your book. There is nothing but the reading of the word, and Mr. Heath does a adequate job at it.

His inflections when he reads the words spoken by prominent biblical figure (e.g., God, Moses, Abraham) or a less prominent figure (e.g., the disgruntled Jews in the wilderness, enemies of the Jews) is a bit strained, but it could've been worse. Still, I knocked off a star because I could see where it may annoy some folks. I was only slightly put off at first, but got over it.

The main reason I dropped a star was because of the breakup of the Bible into 15 files. Each section starts at the beginning of one of the Books of the Bible, but within each section there's no rhyme or reason when you skip ahead. Sometimes it's at the beginning of the next chapter, other times it's not.

So best you can do is re-label the 15 sections with the first and last Book/Chapter.

Here's the naming convention I used for all 15 sections on my iPod for your consideration:
01. ESV Genesis 1 - Exodus 40
02. ESV Leviticus 1 - Numbers 36
03. ESV Deuteronomy 1 - Ruth 4
04. ESV 1 Samuel 1 - 1 Kings 22
05. ESV 2 Kings 1 - 2 Chronicles 36
06. ESV Ezra 1 - Job 42
07. ESV Psalms 1 - Psalms 99
08. ESV Psalm 100 - Ecclesiastes 12
09. ESV Song of Solomon 1 - Isaiah 66
10. ESV Jeremiah 1 - Lamentations 5
11. ESV Ezekiel 1 - Obadiah 1
12. ESV Jonah 1 - Mark 16
13. ESV Luke 1 - Romans 16
14. ESV 1 Corinthians 1 - James 5
15. ESV 1 Peter 1 - Revelation 22

All that being said, this a fine rendition of the Word of God. Frankly, I got tired of all the flashy productions and just wanted to hear the Word. In my opinion, you can't go wrong with this translation if you're looking for that angle. So I definitely recommend it.

Tu Rex Gloriae Christe!

The translation is straightforward, in the KJV tradition but with fewer archaisms than the NKJV. The narrator reads quietly and steadily, with reasonable inflection but without much passion. It may serve if you want a quiet, reflective reading with no musical distractions.

Is only 15 files (for 66 books of the Bible) instead of the almost 66 (one for each book) files in the KJV version by same publisher. Situation, i.e. finding a book and chapter efficiently, is exacerbated by the name of each file NOT including a list of what books are included in it....only has a "Part 1" thru "Part 15" SUFFIX at the END of each file title, which will be difficult to see/use, depending on the title scrolling mechanism on your player. In summary, the KJV version has the book name, e.g. "Genesis" at the BEGINNING of each file title, and mostly just the one book per file -- this is ideal !!

First, I never knew how much I'd love using an audio Bible. This has made soaking up God's word so much more accessible throughout my day.

That being said, I agree with the common disbelief among commenters that the file parsing is so bad. I listen via my iPod shuffle, so everything is found with scanning. It's brutal. :-) A big thanks to the folks who've shared the breakdowns here. And I agree that 66 files would be so much better.

The reading does feel a bit robotic at times and I laughed out loud when I read the comments about the strained sound on quotes. It's so true, though I hadn't though about it much after the first day or so. I guess one person's "emphasis" is another's "strain." Also, the change in tone/pitch/etc on the quotes really does help you separate them out in your mind.

It's quite a feat to read the entire 66 books of the Bible with a consistent tone and gate, so Mr. Heath has my respect for this momentous task, and I appreciate his efforts.

This is the best book ever written and the ESV is a great translation! David Heath's reading was simple and pleasant. The 15 sections instead of a chapter break for each book is VERY IRRITATING.

Not good, there is no way to know what chapter you are opening are a way to find what you are looking for . What it needs is a table of contents.

I am disappointed with the formatting; it is essential in any audio Bible to have clear, searchable formatting so that you can search for books and chapters. This is only broken up into 12 massive chunks. Fix this please!

For those looking for the New Testament, this might help.

#12: Jonah - Mark (too bad about this)
#13: Luke - Romans
#14: 1 Corinthians - James
#15: 1 Peter - Revelation

In my opinion, this is the best audio Bible on this site. I used my 1 credit from my trial membership for this book...it is the only Bible I found without distracting background music, and I love that it is ESV! ESV is one of the main translations I regularly read and consult because of its accuracy with the original languages of the Bible. The files are rather large, but I just changed their names on my iTunes to show which books of the Bible are in each one. I hope this audiobook is a blessing to all of you like it is to me! Don't miss your chance to learn the Word of God, which comes from the mind of God, whatever Bible you choose to read.

A beautiful, literary translation that works very well for being read aloud. Also, the narrator has a pleasant voice that gives appropriate weight to the words. I recommend it highly.