A reader who opens the front cover will be captured, will be living within the greatest story of all time, real and immediate. Captured and 
not willing to walk away.
That’s what we’re hearing, over and over, about The Voice – comments that are astounding to even its biggest fans at Thomas Nelson Publishers.
“I really love The Voice,” says the Rev. Jeff Lowe, graduate of the International Miracle Institute with a doctoral degree in theology, serving in evangelism, prison ministry and missionary work worldwide with the Cottonwood Church in Cypress, Calif. “I can hardly put it dow
n! I’ve read over 25 translations of the New Testament – including KJ, NKJ, AMP, RSV, NIV, ASV, Living Bible, Aramaic, Koine Greek, Kenneth Wuest and more. I have always been a fan of (the King James Version), but I believe this REVOLUTIONARY Bible is for today.
“I can certainly tell that much prayer and dedication was made to make this precious Word alive for this generation… Thank God for your team; I have been waiting for a Bible like this for a long time! … The letters from Paul have a feel as if they were written in a language that could have one think they were written last week. It makes all of the books simple to understand without being trendy (and) gives solid inspiration from the Word… If I only had one Bible to keep or share around the world, this would be it. You won’t want to lend or give away this masterpiece without having another for yourself!”
It was eight years ago that Thomas Nelson gathered more than 100 of the best biblical scholars and linguists of today to create a new translation of the Bible. The Voice New Testament from Thomas Nelson was released in November. The full Bible will be available in April. The original biblical verses written in the early years of the church were written by more than 40 different human authors – scholars, pastors, writers, poets and songwriters. The Voice recreates that, also using writers, poets and songwriters as well as pastors and scholars. Every translation of every word from the original Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic was checked and rechecked. After the artists and authors wrote their verses, it was all checked again.
“I have been confident in The Voice from the beginning,” says Gary Davidson, Thomas Nelson Senior Vice-President and Bible Gro
up Publisher. “And I am thrilled and inspired that it would take off like wildfire. We keep hearing over and over that readers can’t put it down, and that they finally understand Scripture that was confusing to them before. The translation team worked hard to make The Voice painstakingly accurate, while creating poetry and flow that re-created the beauty of the original. Hearing these comments confirms for me that God inspired its creation. Our mission to spread God’s Word to the world has taken a huge leap forward with The Voice.”
The Voice has been making its way to thousands of churches – spreading across the country hand-to-hand. It helped spread the good news with the Dan Valley Missionary Baptist Association in North Carolina. A pastor who works closely with the association said he was speechless when he pulled into his driveway to see boxes all over his carport, filled with The Voice. At the Christmas Toy Store organized by the association for underprivileged families, every parent received a Bible. The pastor prayed that God would use him that day to make a difference – and then a young lady stopped by his booth, sharing the struggles her family had endured over the past year. She told him how thankful she was that her husband had a job, though it caused him to work out of town five days each week. Tears filled her eyes as she told how her children were having problems because they missed their father. As she continued, the pastor shared the Gospel with her – and she prayed to receive Christ into her life. The pastor was ecstatic that the simple prayer he had prayed 15 minutes earlier was answered. There were stories like this one throughout the week as The Voice reached out to everyone it encountered.
“The V
oice is an exciting new translation,” says David “Skip” Prichard, president and CEO of Ingram Content Group Inc. “Why do I think it is exciting? Because my wife commented this morning that she hasn’t seen me this engaged in reading the Bible in a while. From the moment I started in Matthew 1, I was hooked. Though I’m well-versed in various translations, I really didn’t think about any of that. I simply was absorbed. If the goal of a new translation is to get you reading, studying, and meditating, then this version is a s
uccess.”
“I’m not a big reader, and when I do, I tend to fall asleep….particularly with the Bible,” says Eric Rather, Thomas Nelson employee. “Not with this one!!! Spent 4-5 hours reading this weekend and can’t wait to dive back in this week. Thanks to all who worke
d on this project…it’s absolutely fantastic!!!”
“I LOVE it!!!!!!” says author Pete Wilson, pastor of the Crosspoint Church in Nashville, Tenn. “I’ve always been pretty traditional when it comes to my Bible translations. I’ve basically read the same translation for the past 36 years of my life. The Voice is the first translation that has made me audibly say ‘Wow.’ It’s fresh, enlightening and extremely accurate.”
Almost 100,000 copies of The Voice New Testament have already gone out the door. Amazon shows an average rating of 4.4 stars; reader service BookSneeze shows above a 4-star rating. The Voice has hit No. 1 in Thomas Nelson Bible-group sales. The talk and response just keep building, paving the way for the release of the full Bible in April.
“I just love it,” says Judi Williams of Ponca City, Okla., 68 years old, retired from working with adults with physical and mental disabilities; mom of 11, grandmother of 25 and great-grandmother of five. “It is so easy to read and understand! I am reading thru the New Testament in 14 weeks and it is hard to put it down when I have to! I am really looking forward to the whole Voice Bible and have recommended it to friends. Thanks to all who
worked so long and hard! It was well worth the time and effort! Blessings.”
“My attention span when reading isn’t very long, and I tend to give up quickly if something doesn’t capture me,” says Lisa Harrison, a banker in Conway, Ark., married to Jerry, mom of four. “I’m a simple child who longs to hear more of her Father’s love stories. The Voice calls and captivates me. It draws me in to Scripture with a format and language that recreates the stories and brings them to life. With The Voice, I feel like I’m child again sitting at the feet of a great storyteller, listening rather than reading and trying to decode the message. God’s Word is no longer intimidating. Thanks to The Voice I can hear my Father speaking to 
me, calling me to life.”
“The Voice has quickly become my favorite translation,” says Patricia Janes of New Jersey, EMT and mom of two. “With its study notes, it represents a new generation of Bible that melds together the usefulness of a study Bible, together with the simplicity of a paraphrase, in a screenplay-type of format. The Voice brings to life the words of the Bible while remaining faithful to the Gospel message. This Bible is the perfect outreach method to extend to everyone an open invitation to read and understand for themselves the life-changing message of the Bible.”
The buzz just keeps building as The Voice travels around the world, opening doors to God’s Word.
Thomas Nelson Inc. is the world’s largest Christian publisher. The company provides multiple forms of inspirational content including Bibles, books, eBooks, journals, audio, video, curriculum and digital applications for “smart” electronic devices, with distribution of its products in more than 100 countries. Thomas Nelson is headquartered in Nashville, Tenn. Visit www.ThomasNelsonCorporate.com and www.ThomasNelsonBibles.com for more information.
For image files, interview opportunities and more information, contact Julie Belschner, public relations, at jbelschner@ThomasNelson.com or at 615.902.2244
About Blake Aldridge
