Need a Bible? Here's an Honest Review of the BEST Bibles on the Market! | Repeat After Me: This is the Year I Will Read My Bible!

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Understanding End Time Prophecy Starts with Knowing Who All the Players Are

I wanna preface this entire post by saying that the best bible on the market is the one you’re actually gonna read. I’ll say it again: none of these recommendations will mean diddly squat if you’re not actually going to take the time to crack it open, sit down with it, and meditate on the word of God. It’s why I felt this list was so important in the first place— there are some bibles that I’ve owned that have sat on a shelf, untouched for whatever reason. And when I noticed what some of those reasons were? I knew those could be things that may be hindering fellow believers in Yahuah from digging into the Word.

That’s why this list is sectioned out based on what I believe would be the best “purpose” for said bible… according to… well, my own personal experience. 😅 I own these bibles. They’re in my house, they’re with me, have my name in them, I’ve done more than flip through them. If you’ve read my mini TedTalk called The Nehemiah Project, then you know why I own so many translations of the Bible… and why you should too (you should really go and check it out). But I didn’t buy them just to have them on deck, noooooo. I love studying the Word too much, and each translation brought something to the table that was unique to it and couldn’t exactly be replicated in another. Hence, my list.

So in short, regardless of whether or not you’re looking for your first “adult” bible (because I’ve got the PERFECT one for you, if that’s the case 😍) or you’ve stumbled into bible journaling and need one with big margins to make art and take notes… there’s something on this list for you.

Read Your Bible, Change Your Life

I heard once that to change your life and become the “best version of you” you need to become her. The problem with that is, I don’t know who “her” is. And most importantly? What if it isn’t Yahuah’s will for my life to be this her? Maybe she needs to be her and I need to be the version of me that was ordained from the foundation of the world to exist right here and now (Jeremiah 1:5, Ephesians 1:4, Esther 4:14).

I say all this to say that what has truly transformed my life? Paying attention to what’s in these books right here. I wanted to be her at one point, I was duped by the motivational gurus for a good decade, as embarrassing as that is to admit… but when I gave another decade to the Good Book? I got the time that the cankerworm has stolen from me back. The gospel is real, it’s alive, and it’s true.

That being said, I hope you enjoy whatever physical bible you decide to invest in. And of course, if you need help choosing one for your own journey to become… “her” 😂 Well? Here are my faves.

THE CEPHER MILLENNIUM EDITION (LARGE PRINT)

Alright alright, lemme just preface this with saying that this will always be at the top of any list that I have reviewing bibles. (Even if it doesn’t belong there 😅). It’s just that good. And why is that? This bible is what you call a “transliterated” bible, meaning that instead of substituting or anglicizing names and places in the text? This bible has restored all of the names and places in every book, even the books left out of the protestant bibles. 👀

Yesssss, yes yes, my friend! Now this isn’t a catholic bible (you know, where they remove the 4th commandment 😒) but it’s a complete one. This means that you have 1 and 2 Maccabees, you have the book of Enoch so you can understand what Jude was referencing (Jude 1:14-16). So not only do you get all the juicy bits commonly left out of protestant bibles, you also get to see the real name of God… because interestingly enough, God is a title and not His name, and keeping His name is not only a commandment, but it’s… got serious implications in the believer’s walk with Him (Exodus 20:7, Joel 2:32, 2 Timothy 2:19, Psalm 72:17).

Final Thought: This is the Bible that I would run back into a burning house for. I kid you not, this is the one that I believe every believer in the Most High Yah should have in their arsenal. It’s deepened my bible study time IMMENSELY, and that kind of value cannot be duplicated in any other translation, even my prized KJV. Names have power, I’m a true believer in this. And knowing them and their meanings is such an important part of intense bible study to really grasp what the authors of the books of the Bible (and the Holy Spirit) are really trying to convey to Yah’s people.

SHOP NOW | Best Transliterated Bible: The Cepher Millennium Edition (Large Print) — The Cepher Millennium Edition, Large Print

**CEPHER PUBLISHING GROUP**
$100 at Cepher Publishing Group

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Best Overall Bible: The Amelia Sage Floral KJV Note-taking Bible (Large Print)

BEST OVERALL BIBLE: KJV NOTETAKING BIBLE (LARGE PRINT)

For our second runner up we have my beloved KJV note-taking bible that has taken my study time by storm. I am an interleaved bible person, meaning I’m one of those crazy people who add pages to the Bible so I have more room for notes? Yeah. Immediately this was the Bible I knew the spine was gonna get all bent and I was gonna have pages and pages of notes within it. It’s just a really good bible for note-taking— it contains the Word, nothing but the Word… excluding like a verse finder and one year bible reading plan in the back, but I go more into that in this article here. (Yeah I was literally that impressed it deserved its own post 😅).

ANYWAYS! This thing is chonnnnky though! Heh, it’s hardcover and it’s a bit hefty, so this might just be your like… it stays at home don’t nobody else look at it or touch it kind of bible. Since I’m personally using it to transfer notes from my last bible and kinda start all over (it’s fallen apart too many times, the old one, it was time to move on LOL) that’s what it is for me. If you own a physical Strong’s Concordance? Then you’ve got a good idea of how heavy this thing is. It’s about that weight.

Final Thought: This is a great heirloom bible if you want to add in all your notes and pass it down, period. That’s my main goal for this and it could be yours next! The font is a large print (which we love) so if your eyes end up getting tired in older age? You still got a great bible to work with.

Best Journaling Study Bible: The Amelia Sage Floral KJV Note-taking Bible (Large Print) — Amelia Sage Floral KJV Note-taking Bible, Large Print

**CHRISTIAN ART PUBLISHERS**
$49.99 at Barnes and Noble

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BEST STUDY BIBLE: ESV JOURNALING STUDY BIBLE

Now I know what you’re thinking: why does the image suggest that this is my top pick when I’ve already claimed the Cepher and the KJV Note-taking Bible are my number ones? Oh, my sweet dear friend, I’ll tell you because I can’t help myself and was going to anyway— this is the final edition to my bible study trifecta. In my opinion, if you own all three? The Cepher, the KJV Bible above, and this one? You’ve won. You’ve won the lottery.

When I bought this it was for the aesthetic, I promise you. I’d noticed that whenever I was using like verse finders online (like scriptures on healing, scriptures on strength, etc) I would run into the ESV… and I really liked it. I’d usually compare what the NIV and KJV and AMP said in my bible study, but this has been quickly replacing the NIV translation. 👀 This exact bible, though? See, the KJV bible above lacks commentaries— it’s STRICTLY a note-taking bible. The Cepher? It has its own lexicon that I’m more focused on using when implementing that into topical bible studies. I’m using that in conjunction with a Strong’s Concordance, basically, to dissect words. This bible? This bible gives you hissstttooorrryyyy. This bible adds in historical facts that made my jaw drop and my heart SWOON upon reading. It gives notes from saints that have gone before us… which made me wanna buy two.

Final Thought: It’s gorgeous, UTTERLY IRRESISTABLE, with its folk embroidery style design. LOVE. But rounding out my trifecta, it’s just so helpful! In my bible studies, I like doing a lot of historical reference research to see what was happening secularly around the events transpiring in the Word. It gives so much context as to why certain things may have been said, why certain parables were implemented— it gives culture and context. It better helps you read the biblical room. This bible not only helps me to do just that, it’s just… it’s so wonderful because at the bottom of each page? Cross reference scriptures. Scriptures where you can find the same subject matter being discussed elsewhere in the Word— the sort of thing that I use BibleHub for.

BEST NEW KING JAMES BIBLE: NKJV JOURNAL THE WORD BIBLE (RED LETTER)

If you like the KJV note-taking bible I mentioned above but don’t like the thees and the thous (honestly, nothing hits like “and the angel of the LORD smote him and he died” but to each his own 🤷🏾‍♀️) this is the one for you. It’s the same size as the ESV bible in my trifecta… but lighter? I don’t know how they did it, but it’s nice.

This is also the first red letter bible to enter the chat! Which, I vaguely remember noticing upon purchasing but let’s be real— we both know it was that fantastic floral cover that had me add this baby to the cart. 🙃 I personally bought it knowing that it was securely going to be a bible I gave away after filling it with notes. Like the KJV bible above, there are no chapter by chapter commentaries, it’s just you and the Word and a gracious amount of space to take notes.

Final Thought: Since it’s half the size of the KJV note-taking bible, I think this would be a great one to carry around (it fits wonderfully in the Bible cover I bought for it) to church and other extracurricular events. Toss it in a cute tote or backpack, keep it with you on the go? Yeah, this is definitely one that won’t overburden your purse if you decided to toss it in there.

BEST FOR NEW CHRISTIANS: NIV ARTISAN COLLECTION BIBLE

I call this my mermaid bible because I bought these cute bible tabs to go with it and it feels like when I give this one away… eventually (I’ve become oddly territorial over it 😂) it’ll go to a girls girl or someone with a whimsical imagination. And it makes me all warm and fuzzy inside knowing that. 🥰

ANYWAYS, if you’re not as aesthetically minded as me (how boring) and you don’t care about that, you will like that this is the second red letter bible on our list. It’s extremely light weight, just like our NKJV friend, and somehow has a lot of margin space for notes even with it being a double column bible! Because of the translation (the NIV is the most bought modern bible translation in the World), I personally believe that this one is great for new Christians or baby believers. It won’t have commentary that will stop them from critically thinking about the text for themselves, which we know taking other peoples opinions instead of just reading the Word for our own understanding? Yeah. That’s gotten us in a lot of trouble blindly following the motivational speaking of pulpits. 😤

Final Thought: If you know a baby Christian or new believer in Yahusha and think that the commentaries would help them (because we’re all entitled to our opinions) you’ll be able to find my most gifted bible further down the list.

BEST JOURNALING BIBLE: ESV ILLUMINATED BIBLE, ART JOURNALING EDITION

I BOUGHT IT FOR THE AESTHETIC AND HAVE NO REGRETS 😭 I MEAN IT! This was pureelllyyy an aesthetic buy, I hardly wanna touch it it’s so beautiful, WHICH SHOULDN’T BE THE POINT, but I’m telling you… when you look inside? GUH! 🫠

That being said! This is the best bible for art doodlers, for bible journaling, for all those people who use their creative skills to get closer to the Most High Yahuah. 🥰 I think this Bible represents our Creative Yah so well, it just… the illustrations that precede each chapter (with a full breakdown of why they chose such imagery in the very back 🤌🏾) reminds me of the Creation story. It reminds me of how He knows every hair on our heads (Luke 12:7). If you have an art major in the family? This is the Bible for them.

Final Thought: This is one of those fantastic bibles that are a collector’s item. It’s one of those. The one they might fight over when you’re dead. It feels like the kind of bible that would’ve been in the library of Jane Austen. Yeah. Get the picture? Buy it now. 😂

BEST BIBLE FOR SMALL GROUPS: CSB LIFE CONNECTIONS STUDY BIBLE

This bible right here? It’s trying to weasel its way into my trifecta. It’s been a recent discovery (and I hope to keep this article updated as I continue to make said discoveries, so be on the lookout 👀) that just… it made my jaw drop. It’s like the competition for the ESV bible I raved about. And it might just become my most gifted bible soon.

This is the Bible you wanna take to group bible studies. This is the Bible you wanna take to prayer meetings. This is the Bible that is going to ask you questions to as Yahuah. This is a bible that is focused on community, strengthening your relationship with the Most High, and connecting the two. It feels like the best of the ESV Journaling Study Bible and the She Reads Truth Bible below… and more.

Final Thought: If you don't need discussion questions or like… I’ll put it like this: have you ever read or completed the Q&A a Day: Five Year Journal? This feels like that. It feels like you could come back to this journal in 3 years and look back at what hit you about a scripture then and see how much Yahuah has transformed your life in the interim. It’s just… a transformative bible, is the best way I could put it. And after my trifecta? It’s the next one I would recommend on this list.

BEST WOMEN'S BIBLE: CSB SHE READS TRUTH BIBLE

Welcome to my most gifted bible ever. I don’t know what it is about this bible, but for people that I’ve been prompted to gift a bible in the past (all women, obviously) this has been my go-to.

This is the bible that if you need commentaries, if you need all the maps, if you like that there’s a chapter breakdown at the beginning of each book of the Bible? This is the book for you. It’s great for new believers and seasoned ones alike. The translation is easy to understand and the devotionals will encourage and inspire you if you’re a devotional fan.

Final Thought: This has main bible energy, but for me personally? I’m a KJV devotee. I switched from the NIV to the KJV early on in my adult life and haven’t really looked back (until the ESV stole my heart) so while this isn’t a bible that I personally dive into a lot? I do admire the chapter breakdowns that are included and all the fancy stuff. It’s not actually my favorite CSB Bible (which you can find here) but made this list as I truly believe it’s the best women’s bible on the market. Each woman I’ve given this to? LOVES IT.

BEST TRAVEL BIBLE: NLT FILAMENT BIBLE (GIANT PRINT)

If you follow me on Benable, then you know I’m not an NLT fan. The translation used to give me trust issues when I was comparing its scriptures against the KJV in bible study. I just… ignored it for a long time.

BUT THEN I JUST HAD TO START THE NEHEMIAH PROJECT. And I knew that the Most High was prompting me to invest in an NLT bible translation so that at least I had it in my inventory. So what did I do? I bought one, of course… but I… just ignored it. I didn’t even buy bible tabs for it like I did with my other translations! 🙈 I’m was sooooo ashamed once I opened it, however, because this bible right here? This bible when I read the intro, I saw that the intention was to create an oral bible because for millennial, the Bible had been passed down as an oral history. The law was orally given. And so of course, being the history nerd I am, I melted.

Final Thought: This is my prayer bible. Because of that it’s become the Bible that I’m most, “Where is that? Didn’t I put that he– oh thank goodness, it was just under this stack of…” … yeah. 😅 The Bible translation that used to make my eyes roll? Yeah. Because of it’s size, it’s the Bible I can most easily carry around with me and actually read because… though I keep a compact bible in the car, it’s so small (and so is the font) that it’s not one that I would like… take out of the car with me, if you know what I mean. This would fit well in a carry-on, this would fit well in a purse. It also comes with the Filament Bible app so while you’re on the road you have access to both a physical and digital copy of the Word. Which is totally cool.