Hear the word of the Lord

There are many different strategies for reading the Bible in a year. And Christians ought to read the Bible regularly. Likewise, they ought to read the Bible from cover to cover.

That said, most of Scripture was originally directed at the ear rather than the eye. The spoken word. Transcribed speeches. Written to be read aloud.

Silent reading is efficient, but I think it’s good to complement that with hearing Scripture.

A few years ago I bought some Bible recordings for an elderly relative. Her eyesight was failing.

To give her variety, I bought three different recordings, which I alternated.

Two were in the KJV, while one was in the NKJV. Although I normally quote from the ESV, the KJV is still the most listenable English translation of the Bible. The most memorable and euphonious.

I bought Alexander Scourby’s classic recording of the entire Bible. Scourby was a popular voice actor and narrator. He has a mellifluous baritone voice, with a polished, theatrical accent. He brings a lot of passion to his reading, acting out the passages.

I bought Johnny Cash’s recording of the NT. It presents a striking contrast to Scourby’s delivery. Cash has a melodious bass-baritone speaking voice, with a rhythmic Southern cadence, and a pretty good feel for phrasing.

I bought Gregory Peck’s recording of the NT. Peck was a fine voice actor, with a manly bass speaking voice. The delivery is a bit flat compared to Cash or Scourby.