I love the ESV as a translation. I also really like the ESV Reader's Bible, though it's not my favorite single volume reader's Bible. My main issues with the ESV Reader's Bible are: 1. Paper is too thin. I suppose that can't be helped in a single volume reader's Bible. But there is some bleed through where you can kind of see the text on the other side come through. It's not a big deal, but it is slightly annoying. 2. The text is all black. That might be fine for some people, but in my case I have one of the original or first run ESV Reader's Bible (2011 text edition). My ESV Reader's Bible has color in it (e.g. red accents for the headings). Today all the ESV Reader's Bibles are in black text as best as I can tell; Crossway got rid of the red accents. I think that's unfortunate because I love having a little bit of color in the text. (By the way, I'm not referring to red letter; I personally dislike red letter for Jesus' words.) 3. Chapter numbers. As Mark Ward points out: chapter numbers in a reader's Bible is like climbing Mt. Everest and almost reaching the peak, but then deciding that it was good enough to stop just shy of the peak. It'd be better not to have chapter numbers in the text. There may be exceptions (e.g. I think it's appropriate to number the Psalms because the Psalms aren't chapters in a book but each Psalm is an individual unit). But by and large a reader's Bible should primarily focus on the reading experience, as if it were a novel or something along those lines, and the reading experience would be improved if it didn't have chapter numbers. 4. Chapter divisions. A reader's Bible doesn't need to have chapter divisions. It could use, for example, the natural literary divisions that are in the biblical text instead. For example, instead of a break between Genesis 1 and Genesis 2, a reader's Bible could have a break where Genesis 2:4 would be ("These are the generations of the heavens and the earth...") since as scholars have noted Genesis is roughly divided into these literary divisions or units with each division or unit beginning with the phrase "These are the generations...". A reader's Bible should have this kind of freedom.
Not a fan of the translation nor of Crossway, nevertheless as a Bible collector I gotta admit they make the BEST non-premium budget Bibles. This edition in particular offers an excellent reading experience (even for a leather snob).
The hardcover ESV Reader's Bible is my normal reading bible. I have the edition with the red highlights. I really love the format. I find that the hardcover does not hold up well over time. The cover (the way I handle it) will eventually start to tear loose from the text block. I'm on my second, and that one is kind of beat up at this point. Held together by tape. I contemplate a rebind, but also wonder if that's a good use of what it would cost to do. (The Trutone version is available now. Not quite the same. I could do without the gilt edge.)
I love the ESV as a translation. I also really like the ESV Reader's Bible, though it's not my favorite single volume reader's Bible. My main issues with the ESV Reader's Bible are:
1. Paper is too thin. I suppose that can't be helped in a single volume reader's Bible. But there is some bleed through where you can kind of see the text on the other side come through. It's not a big deal, but it is slightly annoying.
2. The text is all black. That might be fine for some people, but in my case I have one of the original or first run ESV Reader's Bible (2011 text edition). My ESV Reader's Bible has color in it (e.g. red accents for the headings). Today all the ESV Reader's Bibles are in black text as best as I can tell; Crossway got rid of the red accents. I think that's unfortunate because I love having a little bit of color in the text. (By the way, I'm not referring to red letter; I personally dislike red letter for Jesus' words.)
3. Chapter numbers. As Mark Ward points out: chapter numbers in a reader's Bible is like climbing Mt. Everest and almost reaching the peak, but then deciding that it was good enough to stop just shy of the peak. It'd be better not to have chapter numbers in the text. There may be exceptions (e.g. I think it's appropriate to number the Psalms because the Psalms aren't chapters in a book but each Psalm is an individual unit). But by and large a reader's Bible should primarily focus on the reading experience, as if it were a novel or something along those lines, and the reading experience would be improved if it didn't have chapter numbers.
4. Chapter divisions. A reader's Bible doesn't need to have chapter divisions. It could use, for example, the natural literary divisions that are in the biblical text instead. For example, instead of a break between Genesis 1 and Genesis 2, a reader's Bible could have a break where Genesis 2:4 would be ("These are the generations of the heavens and the earth...") since as scholars have noted Genesis is roughly divided into these literary divisions or units with each division or unit beginning with the phrase "These are the generations...". A reader's Bible should have this kind of freedom.
Not a fan of the translation nor of Crossway, nevertheless as a Bible collector I gotta admit they make the BEST non-premium budget Bibles. This edition in particular offers an excellent reading experience (even for a leather snob).
The hardcover ESV Reader's Bible is my normal reading bible. I have the edition with the red highlights. I really love the format.
I find that the hardcover does not hold up well over time. The cover (the way I handle it) will eventually start to tear loose from the text block. I'm on my second, and that one is kind of beat up at this point. Held together by tape. I contemplate a rebind, but also wonder if that's a good use of what it would cost to do.
(The Trutone version is available now. Not quite the same. I could do without the gilt edge.)