5 Bibles We Love
Our main goal here at Dive Collective is to make the Bible accessible. We want to equip you to study God’s Word on your own. Thankfully, we live in an era where access to printed copies of the Bible is available everywhere, often with just the touch of a button. We have a few favorites that we’ve been using around here, and we wanted to share them with you. (If you have questions about weeding through the various versions, check out our blog post about Bible translations.)
There are few things more irritating than using a pen in your Bible that bleeds through. After all, you will be looking at this work of art and hopefully re-reading the same pages you underline, highlight and draw on for years to come! With that in mind, we searched high and low to find the best pens (in our opinion) for each Bible suggestion below.
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ESV Study Bible
First up, the ESV Study Bible….
The ESV is my personal favorite for in-depth study, and this study Bible is packed with resources. Created by a diverse team of 95 leading Bible scholars and teachers—from 9 countries, nearly 20 denominations, and 50 seminaries, colleges, and universities—the ESV Study Bible features 20,000+ study notes, 80,000+ cross–references, 200+ charts, 50+ articles, 240 full-color maps and illustrations, and a concordance. This is a big book—not ideal for carrying with you, but perfect for your nightstand or coffee table—wherever you spend your study time.
Let’s talk pens…
Micron Pigma 01 pens by Sakura are perfect for the ESV Study Bible. (They’re also great on the ESV Thinline Bible, linked below.) They won’t bleed or fade over time, and are available in a variety of colors.
She Reads Truth Bible
A personal favorite of ours is the She Reads Truth Bible. Not only is it thoughtfully laid out and designed, but the CSB translation is easy to digest. This beautiful Bible includes almost 200 devotionals, 66 artist-designed key verses, 35 timelines, 20 maps, and 11 charts. Available in several soft cover and hard cover options, there are plenty of colors and textures to choose from. If aesthetics are high on your priority list for a Bible you’ll be diving into for years to come, this one is for you.
She Reads Truth also has a mens Bible line called the He Reads Truth Bible. These masculinely designed Bibles are also CSB and include 66 hand-lettered key verses, 17 timelines, 21 maps, 122 charts, and 4 illustrations.
Something to note if you are considering adding any of the She Reads Truth and He Reads Truth Bibles to your cart is that they are quite large. They are beautiful for home-use, but a bit too large throw in my everyday bag.
Buy the She Reads Truth Bible now on Amazon | Buy the He Reads Truth Bible now on Amazon
NIV Life Application Bible
The NIV Life Application Bible is another one full of helpful tools, and is also a great study Bible for teens—I received mine years ago as a gift from my parents. They’ve recently published a new edition with a new design and lots of updates. In it you’ll find, verse-by-verse commentary, surveys of the big picture of each book through overviews, vital statistics, outlines, and timelines, in-text maps, charts, and diagrams, over 10,000 Life Application notes and other features, over 100 personality profiles, a dictionary/concordance, more than 500 maps and charts placed for quick reference, and an extensive side-column cross-reference system to facilitate deeper study.
Let’s talk pens…
Sometimes I just love a good ballpoint pen. Retractable is my favorite—no need to worry about losing the cap. These InkJoy ballpoints are my go-to.
The Message
We love Eugene Peterson’s The Message for reading through Scripture in fresh, contemporary language. Peterson lived the joy of the Christian life, and that joy flowed outward as he translated the Bible for his congregation. He was a scholar of the Greek and Hebrew languages, and translated The Message directly from those languages into modern English. His interpretations and expanded language bring beauty, depth, and clarity to a big picture reading of God’s Word.
Let’s talk pens…
Our favorites for this Bible are the Micron Pigma pens as well as an old school yellow highlighter for things that really stand out.
ESV Thinline Bible
The ESV Thinline Bible is a great everyday option. As a translation, the ESV is both readable and great for in-depth study. This thinline edition is small enough to throw in your bag and take along wherever—it’s less than one inch thick. Even though it’s small in size, it contains a concordance with over 12,000 references and plenty of full-color maps.
BONUS: If you’re interested in an investment, Paul’s Leather Company creates beautiful full grain leather bound Bibles. They believe in creating Bibles that can become family heirlooms. They also support missionaries who reach the unreached—the company is named after Paul the apostle because they support those with Paul-like ministries, taking Christ to those who have never heard the gospel before (Romans 15:21). This ESV Thinline in Antique and this ESV Journaling Bible in Acorn are my favorites.
Let’s talk pens…
Actually, let’s talk rulers! A small, flexible ruler like this one is a great tool to keep in your Bible. I like to keep my lines neat and use mine all the time.
Do you have a favorite Bible?
Let us know In the comments below!
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