Recommended Adult Bibles

NIV Giant Print Compact Bible, Imitation Leather ($30)

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Don’t assume this is only a Bible for old people! It won’t say “Giant print” on the cover, and the font isn’t even that* huge (11.0pt). Inside you will find a text that looks remarkably similar to a fiction novel you might buy (which are designed for an enjoyable reading experience unlike many Bibles) with a similar font-size and word-count per page. This is a chubby little book that is smaller than a half-sheet of paper on it’s face, but 1-3/4” thick. I really think that this Bible is well designed for a natural and enjoyable reading experience

ESV Single Column Imitation leather Bible ($26)

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Simple, clean format with a 9.0pt. font size 7.75”H x 5.5”W

NIV Deluxe Single-Column Reference Bible with Leathersoft Cover ($41)

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This is a very good looking Bible that was tempting me to hit “order” as I was writing this for you.  9.5pt font, with a 2-tone color scheme and one big-wide column of text.  The reference column does not take up the entire height of the page so about half of the page is a blank wide-margin which leaves plenty of room for taking notes.  This is, without a doubt, my favorite Bible on the list. 

ESV Single-Column Reference Bible with Imitation Leather cover

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Note – the largest font-size that I can find for an ESV reference Bible in a single-column format is 8.0pt and that is pretty small, probably too small to be read comfortably for 10+ minutes. 

NIV Journal the Word (wide margin) Large Print Leathersoft Bible ($40) (Joel’s Bible)

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This is the Bible that I selected as my personal reader when I switched to the NIV 2011 update in 2017 (though we are currently estranged while it is being rebound).  It has a good font size (10.0pt), ruled-wide margins, and a fauxleather cover.  One feature that I wish this Bible had was red letters, but this was the best combination of features for my reading preferences

ESV Journaling Bible (wide margin) Large Print, Imitation Leather ($41)

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Same as above, but ESV with a 9.5pt or 9.0pt font size depending on the cover option you choose. 

NIV Cultural Background Study Bible, Large Print Imitation Leather Red Letter Edition ($60) (Joel’s favorite)

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Dive headlong into the world of the Bible with full-color study notes and pictures edited by 2 preeminent Bible scholars (Craig Keener and John Walton).  This Bible has study notes full of pictures, a reference column, red letters for Jesus’s words and a comfortable 10.0 size font.  The only drawback is a 2-column page format

ESV Archaelogical Study Bible, Imitation Leather (Joel’s favorite ESV study Bible) ($50)

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Don’t be scared away by the word “Archaeological” this Bible is full of notes on cultural background, geography, and historical context.  This Bible is full-color with many pictures.  It features an acceptable 9.0pt font and a two-column page format

NIV Zondervan Study Bible, Large Print, Hardcover  ($50)

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This is the updated standard, classic NIV study Bible, now with a full-color print format and a number of pictures. The large print edition gets you up to a 9.0pt font with a single-column page format for the Bible text.

ESV Study Bible, Large Print, Soft Imitation Leather ($50)

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This is the standard, classic ESV study Bible. The large print edition gets you up to an 11.0pt font size for the Bible text, and a 9.0 font size for the study notes (best in class).