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Compass: The Study Bible for Navigating Your Life
"Compass "is about helping you find the answers you're looking for in the pages of the Scriptures and allowing that truth navigate your life. Packed with Bible-reading helps and using an energizing, new Bible translation, "Compass" is a Bible designed with you in mind. Do you want to start reading and applying the Bible to your life, but aren't quite sure where to start? Let "Compass "point you in the right direction.
Features include:
In-text notes that include cultural, historical, theological, and devotional thoughts God's Promises(R)--Thomas Nelson's bestselling guide to Scripture for your every need Book introductions Reading plans for every day of the year Topical Guides to Scripture and notes In-text maps
Part of the "Signature Series" line of Thomas Nelson Bibles
Features include:
In-text notes that include cultural, historical, theological, and devotional thoughts God's Promises(R)--Thomas Nelson's bestselling guide to Scripture for your every need Book introductions Reading plans for every day of the year Topical Guides to Scripture and notes In-text maps
Part of the "Signature Series" line of Thomas Nelson Bibles
1664 pages, Hardcover
First published October 8, 2013
80 people are currently reading
103 people want to read
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* They are officially published under that name
* They are traditional stories not attributed to a specific author
* They are religious texts not generally attributed to a specific author
Books whose authorship is merely uncertain should be attributed to Unknown.
See also: Anonymous
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 1, 2018
The Bible would normally be ***** but this one is not for two reasons -
1. The Voice translation is really poor. There are so many inserted editorial comments in italics that are just not there in the original language - I'm sure they are there to assist but they don't assist.
Also the translation of LORD as eternal one and Christ as anointed one is clunky and makes it seem more mystical.
2. The "study material" is very distracting, in bold and right in the middle of passages, instead of down the bottom or at the side, so you are constantly having to skip the bold writing to read the actual passage itself.
I think I get where the Voice was going with its translation, but its execution was bad and the study Bible itself was more distracting than helpful.
1. The Voice translation is really poor. There are so many inserted editorial comments in italics that are just not there in the original language - I'm sure they are there to assist but they don't assist.
Also the translation of LORD as eternal one and Christ as anointed one is clunky and makes it seem more mystical.
2. The "study material" is very distracting, in bold and right in the middle of passages, instead of down the bottom or at the side, so you are constantly having to skip the bold writing to read the actual passage itself.
I think I get where the Voice was going with its translation, but its execution was bad and the study Bible itself was more distracting than helpful.
April 30, 2022
This was my only Bible that helped raise me when it was given to me at a summer camp. I knew what a Bible was, sure, but I had read a total of four stories from the Bible. I claimed to be a Christian, but I was eleven and had no idea what I was doing with no guidance.
My eleven-year-old self devoured this book. It became the Bible I took to church when I friends could take me, something I would stick my enormous amount of notes in, and something that I love so so much.
My eleven-year-old self devoured this book. It became the Bible I took to church when I friends could take me, something I would stick my enormous amount of notes in, and something that I love so so much.
April 25, 2022
It’s indeed a challenge to read this Bible (The Voice version) in a different translation from the common versions. With the vast abundant of new way to processing ideas to give a different experience to understanding the Scriptures.
February 5, 2014
I get nervous when I try out a new translation of the Bible and while the Voice isn’t new, it’s been around for a few years, I still get nervous and it’s impossible to go line for line against my KJV, ESV and other translations to check for inconsistencies in the time it takes to do a timely review. With that being said I must say I do enjoy having the Compass study Bible on my shelf, the pages are thicker than usual allowing for highlighting or notes in the margins without fear of bleeding through (there isn’t a lot of margin room but if you write small and use abbreviations it’s fine). When I get a new Bible I usually flip to Psalm 23 to see how it reads as that is my favorite Psalm and the one I first memorized as a child, part of it reads:
“The Eternal is my shepherd, He cares for me always. He provides me rest in rich, green field beside streams of refreshing waters. He soothes my fears.” Psalms 23:1-2 Compass page 643
Part of misses the way I memorized it: “The Lord is my shepherd…” but I still like the way this reads, it stays true to Scripture and doesn’t rewrite it as much as it is translated to more modern English. The in text notes really give a good deal of information about what was going on or how that particular Scripture came about or who wrote it, which is great for this lay historian. The topical guide to the notes and to the Scriptures has many topics that can be found if you’re wanting to do a word study or need help in an area, like circumcision, Day of Atonement, purity, restoration, courtship and more which is great and an easy way to find a specific Scripture.
The maps are wonderfully detailed but in black and white, which wasn’t an issue for me but could be for someone else. Maps included are world of the patriarchs, the Exodus, Paul’s missionary journey’s, and several others. The maps are located in one area in the back of the Bible or if you chose, you can also locate them within the text by using the index to find which pages they are on withing their respective books. The road map to God’s Promises is a really neat feature in that it has Scripture related to “Jesus is Your…..Savior, Righteousness, Brother and so on” as well as “What the Bible Has to Say About…. The Grace of God, Satan, and more” and even areas for “What to Do When…” Also included are reading guides on of which is a year reading plan and the other is a “40 Day Retreat with Jesus” plan – truly this Bible is a great one for study or just to get a bit closer to the Lord.
**I was given a copy of this Bible from Booksneeze (Thomas Nelson) in exchange for posting my honest opinion, no other compensation was given.
“The Eternal is my shepherd, He cares for me always. He provides me rest in rich, green field beside streams of refreshing waters. He soothes my fears.” Psalms 23:1-2 Compass page 643
Part of misses the way I memorized it: “The Lord is my shepherd…” but I still like the way this reads, it stays true to Scripture and doesn’t rewrite it as much as it is translated to more modern English. The in text notes really give a good deal of information about what was going on or how that particular Scripture came about or who wrote it, which is great for this lay historian. The topical guide to the notes and to the Scriptures has many topics that can be found if you’re wanting to do a word study or need help in an area, like circumcision, Day of Atonement, purity, restoration, courtship and more which is great and an easy way to find a specific Scripture.
The maps are wonderfully detailed but in black and white, which wasn’t an issue for me but could be for someone else. Maps included are world of the patriarchs, the Exodus, Paul’s missionary journey’s, and several others. The maps are located in one area in the back of the Bible or if you chose, you can also locate them within the text by using the index to find which pages they are on withing their respective books. The road map to God’s Promises is a really neat feature in that it has Scripture related to “Jesus is Your…..Savior, Righteousness, Brother and so on” as well as “What the Bible Has to Say About…. The Grace of God, Satan, and more” and even areas for “What to Do When…” Also included are reading guides on of which is a year reading plan and the other is a “40 Day Retreat with Jesus” plan – truly this Bible is a great one for study or just to get a bit closer to the Lord.
**I was given a copy of this Bible from Booksneeze (Thomas Nelson) in exchange for posting my honest opinion, no other compensation was given.
January 25, 2020
I was so happy to review this unique version of the Bible from Thomas Nelson Publishers because it is one the best translations that I have come across. It is written in such a way that makes the book come alive in your hands. I was excited while reading it because it was much easier to get in to the stories and become a real witness to the actual history that takes place. This book is packed with easy to understand notes regarding history, culture and theological views on every page. This is a must have for someone that has an interest in getting more out of reading the bible.
The introduction to each book is very helpful to the reader as it gives a summery of what to expect. There are in text notes to be read as needed that help make things easier to understand as well. This is written in a translation called the Voice. This version is a wonderful narrative form for the bible readers. The reason I say this is because it is full of rich meaning which draws the reader in and makes one feel as if it's happening in front of their eyes.
The books are written in a script like dialogue, or perhaps like a play. I enjoyed this so much because it made everything clearer and easier to visualize. The Scriptures came alive as I read each page. I do feel that I have a much deeper understanding of what I’m reading with this translation. This is a wonderful way to read the Bible. There is so much more depth to the Voice and I am pretty certain that reading this Bible is going to be a spiritual experience for myself and for others as well. There are also many other terrific things about this Compass Bible such as, the 365 days through the Bible and another good one is 40 day Retreat with Jesus. Those are helpful study guides to use alone or with a group. There are topical guides, to notes and scriptures which I have found to quite helpful. There are study maps and index to in text maps to give more explanation to the reader.
Read the rest here http://ureadmorebooks.blogspot.com/20...
The introduction to each book is very helpful to the reader as it gives a summery of what to expect. There are in text notes to be read as needed that help make things easier to understand as well. This is written in a translation called the Voice. This version is a wonderful narrative form for the bible readers. The reason I say this is because it is full of rich meaning which draws the reader in and makes one feel as if it's happening in front of their eyes.
The books are written in a script like dialogue, or perhaps like a play. I enjoyed this so much because it made everything clearer and easier to visualize. The Scriptures came alive as I read each page. I do feel that I have a much deeper understanding of what I’m reading with this translation. This is a wonderful way to read the Bible. There is so much more depth to the Voice and I am pretty certain that reading this Bible is going to be a spiritual experience for myself and for others as well. There are also many other terrific things about this Compass Bible such as, the 365 days through the Bible and another good one is 40 day Retreat with Jesus. Those are helpful study guides to use alone or with a group. There are topical guides, to notes and scriptures which I have found to quite helpful. There are study maps and index to in text maps to give more explanation to the reader.
Read the rest here http://ureadmorebooks.blogspot.com/20...
November 17, 2013
The Compass Study Bible is truly an easy Bible to read and use. Different on more than a few levels, the first thing that got me excited was that it was written using the Voice translation, which really allows the characters to really jump from the pages of the Bible. The book that I focused on was the book of Ruth, which happens to be my favorite book in the Bible. The way the Compass is written, which is really like a screenplay, really made me feel as if I had stepped into the life of Ruth and Naomi. Another unique feature is the fact that I found the study notes peppered thru the scripture instead of at the bottom of each page like most study Bible's I use.
There are several features included in this Bible and the first thing you will find when you open the cover is a table of contents. I do miss that there isn't a page for presentation, because I always like to use them whenever I gift a Bible. The features that I found most useful were The Road Map to God's Promises, and is just what it says, it steers the user to the many promises from God. There is a break between the Old and New Testaments where I found "The New Covenant" and "The Titles of Jesus" two interesting articles that were quite informative. There is also a topical guide to the notes as well as to the Scriptures.There is also a 365 Day reading Guide as well as a guide that will allow you to take a 40-Day retreat with Jesus. Overall I found the Compass to be a different kind of study Bible, one that really brings the scripture to life for me. The way the study notes are presented allows this Bible to flow smoothly for me. I do think this Bible would make a wonderful gift especially if you know someone that might be struggling as they try and understand a traditionally written Bible!
A complimentary copy of this Bible was provided for review.
There are several features included in this Bible and the first thing you will find when you open the cover is a table of contents. I do miss that there isn't a page for presentation, because I always like to use them whenever I gift a Bible. The features that I found most useful were The Road Map to God's Promises, and is just what it says, it steers the user to the many promises from God. There is a break between the Old and New Testaments where I found "The New Covenant" and "The Titles of Jesus" two interesting articles that were quite informative. There is also a topical guide to the notes as well as to the Scriptures.There is also a 365 Day reading Guide as well as a guide that will allow you to take a 40-Day retreat with Jesus. Overall I found the Compass to be a different kind of study Bible, one that really brings the scripture to life for me. The way the study notes are presented allows this Bible to flow smoothly for me. I do think this Bible would make a wonderful gift especially if you know someone that might be struggling as they try and understand a traditionally written Bible!
A complimentary copy of this Bible was provided for review.
December 4, 2013
My Thoughts On The Book: This Bible, The Compass Study Bible is one of the easiest Bibles I have found to read and use. This Bible would be a wonderful choice for a new Christian because the characters were so lifelike. It was more than just words on a page it came to life right before my eyes. Using the Voice translation was very exciting. Since the Christmas holidays were upcoming I chose to focus on both Luke and Matthew. I actually used the Bible to prepare a sermon in Matthew. I was so excited to read aloud from this Bible and deliver the message I prepared with the help of The Compass Bible. I also did a Study for my church in Joshua and felt the story in chapter 22 was more like a wonderful piece of narrative and so alive. There were some amazing features to use, The Road Map to God's Promises was very helpful. There was a definite break between the Old and New Testaments where I found wonderful nuggets like, "The New Covenant" and "The Titles of Jesus". There was also a topical guide to the notes as well as to the Scriptures. I thnk my favorite section was a 365 Day reading Guide and a guide that takes the reader on a 40-Day retreat with Jesus. I am delighted to have this book to add to my developing collection of study Bibles. I think this Bible would make a wonderful gift for the holidays and if you have someone you need a special gift for, this is the perfect choice.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through Shelton Interactive as part of their blogging review program in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Thanks guys for allowing me to review this book. LOVE IT!
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through Shelton Interactive as part of their blogging review program in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Thanks guys for allowing me to review this book. LOVE IT!
March 6, 2014
The Compass Study Bible is the first Study Bible that's available in The Voice translation - one of the most unique Bible translations available to Christians today.
What's unique about The Voice translation is that it was translated by a diverse team of artists, musicians, editors, writers, pastors and Bible scholars who did not use one particular translation method - but rather combined various translation methods - into the finished product, paying particular attention to such things as verb tense, the poetic quality of the language, and naming conventions.
The result?
The reader is swept up into the action and the story of the Bible in a fresh new way.
This is great for mature Christians who are seeking a fresh rendition of Scripture during their devotional time with God. This may also be good for non-Christians and those who need to hear the Gospel message in a fresh new way.
As a Devotional Bible, the Compass Study Bible makes a great addition to one's Bible collection. As a Study Bible, the Compass Study Bible will not satisfy a serious student of God's Word.
Nonetheless, Thomas Nelson has produced a quality Bible at an amazing price and if you are interested in The Voice translation, than Compass - The Study Bible For Navigating Your Life is definitely the way to go!
To read my review in its entirety, please visit Create With Joy.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes. However, the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
What's unique about The Voice translation is that it was translated by a diverse team of artists, musicians, editors, writers, pastors and Bible scholars who did not use one particular translation method - but rather combined various translation methods - into the finished product, paying particular attention to such things as verb tense, the poetic quality of the language, and naming conventions.
The result?
The reader is swept up into the action and the story of the Bible in a fresh new way.
This is great for mature Christians who are seeking a fresh rendition of Scripture during their devotional time with God. This may also be good for non-Christians and those who need to hear the Gospel message in a fresh new way.
As a Devotional Bible, the Compass Study Bible makes a great addition to one's Bible collection. As a Study Bible, the Compass Study Bible will not satisfy a serious student of God's Word.
Nonetheless, Thomas Nelson has produced a quality Bible at an amazing price and if you are interested in The Voice translation, than Compass - The Study Bible For Navigating Your Life is definitely the way to go!
To read my review in its entirety, please visit Create With Joy.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes. However, the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
October 10, 2013
COMPASS: The Study Bible for Navigating Your Life was a surprisingly good resource Bible, in my opinion. It was clearly unique, and it offered a refreshingly different take on Bible study.
After my initial orientation to the layout and content of the book, I made a point of using COMPASS as my primary Bible study tool. This gave me the chance to refer to it for personal studies, as well as for more formal large group classes. I found it to be easy to manipulate and handle, in terms of information retrieval. I loved the background material that was offered and the extra bonus features, such as the breakdown on who was speaking, the notations on the significance of presented events, and the detailed map listings. I very much appreciated being able to identify the presence of the “Eternal One” throughout the pages of this book.
Whether engaging in a word study, topical study, or more in-depth Bible study series, COMPASS would be a great tool to utilize.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Shelton Interactive. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
After my initial orientation to the layout and content of the book, I made a point of using COMPASS as my primary Bible study tool. This gave me the chance to refer to it for personal studies, as well as for more formal large group classes. I found it to be easy to manipulate and handle, in terms of information retrieval. I loved the background material that was offered and the extra bonus features, such as the breakdown on who was speaking, the notations on the significance of presented events, and the detailed map listings. I very much appreciated being able to identify the presence of the “Eternal One” throughout the pages of this book.
Whether engaging in a word study, topical study, or more in-depth Bible study series, COMPASS would be a great tool to utilize.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Shelton Interactive. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
February 14, 2014
I received a copy of this Bible in exchange for an honest review.
This bible is a new translation of the Bible for me and it's one I'm not quite comfortable with. I'm used to the NIV translation, not the Voice translation and layout. When I review a Bible, I usually read the book of Ruth. It's one of the shortest books in the Bible, which makes it easier and quicker to do a review in a timely manner. When I first started reading Ruth in this Bible, I was briefly stuck on the fact that one of the names is spelled differently in this Bible than in my NIV Study Bibles (Chilion/Kilion).
At times it reads like a script for a play, which can make it easier to differentiate who is speaking to whom. However, many of the words are entirely cut out by this, which makes it seem even shorter of a book than expected. The Bible itself has some nice in-text notes in it, which makes it a good study Bible, but I'm not sure the commentary is really historically accurate, or just put into the best light for the characters. The Bible itself is slightly more durable than my daily NIV study Bible with thicker pages.
I'm not crazy about this translation, but overall, its an okay study Bible, just not one I can see myself using daily.
This bible is a new translation of the Bible for me and it's one I'm not quite comfortable with. I'm used to the NIV translation, not the Voice translation and layout. When I review a Bible, I usually read the book of Ruth. It's one of the shortest books in the Bible, which makes it easier and quicker to do a review in a timely manner. When I first started reading Ruth in this Bible, I was briefly stuck on the fact that one of the names is spelled differently in this Bible than in my NIV Study Bibles (Chilion/Kilion).
At times it reads like a script for a play, which can make it easier to differentiate who is speaking to whom. However, many of the words are entirely cut out by this, which makes it seem even shorter of a book than expected. The Bible itself has some nice in-text notes in it, which makes it a good study Bible, but I'm not sure the commentary is really historically accurate, or just put into the best light for the characters. The Bible itself is slightly more durable than my daily NIV study Bible with thicker pages.
I'm not crazy about this translation, but overall, its an okay study Bible, just not one I can see myself using daily.
September 1, 2016
Love it!!!
If you are looking for a bible to do formation reading then this is the one for you. The writer titled this bible Compass for a reason this study bible is definitely the navigational tool we all need for reading and getting understanding.
Right in the pages you can find answers that you need. The other day i was reading 1 Kings 13 when God told the Holy Man not to not to go to anyone's house nor eat a meal The Holy man said he was there under God's orders, but the Holy man did when he thought he was talking to a prophet.
I was very confused by this, and then after asking the Holy Spirit for help I noticed a dark grey section on the page under the verses, which was notes on the previous verses, and then the lamp under my feet was turned on. I truly enjoy this version and bible.
Bonus to the bible has Special helps for getting into the story (dig deeper), A 40 day retreat with Jesus is like a devotional I glanced at it but have not read it. There several other bonus' built into the bible, i promise you won't be disappointed...
If you are looking for a bible to do formation reading then this is the one for you. The writer titled this bible Compass for a reason this study bible is definitely the navigational tool we all need for reading and getting understanding.
Right in the pages you can find answers that you need. The other day i was reading 1 Kings 13 when God told the Holy Man not to not to go to anyone's house nor eat a meal The Holy man said he was there under God's orders, but the Holy man did when he thought he was talking to a prophet.
I was very confused by this, and then after asking the Holy Spirit for help I noticed a dark grey section on the page under the verses, which was notes on the previous verses, and then the lamp under my feet was turned on. I truly enjoy this version and bible.
Bonus to the bible has Special helps for getting into the story (dig deeper), A 40 day retreat with Jesus is like a devotional I glanced at it but have not read it. There several other bonus' built into the bible, i promise you won't be disappointed...
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews