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Immerse: The Reading Bible #3
Immerse: Kingdoms
Part of
NLT The Reading Bible, Complete Set,
the Winner of the 2022 Christian Book Award for Bible of the Year!
Kingdoms is the third installment of the six volumes of The Bible Reading Experience program. Kingdoms tells the story of Israel from the time of its conquest of Canaan (Joshua) through its struggle to settle the land (Judges, Ruth) and the establishment of Israel's kingdom, which ends in a forced exile (1 & 2 Samuel–1 & 2 Kings). The nation of Israel, commissioned to be God's light to the nations, falls to division and then foreign conquest for rejecting God's rule.
Kingdoms delivers Scripture to the reader as it was originally without chapter or verse breaks. While references are made available for ease of finding specific Scripture references, those references do not appear within the actual text of Scripture. This makes for uninterrupted reading of God's Word. Created with the look and feel of a paperback book, and written using the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, the most readable translation available, Kingdoms enables you to easily read and understand the Bible.
Ideal for a fresh approach to Bible study or the spiritual practice of Lectio Divina, this collection of seven Old Testament books
Comfortable single-column textNo chapter or verse markingsBook introductions with historical and biblical contextNatural literary breaksA logical book order grouped chronologically or by similar ancient audiences
Contains visual markers for both an 8-week reading plan and a 16-week reading plan.
Kingdoms is the third installment of the six volumes of The Bible Reading Experience program. Kingdoms tells the story of Israel from the time of its conquest of Canaan (Joshua) through its struggle to settle the land (Judges, Ruth) and the establishment of Israel's kingdom, which ends in a forced exile (1 & 2 Samuel–1 & 2 Kings). The nation of Israel, commissioned to be God's light to the nations, falls to division and then foreign conquest for rejecting God's rule.
Kingdoms delivers Scripture to the reader as it was originally without chapter or verse breaks. While references are made available for ease of finding specific Scripture references, those references do not appear within the actual text of Scripture. This makes for uninterrupted reading of God's Word. Created with the look and feel of a paperback book, and written using the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, the most readable translation available, Kingdoms enables you to easily read and understand the Bible.
Ideal for a fresh approach to Bible study or the spiritual practice of Lectio Divina, this collection of seven Old Testament books
Comfortable single-column textNo chapter or verse markingsBook introductions with historical and biblical contextNatural literary breaksA logical book order grouped chronologically or by similar ancient audiences
Contains visual markers for both an 8-week reading plan and a 16-week reading plan.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 22, 2017
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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
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
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April 3, 2022At the end out of nowhere they decided to use the Gregorian Calendar which is highly anachronistic, a strange choice, regardless of whether they were trying to make it more like readable. I wonder if the NLT Bibles have that strange change of a historically wrong calendar on a handful of dates, even if they did the math and those are the correlating dates, it's odd. Other than that, I don't know what to say, it's simply a section of the Bible printed without chapter and verse.
April 30, 2022
This is the second volume of the Immerse New Living Translation. I enjoyed reading this. It is a readers version where there are no verse breaks which makes the reading of it seem less. I wish the materials were a little more sturdy, I took this in my bag on a family vacation and I was seriously worried that it would not survive. But it did. Good book!
March 11, 2023
This is, by far, the best way to read the Bible!
Especially if you been to a lot of these cities in Israel, you can visualize what actually happened. And even if you haven’t been, it is a reminder of how rooted in actual history it is. Reading the Bible has never been more fun. I’m going to read it this way for the rest of my life and teach others to do the same!
Especially if you been to a lot of these cities in Israel, you can visualize what actually happened. And even if you haven’t been, it is a reminder of how rooted in actual history it is. Reading the Bible has never been more fun. I’m going to read it this way for the rest of my life and teach others to do the same!
August 19, 2021
One of my goals this year is to read the Bible cover to cover twice. I read The NIV Sola Scriptura Bible (review) in the first half of the year, and the second half I’m reading Immerse: The Reading Bible (review). Obviously, I’ve read both multi-volume series before.
I just finished reading Kingdoms, the third volume in Immerse. (The series begins with Messiah, the New Testament). Kingdoms presents Joshua–2 Kings in canonical order. These biblical books outline the history of the children of Israel from their entrance to the Promised Land to their exile from it. They present a unified story that centers on God’s faithfulness to Israel despite its wavering faith.
Another theme that is very apparent is the establishment of the Davidic monarchy. I have read the Bible several times, but I was struck anew by how these books present a unified story of the rise and fall of the Davidic monarchy. Judges shows the social anarchy that led to Israel’s call for a king. Ruth provides an interlude that focuses on David’s history, which includes his Moabite great-grandmother. 1 Samuel presents the rise of Saul’s house and explains why David replaced him. 2 Samuel details the course of David’s rule and the multiple threats to it. And 1–2 Kings shows the fate of his house after his death.
One more theme that emerges from 1–2 Kings is God’s faithfulness to the Davidic monarchy despite the wavering faithfulness of its successive kings. After Solomon, who began the trend of unfaithfulness, the kingdom divides into the northern kingdom of Israel, led by a succession of non-Davidic dynasties, and Judah, led by David’s descendants. As far as 1–2 Kings is concerned, there are no good Israelite kings, and seemingly few good Judean ones. Nonetheless, out of faithfulness, God keeps David’s dynasty as rulers.
Second Kings ends with Jehoiachin in exile in Babylon, which is bad, obviously, but the last word of the book is one of hope. Evil-merodach ascends the Babylonian throne, releases Jehoiachin from prison, and gives him a place of honor at his royal table. This foreshadows the eventual return of Judean exiles to the Promised Land.
Kingdoms covers the bloodiest episodes in Israel’s history. Much of the Old Testament violence that bewilders readers in found in these episodes. So, caveat lector. What struck me as a reader is that throughout, God demonstrates love and faithfulness to flawed humanity as it exists. That’s good news for us, it seems to me. We are not who we should be, we do not do what we should do, but God doesn’t give up on us.
For more about the six-volume Immerse series, read my review.
Book ReviewedImmerse: The Reading Bible, Vol. 3, Kingdoms (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2017).
P.S. If you liked my review, please click "Helpful" on my Amazon review page.
I just finished reading Kingdoms, the third volume in Immerse. (The series begins with Messiah, the New Testament). Kingdoms presents Joshua–2 Kings in canonical order. These biblical books outline the history of the children of Israel from their entrance to the Promised Land to their exile from it. They present a unified story that centers on God’s faithfulness to Israel despite its wavering faith.
Another theme that is very apparent is the establishment of the Davidic monarchy. I have read the Bible several times, but I was struck anew by how these books present a unified story of the rise and fall of the Davidic monarchy. Judges shows the social anarchy that led to Israel’s call for a king. Ruth provides an interlude that focuses on David’s history, which includes his Moabite great-grandmother. 1 Samuel presents the rise of Saul’s house and explains why David replaced him. 2 Samuel details the course of David’s rule and the multiple threats to it. And 1–2 Kings shows the fate of his house after his death.
One more theme that emerges from 1–2 Kings is God’s faithfulness to the Davidic monarchy despite the wavering faithfulness of its successive kings. After Solomon, who began the trend of unfaithfulness, the kingdom divides into the northern kingdom of Israel, led by a succession of non-Davidic dynasties, and Judah, led by David’s descendants. As far as 1–2 Kings is concerned, there are no good Israelite kings, and seemingly few good Judean ones. Nonetheless, out of faithfulness, God keeps David’s dynasty as rulers.
Second Kings ends with Jehoiachin in exile in Babylon, which is bad, obviously, but the last word of the book is one of hope. Evil-merodach ascends the Babylonian throne, releases Jehoiachin from prison, and gives him a place of honor at his royal table. This foreshadows the eventual return of Judean exiles to the Promised Land.
Kingdoms covers the bloodiest episodes in Israel’s history. Much of the Old Testament violence that bewilders readers in found in these episodes. So, caveat lector. What struck me as a reader is that throughout, God demonstrates love and faithfulness to flawed humanity as it exists. That’s good news for us, it seems to me. We are not who we should be, we do not do what we should do, but God doesn’t give up on us.
For more about the six-volume Immerse series, read my review.
Book ReviewedImmerse: The Reading Bible, Vol. 3, Kingdoms (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2017).
P.S. If you liked my review, please click "Helpful" on my Amazon review page.
September 11, 2020
I never get tired of reading the Bible. I find that each time I reread a passage, God always has something new to show/teach me. This is my first encounter with the New Living Translation, and it seems well suited to this format -- no chapter or verse, just read the story. Kingdoms is Joshua through Kings, and I read it in preparation to teach it to a class of 7th and 8th graders over one semester. I think this format will work well with them.
February 17, 2023
This is the second book in the Immerse Bible series which I have read and, once again, I find the concept so inspiring.
This is the Bible, but with all the chapter and verse removed, so that it reads just like a novel. And the concept works, I find myself just reading on and on for far longer than I would do normally and the story flows so much more easily, you become invested in it.
Everyone should read the Bible like this.
This is the Bible, but with all the chapter and verse removed, so that it reads just like a novel. And the concept works, I find myself just reading on and on for far longer than I would do normally and the story flows so much more easily, you become invested in it.
Everyone should read the Bible like this.
January 5, 2023
This is a great way to read the Bible. No chapter or verse markings so it reads like a book. The fact they are in six installments makes it feel more accessible. I usually stick with NASB for translation, but I’m okay with the NLT in this case. If I am studying I just switch to a different translation. But for reading purposes this fits the bill. Highly recommend.
October 31, 2023
An Excellent Way to Read the Bible
The Immerse approach to presenting the Bible is excellent. Use of the New Living Translation makes the text very approachable while maintaining a high level of faithfulness to the original texts. Removing chapter and verse numbers as well as footnotes and commentary allows the reader to focus solely on the text. Our church has been enjoying the use of the Immerse books through small group study.
The Immerse approach to presenting the Bible is excellent. Use of the New Living Translation makes the text very approachable while maintaining a high level of faithfulness to the original texts. Removing chapter and verse numbers as well as footnotes and commentary allows the reader to focus solely on the text. Our church has been enjoying the use of the Immerse books through small group study.
September 23, 2018
Exciting
This is the third In the Immerse series I have read. I am rereading Messiah. The Bible stories and histories flow so much easier without looking ahead...how many more verses? How many more chapters? Instead you get hung up in a story and it all flows together.
This is the third In the Immerse series I have read. I am rereading Messiah. The Bible stories and histories flow so much easier without looking ahead...how many more verses? How many more chapters? Instead you get hung up in a story and it all flows together.
November 2, 2019
I loved this version of the Bible told as a story/novel. It really brought this part of the Old Testament to life for me and I realized I had missed so many details when reading through the traditional Bible. Great for group studies!
November 29, 2022
Always love reading the Bible in this format. Gained new scriptural insights in this Old Testament study. Found myself fascinated by the overall narrative of just how much God loves his people and restores them to himself again and again.
May 22, 2025
I enjoyed a different reading experience of the Bible. It was different from what I was used to, but it gave me a broader view of the context of the stories. I really enjoyed it! Plus, it's the Bible, the best book in the world!
June 3, 2020
Fourth Immerse volume finished. Very cool to be able to read these stories in book format without the distraction of headers/verses.
November 28, 2023
NLT BIBLE books Joshua to Judges.
November 4, 2024
I’m so glad I read this, but the subject matter was tough to get through. Times were tough back then.
January 17, 2026
These are amazing. It's incredible how much you can read at once in this format, and reading whole books all the way through is really good to help you understand the scope of the narrative
August 13, 2026
Great way to read the whole Bible.
July 15, 2025
I’m enjoying reading this Bible series without notations, it seems to go much quicker without distractions.
March 1, 2024
Immensely Helpful
I have been reading this whole series of Immerse: The Reading Bible daily, along with my daily Devotional and my primary daily Bible readings. I have found all of these books extremely well written and very helpful to my overall Christian life. Very Recommended Series! Not Just THIS particular book , but the entire series will endeavor towards making each and every person a better and more knowledgeable Christian who can work closer to our Lord Jesus Christ !
I have been reading this whole series of Immerse: The Reading Bible daily, along with my daily Devotional and my primary daily Bible readings. I have found all of these books extremely well written and very helpful to my overall Christian life. Very Recommended Series! Not Just THIS particular book , but the entire series will endeavor towards making each and every person a better and more knowledgeable Christian who can work closer to our Lord Jesus Christ !
October 5, 2024
Love this version of the Bible.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews