Bible.IS Reads the Bible to You
Posted by Kevin PurcellJul 13
Bible.Is is a new iPhone Bible app that reads the Bible to you. It is not like 
many of the Bible apps that have introduced audio. Instead of computer generated Bible reading, it uses dramatized Bible readings. They get the audio from Faith Comes By Hearing, a ministry that supplies the Bible in 400 languages and free for download. Thanks to Bible.is you get it on your iPhone or iPad. It is also available on other platforms, like Android and hopefully Windows Mobile, Blackberry and Symbian OS in the near future. Until then you can subscribe to the SMS version which sends a text message with links to the MP3 of that day’s reading. They say it will take you 40 days to listen to the entire New Testament.
I really like the iPhone app and think it is well worth the price, which is Free. But it would be worth it if it costs even more. Below is a video of the app reading from 1 Kings.
As you can hear it is high quality dramatized Bible reading. But that is not all Bible.is can do. You can of course read from a few different translations, including the ESV, one of my favorites. It doesn’t have as many modern translations as some apps, but it is free.
The app also lets you highlight text, take notes, and bookmark your favorite verses. Notice from the screen shots below that you can listen to the Bible by simply opening to a verse and hitting the play button. You choose to read from several English translations including ASV, BBE, CEV, ESV, KJV and NRSV. The audio is available only for some translations and sometimes only for the NT.
Dramatized Available: ESV OT & NT, KJV OT & NT, NRSV NT only
Non Dramatized Available: KJV NT only, NRSV NT only
These will have to be downloaded via the More option in the toolbar at the bottom of the screen (see bottom left row of screen shots).
If you want to get through the NT in just 40 days there is an audio listening program available for that (see above right).
You can search the Bible and add bookmarks, highlights, and notes. To add these just tap and hold the verse and the screen above center will appear. Tap the first icon on the top toolbar to add a bookmark. The center icon brings up the highlighting color options. And the third icon is for sharing the verse on Facebook. I wish it had Twitter, but maybe in a future release.
Once the verse is highlighted it will look like the upper left screen shot. The bookmarks list is in the center above and the right is for changing the text size or the language.
Below you will see the More screen options. Share is for sending verses via email. The settings screen is the one on the upper right. Download is for adding translations and audio Bibles. Support and About are what you would expect. The screen shot below on the right is for changing the toolbar icons. You can change the default to include other things as you wish.
I think Bible.is is a great Bible listening app. My only complaints are that it doesn’t have my favorite translations, the HCSB and it doesn’t share via Twitter. Other than that it is a wonderful app well worth your time to download and use to listen to God’s word. I plan to listen to the program on the go via my car stereo (cassette adapter).
Thanks a lot for the great review! I really liked your video walk through and screenshots. I heard you can request features and give feedback here. http://support.bible.is/anonymous_requests/new
Thanks!
Hi Kevin,
I’m with the Bible.is team, and I wanted to say thank you very much for taking the time to create this wonderful review. I’m ecstatic you really enjoy the app, especially the quality of audio recordings that Faith Comes By Hearing has worked over 35 years to create.
I hear you about sharing via Twitter. As you can guess, it’s on our roadmap, and we’re always seeking to add new translations.
As you use the app more, please feel free to drop me a line or going to http://bible.is and sharing your thoughts. You’ve done a lot of great reviews and so we appreciate your vantage point in this area.
Blessings,
T.J.
What is it with all this “dramatization” stuff ?? Isn’t that basically eisegesis ? Isn’t ‘high quality dramatized Bible reading’ really an oxymoron ?
I disagree. I have no problem with a dramatic reading so long as the listeners understand that this is one man/person’s understanding.
While you are free to your personal opinion, factually this is eisegesis. Reading INTO the inspired WORDS subjective & individualized emotions is NOT a good thing. EISEGESIS is inserting man’s thoughts into the Word of God.
God did not inspire the emotions of a human author “A” from 2010. Its the same reason you don’t have pictures in the Bible or a new relevant version of the inspired Word of God each generation. It’s simply adding human viewpoint to the Words of God.
““You shall not add to the word……” (Deuteronomy 4:2 NAS95) That chapter is about adding “ambience” to the worship of Yahweh.
“so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:17 NAS95) This is even stronger in the original GNT.
“if anyone adds to them….,” (Revelation 22:18 NAS95)
Personally, I find it offensive to have some other person artificially emote when I can emote just fine myself, when I hear the message of the Love of God directly from Him in his written Word.
Why not locate non-drammatized Bible resources for you audience ? I’d encourage you to think about the slippery slope you are opining for the benefit of others.
Then no would could ever read the Bible. And what about Blind people who cannot read themselves. I put dramatic inflection when I read it to my self. Am I “adding to the word”. And by the way, adding any words at all to the literal words of the Greek and Hebrew is “adding” as you say. What translations are acceptable to you if that is wrong.