The Bilingual Parallel Bible 4 Versions Bible from Vida is a parallel edition that includes four translations. Two are dynamic equivalence and two are formal equivalence. Two are in Spanish and two are in English: NVI (Nueva Versión Internacional), NIV, NBLA (Nueva Biblia de las Américas), and the 2020 NASB. They’re easy to use and are excellent for bilingual Bible readers. This is ISBN 9780829736496, printed in India.

Specs

  • 4 translations – NVI, NIV, NBLA, NASB
  • Hardcover
  • 30GSM paper
  • 8-point Comfort Print typeface
  • Red letter
  • Paragraph
  • Double column
  • 1 ribbon
  • Tables of Weights and Measures
  • Overall size is 6.5 x 9.5 x 2″
  • 3 lbs, 9.3 oz
  • Printed in India
  • Current price around $40

Vida provided this Bible in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review, only an honest one. All opinions are my own.

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This Bible is available at (includes some affiliate links)

Amazon

Christianbook

Church Source

and many local Bible bookstores

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Table of Contents

  1. Cover and Binding
  2. Paper
  3. Typography
  4. Table of Weights and Measures
  5. Conclusion

Cover and Binding

This is a hardcover edition. The cover shows the translations on the front and spine and includes the description on the back. The block is sewn and it does open perfectly to any page. It includes one silver 1/4″ ribbon. The overall size is 6.5 x 9.5 x 2″, and it weighs 3 lbs, 9.3 oz.

Paper

The paper seems to be the same 30gsm that’s used in many Study Bibles from Zondervan and Thomas Nelson. It feels coated and it’s easy to turn. It’s white and extremely opaque. I like this paper a lot and it was a good choice for this Bible.

Typography

The four translations are presented in a way that makes sense on the page. Spanish is at the top and English is at the bottom. Dynamic translations (NVI and NIV) are printed on the left page and the formal translations (NBLA and NASB) are printed on the right page. The text is printed in two columns in a paragraph format. The NBLA and NASB show OT quotes in all caps. There is no other formatting. Forward slashes show where there would normally be line breaks. This isn’t as pretty as actual line breaks, but it works. The header and footer show the translation, book name, and chapters on that page. Section headings are in bold italics. It does not include translation footnotes. As much as possible, each translation shows the same text on the page. This causes some pages to have blank spaces, but I prefer this to keep the text together.

The 8-point typefaces for all four translations are Comfort Print designed by 2K/Denmark. The NVI and NIV use the NIV Comfort Print typeface, while the NBLA and NASB use the NASB Comfort Print typeface. This is a red-letter edition and the print is a medium darkness for both the red and black letter text. There is some minor print variation for both red and black. It has around 10 words per line. It looks to be printed with line-matching (where the text is printed in the same location on both sides of the page to reduce show-through), but there are a few pages where the lines don’t match perfectly. The text has enough white space that I still find easy enough to read. Verse numbers are small and they do not stand out. This makes them difficult to find at a glance, but this is ideal for general reading.

Table of Weights and Measures

After the text is two tables of weights and measures. First is the Spanish version and second is the English table. The Spanish table shows the biblical and Metric equivalents in Spanish. The English table shows the biblical unit, the approximate American equivalent, and the approximate Metric equivalent. I like that it includes a Spanish table. These are especially helpful since there are no footnotes in the text.

Conclusion

Bilingual Parallel Bible 4 Versions Bible from Vida is an excellent parallel edition. The four translations work well together for study and reading for Spanish/English readers. I would like to see a poetic setting, but I’m sure that would take too much room and make this Bible even larger. I like this size. It’s not too large and the four translations are still easy enough to read. The 8-point font could be too small for those who require a larger print, but the font is sharp and dark enough that I had no issues reading it with my glasses. If you’re interested in a Spanish/English parallel Bible, the Bilingual Parallel Bible 4 Versions Bible is an excellent choice.

_________________________________________________________

This Bible is available at (includes some affiliate links)

Amazon

Christianbook

Church Source

and many local Bible bookstores

_________________________________________________________

 

Vida provided this Bible in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review, only an honest one. All opinions are my own.