The Narrated Bible in Chronological Order (NIV)

The 4 gospels are put into one long story called "Life of Jesus". This is a HUGE help! You can so much more easily take in all that the Bible tells us about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! In the Old Testament, the author combines the events of Samuel, the Kings and the Chronicles - most layment are confused by these books and if you're reading them in order, you'll find yourself saying "Didn't we cover this already?". Having it all put together in one story is so helpful!

F. LaGard Smith includes some "devotional commentary", which is clearly marks as such. He also divides The Narrated Bible into daily readings for those wanting to read this through in a year. The sun icon tells you you've reached the end of that day's reading. If you want this same text to be divided up by date (like the One Year Bible), you can get "The Daily Bible".

You will find the prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah put into their historical context - I believe that your faith will be enriched and your understanding improved by this wonderful book!

Oh, something important to mention is that you can always easily find exactly what verse you're reading. The reference is in the margin, and in the case of the Gospels, all references to that event are noted, with reference used by the wording of the passage is highlighted in bold.

There is also a complete index, so you can quickly find any verse in the Bible. So you needn't worry about not knowing what book of the Bible you're reading.

Amazon has a GREAT price on this Bible! Take a "look inside" to see some of the pages, and order it today!

You might want to check out my other reviews of Bibles, Christian books, and Christian music. May God bless your study of His Word!


Dr. Joseph Perry   August 11, 2001
Joseph O. Perry (Beaver Falls, NY United States)
29 out of 30 found this review helpful

When reviewing this book, one must remember that it is not the NIV translation of the Bible that is being reviewed or the Holy Scriptures themselves. This review is purely based on the narrative that F. LaGard Smith has provided and the order in which the scripture is presented. I have read the KJV, the NLT, the NAS and the Amplified translations previously and I find that the "Narrated Bible" is by far the easiest to comprehend. The narrative commentary is brief but most helpful in giving a general overview of the scripture to follow. Is enlightens but never overwhelms. The sections in which Smith fills in gaps in the scripture (such as the intertestiment age) are very enlightening. The real strength of this book is in the ordering of the material. By grouping the material chronogocially the scriptures seem to flow and connect better than in the more traditional Bibles. Events that relate more clearer to the people involved and when they happens in relationship to other events and people make more sense.One could dispute the placement or order of some of the material (The scholars have not reached full consensus about the dates of many events),but Smith has done a very reasonable job of chronological organization. I would not suggest that this be the Bible that one carries to church each Sunday as following along in the service would require cross referencing the material (even though a cross reference is included in the book)or that this be the only Bible that you have. I would suggest that this would be an excellent Bible to read and study from if you wish to keep things in their proper historical perspective. It is an excellent addition to one's religious library and I would heartily recommend it.


A Great Reader's Bible   November 29, 2003
Brenton A. Bleier (Granite Bay, CA United States)
20 out of 20 found this review helpful

This is a great reader's Bible (as opposed to a study Bible). First, it has all the readability advanatages of a 'dynamic equivalence' translation (it is the NIV).

Second, it is, as the title suggests, arranged in the author's best estimate of chronological order. One can quibble with a few choices (like the positioning of Job), but, on balance, it is superb. The author always gives his rationale for positioning.

Third, the author has eliminated duplicative material. For example, he does a wonderful job of combining the largely duplicative material in Numbers and Leviticus. But his best work is reserved for the life of Jesus in the Gospels. He has created a single account (again, arranged in his best estimate of chronological order) which includes all the material of each Gospel in an orderly presentation.

Finally, it is well marked for daily Bible reading such as to accomplish the entire Bible in one year.

All around, simply the best way to read the Bible through in a single year.


The best "reading" Bible I've ever seen!   October 22, 2003
Barry Dysert (Fishers, IN United States)
18 out of 18 found this review helpful

I've been a Bible teacher for 30 years, so I'm used to referring to different Bibles for doing studies. I have also read the Bible cover to cover numerous times and in various translations. Without question, the Narrated Bible (or its softcover cousin: the Daily Bible) is the best Bible I've seen for doing daily reading. This Bible puts the NIV text in chronological order, has commentary interspersed, removes duplicate passages, and provides indicators that let you do daily readings to read it through in a year. It's the best!