The NASB Journal the Word Reference Bible
I love journaling Bibles. They are the only Bible I will write in. The ESV has had the market for journaling Bibles for a long time, but that is changing and it’s great news! Every translation should have a journaling Bible option and that is becoming more and more the case. The newest offering is from Zondervan and the NASB translation finally has a journaling Bible!
Just to be clear, this is the NASB 1995 translation. The NASB 2020 was recently released so I want to clarify. Zondervan hasn’t released any 2020 editions yet, but that should be changing in early 2021 and I’m excited to see what they bring to the table.
The edition I’m reviewing today is a brown hardcover LeatherSoft over board. It comes in a color slipcase. I’m a big fan of these imitation leather over board editions that have been releasing from various companies lately. It gives the Bible a unique and classy feel similar to an old world style book. This edition has a unique gold stitching pattern that you can see in my pictures and the LeatherSoft is a brown with a darker brown wrapping around the spine.
The spine itself has the words "NASB", "Journal the Word", and "REFERENCE BIBLE" imprinted at the top horizontally so you can read it when it’s laying down. This gives it a unique look. At the bottom of the spine written vertically are the words "NASB" and "ZONDERVAN". The page edges are white and it has thin, but long fabric bookmarks. One is brown and the other is a tan color.
Inside is a brown, paste-down patterned paper liner and single presentation page. The paper in this Bible is very white. I really like it. I should also note this Bible lays flat from the very beginning. Zondervan advertises that it does and I’m surprised that it actually does. The paper seems thick. There’s little ghosting. It may be a 38 or even low 40 gsm.
The layout is beautiful. Zondervan uses an 8.5 point font, which seems like a really good size for this Bible (I always feel like Crossway’s is just a little too small). It’s also features their exclusive NASB Comfort Print typeface, which has become one of my favorite fonts. The text is line-matched.
The layout of this Bible is wonderful. Cross references are in the gutter with reference numbers being being a maroon color. Chapter numbers, section headings, page numbers with Scripture indication, and verse note reference numbers are also all in maroon. The text itself is in a single-column, verse-by-verse format. There is a generous lined outer margin for journaling. Honestly, I think this layout is probably the dream layout for many NASB lovers (they just didn’t expect it would come in a journaling Bible). My only complaint is that words of Christ are in red. I certainly prefer an all black text, but this is preferential and some will like that the words of Christ are in red. This Bible has the same extras in the back that you’ll find in most Zondervan NASB Bibles such as "Miracles of Jesus", "Promises from the Bible", etc.
All in all, I think this is an amazing offering from Zondervan. I love marking up journaling Bibles and this one will be no exception. If you love the NASB, I think this Bible is a must whether you love journaling Bibles or not. The layout is amazing and being hardcover, it’s great to throw in a bag or toss in your car because this Bible is meant to be used!
You can pick up your copy of the NASB Journal the Word Bible on Amazon. (Affiliate)
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this Bible from Zondervan in exchange for a fair and honest review.
