Audio study for the Bible

The Bible is available in audio formats and many people prefer listening, rather than reading, to this popular book. Learn more about using text to speech to read the Bible.

The Bible is the most popular book in the world. Some records suggest that it has been printed more than 5 billion times, which is way more than any other bestseller or religious text. These include various versions, like the New Living Translation (NLT), Zondervan’s editions, and many others.

Of course, not everyone who owns the devotional text is a Christian. The Bible’s worth isn’t just due to its religious preaching and messages. Both the New and Old Testaments are timeless classics that everyone can borrow from and study to enrich themselves.

Yet, with such popularity, isn’t it logical for the Word of God to have its audio version? Well, there are many. Some of these go way back in history, when people would buy the Bible on vinyl and listen to it, as we did with audio CDs and with podcasts now.

Nevertheless, allow us to introduce you to some of the best ways to enjoy the world’s top book through various audio platforms. We’ll even discuss how you can turn your very own hardcover copy of the Bible into a full-on unabridged audiobook.

Tools for online Bible study

Since the Bible is in the public domain, you can easily find numerous free versions of it online. From English Standard Version (ESV) on religious websites to mobile apps to small groups on social media, there are plenty of study tools and materials to choose from.

However, when it comes to audio versions, it’s a bit more complicated. To enjoy a high-quality audio Bible, you’ll need to purchase it on one of the audiobook platforms. These include the likes of Audible and Scribd among many others. The other option is to listen to pastors like Louie Giglio or Rick Yohn take you through the bible.

What makes these audio Bible studies better than just plain text is the fact that you don’t have to read them. All you have to do is press play, and the narrator will do that for you. But this isn’t just for people who don’t have time to read.

Audiobooks are a great way for those with reading difficulties to overcome their struggles and experience the Bible like all others. It allows dyslexics, people with ADHD, and those with vision impairment to consume written material as speech.

Still, there’s one problem. What if the Bible you’re after doesn’t have its audio version? As we’ve said, different Christian denominations have different bible verses in their holy books. In this case, you can always turn to text to speech apps.

The benefits of using a TTS reader for reading the Bible

Text to speech (TTS) apps are pieces of software that turn written text into—you’ve guessed it—speech. They use modern technology such as optical character recognition (OCR), artificial intelligence, and machine learning to do so.

TTS tools provide a myriad of benefits to their users. Aside from helping people with reading difficulties, they improve reading speed and material comprehension. The second is more than essential, considering how confusing religious writing can be at times.

The same goes for students learning a new language, and the Bible is their study book of choice. Comprehending a foreign language is tricky in itself, let alone if it's written text about God’s plan, discipleship, and the purpose of human existence.

On the other hand, turning your holy book into audio can allow you to listen to it at your convenience. This means listening while you’re driving, doing chores around the house, working out, or even taking your dog for a walk.

But with so many TTS apps available online, one answer begs a question. Which text to speech tool should you use? Should you go for something that’s free, or are premium apps worth their price? Well, it’s the latter, and you should choose Speechify.

Speechify

Speechify is the world’s top-rated text to speech app. It uses the best of what modern technology has to offer, including machine learning, advanced artificial intelligence, and optical character recognition. With these three combined, Speechify allows you to turn any writing, digital text, or physical copy of a book into an audio file.

When we say that you can turn anything into speech, we mean even a piece of paper that has your writing on it. You just snap a photo of the writing and Speechify’s OCR component will recognize it and convert it into audio. This means that you can listen to a hardcover copy of a hotel KJV Bible while on a trip, or the New Testament that you have at home.

One of the pros that sets Speechify apart from other TTS apps is that you can choose over 30 different reading voices. These include both male and female ones. Furthermore, you can adjust the narrator’s reading speed, as well as pick more than 15 languages, including German, Italian, Spanish to enjoy your foreign language Bible translation.

But that’s not all. Speechify comes to you across all platforms. It’s available on both the Apple App Store as well as on Android’s Google Play. And if you want to use it on your laptop or PC, you can add it to your Safari or Chrome web browser as a plug-in. All you need to do is choose the right one, and you’ll turn your Bible into audio in no time.

FAQs

Is there an audio Bible study?

Online Bible study resources are highly convenient. Some audio Bible studies or podcasts can be accessed at any time and offer a whole breadth of topics at our fingertips.

What is the best Bible audiobook?

Bestseller books of the Bible include:

• The Word of Promise Audio Bible—New King James Version, NKJV: Complete Bible by Thomas Nelson
• James Earl Jones Reads The Bible: King James Version
• Listener's Audio Bible—New International Version, NIV: Complete Bible
• The Case for Christ, Revised & Updated by Lee Strobel
• Don't Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table
• After the Rapture
• 40 Days Through the Bible by Lysa TerKeurst
• Dennis Prager’s The Rational Bible

Who is the best Bible narrator?

Alexander Scourby was the first to record the King James Bible on long play records in 1944. After 68 years, his recording is still regarded as the Gold standard and still the very best narration on the market, as verified in the above survey report.