Clara’s Verdict
Reviewing sacred scripture requires a particular kind of care, but the question of which translation to use – and how to experience it – is genuinely practical, and worth addressing seriously. The New Living Translation is one of the most readable English versions currently in print, the product of ninety leading Bible scholars working to render the original ancient texts into clear, contemporary language without sacrificing accuracy or literary quality. This audiobook edition, narrated by Dr Theon Hill and published by Oasis Audio, presents the Gospel of Matthew and offers a useful sample of what the NLT sounds like read aloud. With a rating of 4.7 from 200 reviews, it has found a significant audience.
About the audiobook
The NLT’s distinctive philosophy is a commitment to dynamic equivalence: where a literal translation would produce language that is hard to understand, misleading, or archaic, the translators opted for a rendering that preserves the meaning and emotional force of the original while making it accessible to contemporary readers at every age and stage of life. This means that familiar passages feel newly immediate – the metaphors land, the narrative moves, the teachings read as teachings rather than as puzzles requiring a commentary to unlock.
The translation project involved ninety scholars working in close collaboration with a team of accomplished English stylists – an unusually thorough process that shows in the quality of the result. The goal, as the translators describe it, was to be “both faithful to the ancient texts and eminently understandable.” For listeners approaching the Bible for the first time, or returning to it after a long absence, the NLT removes barriers without domesticating the material into blandness.
This particular audiobook edition covers the Gospel of Matthew, running to 2 hours and 57 minutes, and released in June 2024.
The narration
Dr Theon Hill brings a thoughtful and well-paced delivery to the material. The challenge in narrating scripture is significant: the text carries enormous weight for many listeners, and a narrator must respect that weight without allowing reverence to slow the natural rhythm of the prose. Hill navigates this well. His voice is clear, warm, and authoritative without being declamatory – the words are allowed to do their own work.
What readers say
The 4.7 rating from 200 reviews represents strong approval from a wide range of readers. One UK reviewer noted the NLT’s combination of accessibility and literary quality: “The language is easy to understand yet poetic, not dumbed down.” Another, purchasing for a youth group, described it simply as “excellent.” A reader who bought the print edition for her thirteen-year-old daughter highlighted its age-appropriateness: “It gives the reader a very good grounding in God’s word.” The consensus across UK reviews is that this is a translation that works across generations and levels of prior familiarity.
Who should listen?
This audiobook will be valuable for anyone seeking an accessible, well-translated version of the Gospel of Matthew – whether you are exploring the Bible for the first time, returning to it after years away, or looking for a version that can be shared across age groups within a family or church community. The NLT’s clarity makes it particularly suitable for younger listeners, and Dr Hill’s narration makes it a pleasure to listen to at any time.
Listen to the Holy Bible: New Living Translation (NLT) on Audible UK – get it here.
