Intro aside, I appreciate that these are CDs and not MP3s. We still primarily listen to music from a CD player or radio at our home. While I can play CDs on my computer, I cannot play MP3s in our CD player so CDs are more useful and versatile for us. You may have noticed this is called a "dramatic audio experience." Fancy terms, but it makes a big difference in listening. There are some audio Bibles that are narrated by a single voice the entire Bible through. The BREATHE Bible is not, hence all the pics of the beautiful people on the front. Multiple voice actors worked together in making this so it is a bit like listening to a movie.
One serious error I believe they've made is to rely on the fact that the listener will recognize and correctly identify the party speaking by the sound of their voice alone. In some instances, they do not tell us who is speaking and we could be left guessing incorrectly. For example, Christ's transfiguration is being described in Matthew 17:1-5. If you were reading a printed Bible, you would have no doubt that in verse 4, Peter is speaking to Jesus. Here are the verses as found in the KJV:
(1) And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart,
(2) And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
(3) And, behold there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.
(4) Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
(Narrator) Six days later, Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. As the men watched, Jesus' appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus.
(Different Voice Actor) Lord, it is wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I'll make three shelters as memorials- one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.
Comparing BREATHE to NIV Live:
The NIV Live Bible is from Genesis-Revelation; BREATHE Bible is New Testament only. If you are familiar with the NIV Live Bible, which is also dramatized, you may have noticed in some places the background noises (when they are in a city, crowd, etc) are loud enough that it can be distracting from the narrative. In some instances, I actually found the NIV Live difficult to understand the Scripture being spoken because there wasn't enough balance- the background noise was taking over. This stimulates interest in 2 of my children and they prefer the NIV Live, but for my husband, one son, and myself, it is a negative as we want to hear every single word of Scripture spoken without straining to listen. The BREATHE Bible is a relaxing, calming audio with variation in voices and occasional background noises. Both of them have previews on their websites so you can hear the differences for yourself before you make a purchase. I took the time to listen to the NIV Live audio rendition of Matthew 17:4 and it DOES include the narrator stating, "Peter said to Jesus." I have listened to the NIV Live more and have never had concerns about being unaware of the identity of a speaker who is named in printed Scripture.
Both the NIV Live and the BREATHE Bible have apps so you can listen on the go. Both apps highlight verses and autoscroll as you listen to the audio, they both allow you to change the background darker for low-light listening. The features are very similar and both were easy to jump in and start using even though I am not tech savvy (remember I still prefer CDs? lol).
I enjoy having the BREATHE Bible playing in our living room as I work on housework nearby. My kids will walk by and occasionally sit down and listen. I appreciate that having it on, even when we may not be dedicating 100% of our attention to it at the moment, opens the door for conversations. Kids can ask, "What does that mean?" or "Why does my Bible say it differently?"
Since this is a relaxing, soothing listen, I think it would work well as part of a bedtime routine or for the late-night portion of long road trips. We tend to head straight to a physical, printed Bible when we are doing a lesson, devotional, or answering a complex question for our children, but having God's Word floating through your home as you go about your day is powerful. It is a wonderful way to turn our thoughts back to the Lord, to keep a right perspective of His power, His goodness, and His faithfulness.