This classic 1962 guide to the King James Bible collects the most famous passages from the Old and New Testaments and arranges them with intervening synopses of all sixty-six Biblical books. Under editor Frances Hazlitt's masterful direction, readers will quickly become fully acquainted with the broad sweep of the Bible and will come to a new, intimate understanding of oft-quoted verses. Intended as a spiritual and literary introduction to the King James Bible,
The Concise Bible is an ideal companion for both longtime Bible readers and those newly curious about the Scriptures. Includes a new introduction by Hunter Baker.
Here is an excellent introduction to the Bible for the general readerespecially the younger person who may be unfamiliar with this, the greatest of books. Mrs. Hazlitt s arrangement enables him to read the story and message of the Bible largely in the original words. Once he has become acquainted with the broad sweep of the Bible through this masterful arrangement, he will be encouraged to read the full text of the King James Version to examine its countless individual facets.
The Concise Bible is intended for those who may have been intimidated by the sheer length of the Bible, and by the difficulty of many parts of it. It introduces the reader to the Bible s inexhaustible spiritual and literary treasures. All sixty-six books are represented, with chapter and verse provided for each quoted passage.
The Concise Bible will commend itself as an ideal gift, for Lent or for any other occasion. It will be kept, read, and treasured, for through it the reader will be brought to a fruitful encounter with the Bible itself."
"When you move unimpeded through the Old Testament, the arc of salvation history—from creation, to Noah, to Abraham and Israel—which culminates in Jesus the Christ, stands out more clearly... The effect of Hazlitt's treatment of the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament is similarly impressive."
—Hunter Baker, J.D., Ph.D., from the new introduction
"I have often felt that if someone could extract from the Bible the carefully selected group of passages, such as has been done in this instance, that it would stimulate a new interest in, understanding of, and appreciation of the Bible. This I think has been accomplished in this book, and I shall make great use of it personally and am glad to commend it to all people who are interested in a greater knowledge of the Bible."
—Norman Vincent Peale, Marble Collegiate College
"The Concise Bible is the answer to the general reader's need for a version which he can read rather than place in a respectful spot on the shelf somewhere... This version is likely to be the beginning of a new interest in the complete text."
—Harry D. Gideonse, former president, Brooklyn College
"An excellent starting point for younger readers—and not only for younger readers: halfway through this glorious volume, one reviewer vowed it wouldn't be so long, next time, before he spent an evening with the Word of God."
—William F. Rickenbacker, writing in National Review
Kirkus Review:
It is the hope of the author, Francis Hazlett, that this condensation of the King James version of the Bible will serve to introduce the Bible to many readers who have thus far been put off by its very size. Here is the gist of all 66 books in one-twelfth the length of the original, but the Creation story, the Ten Commandments, the best known and Proverbs, the Sermon on the Mount, and others of the most familiar sayings are all in full text, with a notation of their chapter and verse location in the Bible. Nothing essential to the story and drama of the Bible has been left out. This is not another abridgement. Where possible the words of the synopsis is kept in the words of the King James version (printed in italics) and every direct quotation, in roman type, is set in the narrative context that explains it. Here the great literary and religious treasures are made available for those whose needs demand a shorter form but who want the heart of the Bible in its own words. If the true nature and purpose of this condensation can be made clear, it should serve the purposes of students and the general reader alike.
