Tuesday, November 4, 2025

14. HCSB The Minister's Bible



The Minister's Bible. Holman Christian Standard Bible. (HCSB). 2010. 1806 pages. [Source: Bought] [5 stars, Bible review]

First sentence: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Start date: August 27, 2025
End date: November 4, 2025

The Holman Christian Standard Bible is no longer in print. It has been replaced with the Christian Standard Bible. Unfortunately. I found this one at a thrift shop at a great price. It is single column, black letter. It is genuine leather. 

I appreciated the quality of this one--particularly for the price I thrifted it. While single column is not my favorite or best, this one was for the most readable--I speak in personal terms for my vision. 

It had been YEARS since I read in the HCSB. I remembered why I enjoyed it. I do wish it had never been "updated" and replaced with the CSB. 

Since this is a translation readers may not be familiar with, I thought I'd share some passages.

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I lack.
He lets me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He renews my life;
He leads me along the right paths
for His name’s sake.
Even when I go through the darkest valley,
I fear no danger,
for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff—they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
as long as I live.

Psalm 100

Shout triumphantly to the Lord, all the earth.
Serve the Lord with gladness;
come before Him with joyful songs.
Acknowledge that Yahweh is God.
He made us, and we are His —
His people, the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving
and His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him and praise His name.
For Yahweh is good, and His love is eternal;
His faithfulness endures through all generations.

John 1:1-5

In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was with God in the beginning.
All things were created through Him,
and apart from Him not one thing was created
that has been created.
Life was in Him,
and that life was the light of men.
That light shines in the darkness,
yet the darkness did not overcome it.

John 3:16-21

“For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God.

“This, then, is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. For everyone who practices wicked things hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed. But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.”

John 14:1-6

“Your heart must not be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if not, I would have told you. I am going away to prepare a place for you. If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come back and receive you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also. You know the way to where I am going.”

“Lord,” Thomas said, “we don’t know where You’re going. How can we know the way?”

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.



© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

3 comments:

Vicki said...

I was planning on getting a copy of this Bible but then I saw that it was no longer in print. I clicked on the link for the 2026 Books and Bible Reading challenge but it says that it doesn't exist. Are you planning on hosting it again in '26?

Becky said...

I haven't officially hosted any reading challenges for years. I, of course, encourage all Bible reading. I just don't host an 'official' challenge anymore.

Vicki said...

I know, the last time was 2014. I just saw the link to to '26 challenge and when I went back it wasn't there.