The following Bibles are all Study/Life Application Bibles for teenagers. These Bibles contain special features within the pages of the Bible to encourage the application of God’s Word to everyday life. I would recommend this type of Bible for teens needing direction on what the Bible says about teen issues common today. I have included the New International Version (NIV) and New Living Translation (NLT), but Zonderkidz has a King James Version (KJV) study Bible for teens as well.
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The following reviews are based solely on my opinion from having read through the content and gathered feedback from other like-minded moms. Some of the age ranges were taken from the author’s description, while others are my own opinions based on the vocabulary level, amount of words used in the text, and observations from having used them with children. Be sure to check back for more great resources to come!
Teen Bibles
NIV, True Images: The Bible for Teen Girls, Leathersoft, Brown
Zondervan
Best for ages 13-16
Here is an amazing teen Bible for girls that offers interesting features including stories of girls’ struggles and wisdom from scripture on how to cope, a teen-relevant topical index, book introductions, an explanation of the gospel, and 100 “Love Notes from God.” I appreciate how this Bible is packed full of fun ways to make God’s Word relevant to this age group! I had the pleasure of giving this Bible to a sweet teenager that I know, and she treasures it!
NIV, Bible for Teen Girls, Hardcover: Growing in Faith, Hope, and Love
Zondervan
Best for ages 13-18
This Bible is great for teen girls and includes daily devotional readings from well-known female authors, sections on godly advice related to scripture, and Bible insights related to real life teen issues. It also includes profiles on women from the Bible and book introductions to help your teen understand the Bible more in depth.
NIV Bible for Teen Guys, Hardcover: Building Faith, Wisdom and Strength
Zondervan
Best for ages 13-18
Like the teen girls’ Bible, this Bible includes daily devotional readings from well-known male authors, sections on godly advice, and Bible insights related to common teen boy issues. It also includes profiles of men from the Bible and book introductions to help your teen understand the Bible more in depth.
NIV, Teen Study Bible, Paperback
Zondervan
Best for ages 13-18
This Bible for either gender includes features such as a summary of the Apostles’ Creed explaining the foundations of the Christian faith, Biblical advice related to teen issues, topical indexes, book introductions, and highlighted key Bible verses to memorize. There is also a question and answer section in this version to test Bible knowledge. A college student I know loves her copy of this Bible and still uses it today!
Guys Life Application Study Bible NLT
Tyndale House Publishers
Best for ages 11-18
I cannot say enough about this teen study Bible for guys, especially those who are surrounded by worldly influences. My pastor’s son, along with a few other teen boys I know, have it and love it. One approached me one day saying, “Wow, Mrs. Taylor, did you know that the Bible teaches we should only date Christian girls?” He had been reading his new Bible and was loving all the life applicable material packed into it! There is a summary page for each book of the Bible, explaining what it is about, along with a timeline of the events in history. There are additional features throughout the text including amazing facts, true stories from teens, great memory verse highlights, and applicable scenarios which teach life lessons.
Girls Life Application Study Bible NLT
Tyndale House Publishers
Best for ages 11-18
Just like the Guys Life Application Study Bible, this girls’ Bible has a similar format and is great for teen girls surrounded by worldly influences. In addition to a great translation for teens, this Bible features book introductions and timelines, personal stories from older teens, amazing facts, lessons to be learned from famous women of the Bible, and scenarios to help teens make good choices. I have known several teen girls with this Bible, and they tell me it’s easy to understand and helps them relate the Bible to their everyday life. This Bible is also full of girly designs, making it appealing to pre-teen and teen girls.
Teen Life Application Study Bible NLT
Tyndale House Publishers
Best for ages 15-20
This Life Application Study Bible is best for older teens, whereas the girls’/guys’ version reviewed above is more suited for younger teens. There are fewer fun graphics in this Bible, and the language in the life application sections is at a higher level than the Girls/Guys’ Life Application Study Bible. This Bible does have great study and application components, such as book introductions, personal profiles of people from the Bible, and real-life scenarios related to the text. These scenarios help teens think more about their choices from a Biblical perspective. If your teen is older and more mature in his or her thinking, this may be the best choice.
Bible Applications/Resources
Bible Gateway (biblegateway.com)
Zondervan Corporation
Best for ages 13-18
This amazing Bible application has become very popular among our tech-savvy next generation. Many youth pastors have commented that teens prefer to use their Bible application on their phone than to bring their Bible to Bible study. Bible Gateway allows you to choose the translation you want to use and easily search by words or phrases to find a verse. You can also “friend” people now, which gives it a social media feel and allows teens to stay connected with each other about what they are reading and studying in the Bible. The application also provides daily, topical Bible plan options to choose from and will send you a reminder to do your Bible plan each day. Teens also love creating a verse image by clicking a verse they like and adding a fun background to it to share with others. A youth pastor’s wife I spoke with encourages her students to download the full version of Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Bible Gateway application, as his love and enthusiasm appeal to students, and it gives teens yet another way to go deeper in understanding God’s Word. While Bible applications should never replace the tangible Bible, it has its benefits and keeps teens coming back to God’s Word.