I still remember last year’s daily‑office lectionary calling for 2  Maccabees  6. One line leapt out, “Therefore, by manfully giving up my life now, I will show myself worthy of my old age.” I was following along on a podcast with no Apocrypha in hand and thought, “Wouldn’t it be nice to read these passages alongside the rest?” Now I finally can.

Unlike many modern Baptists and other evangelicals, the Anglican tradition teaches that the Apocrypha “may be read for example of life and instruction of manners; but not to establish doctrine.” Yet most Protestant Bibles, NIV, LSB, and the like, omit it entirely to the point of not having a version of the Apocrypha in those versions, leaving an awkward gap in Anglican spirituality. Even outside Anglicanism, the Apocrypha appeared in mainstream Protestant editions well into the twentieth century. The new Holy Bible, with Apocrypha from Anglican  Liturgy  Press restores that heritage to the English Standard Version.

This second printing improves on the first enough that I’d recommend it even to readers who rarely touch 1  Maccabees or Tobit. The reasons fall into three categories: exterior, interior, and everyday use.

The Exterior

Yes, it’s a hardcover, and that’s a good thing, in my opinion. Too many hardcovers feel like cheap pew Bibles with glued bindings that break quickly with regular use. Here, though, you’ll find something better with sewn bindings and a beautiful cover. Blind‑stamped titling and a patterned spine give it a refined look clearly inspired by the Victorian bibles.

The cover is bonded leather over board. Bonded leather is usually a sin on limp covers, where its stiffness can’t be hidden. On a hardback, however, it adds just enough texture, and is an improvement over plain paper or plastic (though I still prefer cloth for hardcovers). The spine, simple yet striking, would please any nineteenth‑century printer and stands out nicely on a crowded shelf. A Bible that begs to be read should beg visibly, and the foil stamping does just that.

The Interior

Printed and bound by L.E.G.O. in Italy, the craftsmanship shows. The gilt edges are even, the ink is rich, and the paper comes in at a luxurious 50 gsm. It is the thickest paper in any Bible I own: smooth, opaque, and pleasant to touch. However, I think I wish I traded some of that thickness for slightly less bulk, especially as the extra thickness isn’t always super apparent.

The layout borrows from Crossway’s ESV Thinline: double‑column, 8‑pt Lexicon  No. 1. That brings one shortcoming with it: no line matching. Ghosting is still visible, though the heavier paper reduces it to the verso and the next sheet rather than three pages deep as in the standard 28 gsm Thinline. Given the already generous bulk, a few extra microns of thickness for proper line matching would have banished ghosting almost entirely. Maybe next printing?

Anglican  Liturgy  Press did widen the margins and gutter slightly, so the text breathes better than a stock Thinline. You won’t confuse it with a wide‑margin edition, yet there is space for the occasional note.

One thing to note: the Apocrypha is set in a smaller font than the canonical books. The publisher cites its “less authoritative status,” though I suspect page count also played an equal role. That unfortunately means that sometimes the smaller font comes through more gray than black, especially with the lack of line matching.

In Use

The Daily Office demands constant shuttling between Psalms, First Lesson, and Second Lesson, and between Bible and Book of Common Prayer. Floppy covers may be luxurious, but it collapses just when you need it to stay put. A rigid hardcover, by contrast, opens flat every time, making this ideal for devotional use on a table, as is most likely when you’re using multiple books for the daily office. Conveniently, this Bible shares its footprint with the ACNA Prayer Book, so swapping one for the other is almost seamless.

Four generous gold ribbons solve the perennial “Where did my place go?” problem. There are enough ribbons for the two readings, a Psalm, and also an extra for the lectionary at the back.

Speaking of at the back, the entire ACNA one‑year Daily Office schedule is tucked into the back. If you want to pray the Office with only the readings, you’re covered.

It is bulky: over two pounds and roughly 1.5 in. thick. It’s a desk Bible, not a travel companion.

Final Thoughts

For ESV readers, this edition fills a conspicuous gap and does so with style. It still uses the 2016 text; a future third printing will presumably adopt the 2025 ESV update. When that day comes, I hope Anglican Liturgy Press adds full line matching, the lone blemish on an otherwise outstanding Bible.

No compensation was received from Crossway or Anglican  Liturgy  Press

Bible Features

• Version: English Standard Version (2016) with Apocrypha (2017)
• Size: 6 × 9 × 1.5 inches, 2.3 pounds
• Type: 8 pt Lexicon (7? pt Apocrypha)
• Pages: 1264, 50 gsm
• Cover: hardcover, bonded leather over board
• Price: $44.95 + shipping as reviewed