For a lot of people — especially in urban communities — traditional Bible reading just doesn't connect. Maybe it's a literacy barrier, maybe it's a format issue, maybe it's just hard to stay engaged with a wall of text on a screen. Streetlights Bible exists for exactly this moment: a word-for-word audio Bible set to a custom hip-hop soundtrack, read dynamically by diverse voices from around the world, and given away completely free.^1
What makes Streetlights different from other audio Bibles isn't just the music — it's the production. Different voice actors read different characters, tones shift to match the emotional weight of each passage, and the hip-hop instrumentals are composed specifically to accompany the text, not distract from it. The English Audio Bible uses the New Living Translation (NLT) and the Spanish version uses the Nueva Versión Internacional (NVI). Beyond audio Scripture, the app includes Bible overview videos created in collaboration with BibleProject, a teaching series called "Corner Talk" that breaks down theology in an accessible street-corner style, and gospel-centered music from ALERT312.^2
Built by Esteban "eB" Shedd, a Chicago-based musician and creative director, the idea was born in a church basement where he watched young men struggle to engage with traditional Bible studies — not because they didn't care, but because the format didn't meet them where they were. "Seven or eight of the 10 guys really struggled to read," Shedd recalls. One night in 2006, he recorded himself reading Acts 2–3 over a hip-hop beat. "I pressed play on a Wednesday night in a Bible study, and it was like night and day — their engagement, their understanding." Streetlights officially launched in 2009 as a partnership with GRIP Outreach for Youth and became its own nonprofit in 2019.^3
Why Christians Love Streetlights Bible: "Hands Down I praise God for this APP!! This definitely was life changing for me. Brought the word to life for me it was like a light came on and God's word hit my Heart so deep!! I found myself weeping in my car... Now I can't go without a day listening to my word."^4 Users consistently describe Streetlights as the audio Bible that finally kept their attention — one reviewer wrote, "I was skeptical of Streetlights at first, but by the third chapter of Matthew I couldn't put it down. Gripping, earnest, honest, amazing! This version brings back that 'Wow, it's like I've never read it before' feeling just before accepting Jesus."^4 Another shared, "I found that though I was listening to the same Bible version, I was able to comprehend it much better with Streetlights audio. I'm 49 years old and love it. My adult stepchildren are not yet saved, but I KNOW Streetlights will make The Bible feel accessible to them."^4 A retired school superintendent has been sharing the app with high school and college coaches as a resource for athletes.^4
With teams in Chicago and Puerto Rico, Tyndale House publishing a print NLT Streetlights New Testament, and content streaming across platforms in over 100 countries, Streetlights is reaching well beyond its original audience — missionaries, ESL teachers, and radio stations from the Philippines to Kenya to Senegal are using it.^3 Everything Streetlights produces is freely given, funded entirely by generous supporters. As Shedd puts it: "Faith can come through hearing. Give them the opportunity to hear, and then trust that the Holy Spirit will draw people to Jesus."^3
Platforms: iOS, Android, Amazon Appstore, Roku, Apple TV, Web Pricing: Free
