A single-column setting reads better than a double column, and until recently it was unavailable in a compact size. The ESV Personal Reference Bible is a compact reference Bible set in a single column, building on the original Personal Size Reference Bible.

This edition has been completely redesigned, and the layout now uses line matching, a method that significantly improves readability on Bible paper by aligning the text on both sides of a leaf. It also carries a concordance and a full set of cross-references. For a reader who wants reference tools without a desk-sized volume.