Finding the right Bible isn’t easy. There are dozens of translations and hundreds of editions to choose from. Our new series of guides is here to answer your questions about the different Bibles on offer today.

First published in its full form in 1978, the New International Version (NIV) Bible has grown to become the most popular modern Bible translation in the world. This is due in part to the NIV’s commitment to making the text clear and accessible without losing the original meaning and structure. There is a good chance you, or someone you know, will have an NIV Bible sitting on a shelf at home.

The NIV is a Bible for anyone to read and for everyone to understand.

The History of the NIV Bible

Despite being released in 1978, the NIV’s Bible’s story began 22 years earlier. In 1956, a small committee was formed with one goal in mind: the creation of a Bible translation which used the common language of the time. This group of scholars was formally put into place in 1965 and work on the Bible translation began in earnest. This mammoth task was supported by the New York Bible Society; You may know them now as Biblica. After eight years of work, the NIV New Testament was released. The Old Testament followed another five years later. The New International Version Bible was now complete.

At the centre of this story, though, was one man: Howard Long. A skilled engineer and a passionate Christian, he was known for his deep love for sharing the Bible and his faith with almost everybody who crossed his path. His Bible of choice was a King James Version Bible. Whilst his fervour for the text was well known, those he spoke to had trouble getting past the arch language, expansive vocabulary and complex text. What Howard needed was a Bible closer to the tongue of the men and women he spoke to.

A new Bible that removed as many barriers as possible to understanding the heart of scripture.

Howard made it his mission to build a Bible that working men could grasp, that families could gather around, and that preachers and evangelists could use to help congregants connect with the text.

After spending a decade campaigning in Churches and on the road, his own denomination backed this mission for a new, common-language Bible. It was from there that the initial committee was formed. All of this was born from one engineer’s frustrations with sharing the text of a 350-year-old translation, and the feeling that the real heart of scripture was being missed by those who most needed to hear it.

How Was It Translated?

For the Bible to reach far and wide, there needed to be a partnership of denominations from within Christianity. This couldn’t be just a protestant Bible, or just a Lutheran Bible, or the sole text of any other singular group within the wider Christian family. This Bible needed to speak to all believers. So a gathering of scholars from all manner of denominations was formed. They weren’t going to content themselves with adding updated language to an already-existing Bible. This was going to be a wholly new Bible. A Bible translated from as many of the original manuscripts as possible. This meant bringing experts in Aramaic, Greek and Hebrew into the team, as well as Church leaders, theologians, linguists and other Bible scholars. Over one hundred experts worked for over ten years to make the dream of a modern language Bible a reality.

As the foundation for the new version, the manuscripts used for the NIV included:

• The Dead Sea Scrolls (which featured a number of Old Testament books)
• The Masoretic Hebrew Texts (which are the authoritative Hebrew scriptures, featuring 24 books of the Hebrew Bible)
• The Samaritan Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible), the Latin Vulgate (a 4th century Latin translation of the Bible that was the Catholic Church’s official Bible)

Each manuscript was thoroughly read, translated and brought into modern English. The translation process was long, thoughtful, and in-depth.

How Accurate is the NIV Bible?

The NIV was made for modern readers who struggled with the King James Bible text. That means that whilst many ancient manuscripts were employed in the creation of the NIV, the language was unlike that of the time. So, as a Bible translation, how accurate is the NIV?

Before answering, it helps to know two key terms used when discussing how accurate a Bible is. Whenever someone discusses Bible Translation accuracy, they will most likely draw a line in the sand between Bibles which are “word-for-word” and Bibles which are “thought-for-thought”.

Word-for-word Bibles present as directly as possible the text in the original scriptures. As the scriptures come from a culture far removed from our own, their texts are harder to understand and so any direct translations themselves require of the reader a sharp eye and working knowledge of the context from which the Bible came.

Thought-for-thought Bibles operate under a different approach. They employ a greater level of textual interpretation throughout their translation process. This includes taking in wider contexts and meanings as a guide to what the original text meant and how that text would appear in today’s language.

If word-for-word is akin to Google Translate, operating with as little human interpretation as possible, then thought-for-thought is like a poem translated from another language, where meaning and form carry greater emphasis.

But where does the NIV Bible sit in all this?

Well, in the middle.

Balance is the key watch-word of the NIV. The reason why the initial task of the NIV was so great is the desire for a Bible that was both accurate (word-for-word) and understandable (thought-for-thought). This balance is also why the NIV is still the most popular Bible around the world. It presents the truth of the Bible without demanding knowledge of the long and complex language and history that surrounds it.

How easy is the NIV to Read?

The NIV Bible is written at a 7th Grade Reading Level. This means that children from 12 and up should be able to confidently read and understand the majority of the NIV text.

What determines this level is the total number of unique words and sentences, as well as sentence length and the length of the words themselves. Other grammatical features also carry weight in the score. The reading level doesn’t take into account any understanding of history and context. Just the words and grammar of the text.

As an example, this sentence you are currently reading would score a Grade Nine on the readability test.

This sentence would be Grade Two.

Common Uses of the NIV

Because the NIV Bible is widely-understandable, you will find it used in countless Churches, Chapels and Schools all over the world. This is especially true of gatherings where a wide-demographic of people are in attendance.

The NIV's clear language also lends itself to smooth translation into other languages. For example, there is a Spanish language version of the NIV called La Santa Biblia, Nueva Versión Internacional. This is abbreviated to NVI.

As well as more formal settings, it has been the go-to choice for personal Bible study, with an NIV Study Bible edition being in circulation since 1985.

Since its release, close to half a billion NIV Bibles have been in print. Roughly, that's enough for one in four Christians to have a copy of their own.

Different Editions

The mission of the NIV Bible was to create a translation that used the language of the time, but English isn’t known for its ability to stay still. A lot has changed since it was first released over forty years ago. Not only has the language people speak changed in that time, but our understanding of the original texts and manuscripts has significantly changed and grown as well. Since 1978, the NIV Bible has undergone two separate revisions. The first revision of the text was in 1985 and the second was in 2011.

The 1985 revisions were minor updates to the text that reflected developments in the field of Biblical translation. The 2011 revision of the Bible, whilst keeping 95% of the text used in the 1985 edition, was seen as a much bigger change to the text. Key differences between the two reflected how much the English language has changed in that time, as more gender-neutral terms were employed in the new revision (for example, changing ‘mankind’ to ‘people’ or ‘human beings’). As well as language changes, translation issues with Paul’s letters were also taken into consideration, clearing up what was meant and written.

One key offshoot of the NIV is the NIrV Bible. The NIrV uses the NIV text as its basis but works to further simplify the language. Most commonly used for children, non-native English speakers, and anybody else who struggles with English, the NIrV is written at a 3rd Grade reading level.

Example verses from the NIV Bible

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. - Jeremiah 29:11

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. - Ephesians 4:32

Versions You Can Buy Today

Wherever Bibles are sold, you will most likely be buying the 2011 edition of the NIV Bible. That doesn’t mean you don’t have a choice in which edition is right for you. Some of the most popular NIV Bibles people buy and read and love include:

The NIV New Testament

A paperback edition that only features the books of the New Testament, this low-cost edition has been embraced by Churches all over the UK as a resource for outreach to the wider community.

Opening with the four Gospels that tell of the life and message of Jesus, the New Testament offers a reliable and accessible introduction to what Christianity is all about. It also shows that the Bible isn’t anywhere near as scary and daunting as many people unfamiliar with Christianity believe.

If you want to give the NIV a try, this is the ideal edition. Buy the NIV New Testament here.

NIV Popular Bible

Presenting simply and clearly the text of the NIV Bible, this hardback edition is used by Churches and Small Groups owing to how easy it is to read and navigate.

You can buy the NIV Popular Bible here.

NIV Life Application Study Bible

Reading the Bible and connecting it to your life can feel like two very separate tasks. The Bible is filled with ancient stories, mysterious passages and poetic language, but that doesn’t mean it has nothing to say about life today.

The mission of the Life Application Bible, much like the mission that inspired the NIV Bible in the first place, is to make knowing the lessons and message of scripture simple and relatable. To connect stories thousands of years old with you right here, right now. With plenty of articles, notes and extras that help you understand the message of the text, the Life Application Bible has been embraced around the world for how easily it aids living as a Christian.

Buy the NIV Life Application Study Bible Here.

NIV Study Bible

Adding a wealth of information about the setting, context, understanding and interpretation of the Bible, the NIV Study Bible has been a trusted resource for anyone with a desire to open up the world of God’s word.

With over 60 contributors providing over 20,000 verse notes, the NIV Study Bible is a comprehensive guide to knowing more of the Bible than ever before.

Buy the NIV Study Bible here.

Frequently asked questions

Every day, people turn to the Bible for questions about faith, life, meaning, Christianity and countless other topics. But as well as having questions for the Bible, there are also many questions asked about the Bible.

Here we’ll try to answer some of those most asked questions.

How Many Words Are in the NIV Bible?

According to the web service ‘word counter’, there are 727,969 words in the NIV Bible. This does not include extras, footnotes, and introductions.

How many times is prayer mentioned in the NIV Bible?

According to Biblegateway, the word ‘prayer’ appears 154 times in the NIV Bible.

Do Catholics use the NIV Bible?

The NIV Bible is not considered to be a Catholic-approved Bible. Mass and Liturgical services still use the Latin Vulgate. In personal reading and Church readings, the NRSV and Catholic editions of the Good News Bible are most often used.

What year was the NIV Bible written?

The first NIV Bible was written between 1956 and 1978. It then underwent two revisions - the first in 1985 and the second in 2011.

Other Bible Translations:

Click on any of the images below to learn all about the stories behind some of the world's most widely-read Bible translations:

• King James Bible
• English Standard Version
• New King James Version
• New Living Translation
• Christian Standard Bible
• Good News Bible
• The Message Bible