nIV

The New International Version (NIV) is an English translation of the Bible produced by the International Bible Society, now Biblica. First published in 1978, it was created to provide a readable yet faithful rendering of the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. A committee of scholars worked from a broad range of manuscript evidence, using textual criticism and linguistic research to balance accuracy with clarity. The 1984 revision refined style and readability, and subsequent updates continued to adjust wording while preserving the underlying renderings.

A notable later edition, commonly referred to as the NIV 2011, updated vocabulary, grammar, and certain renderings to reflect modern English usage while maintaining the translation philosophy of dynamic equivalence (thought-for-thought) rather than a strictly formal word-for-word approach. In the early 2000s, an intermediate version known as the Today’s New International Version (TNIV) introduced more gender-inclusive language, a change that sparked discussion and criticism among some readers. The 2011 NIV revision sought to harmonize readability with traditional phrasing in many cases, and the TNIV forms are not typically used in new printings under the NIV banner.

The NIV has become one of the most widely used English Bible translations in Protestant denominations, favored for public worship, study, and personal devotion. It has spawned numerous study editions, audio formats, and digital versions and is distributed in many languages through Biblica. While highly popular, its translation choices—particularly regarding gender language and certain renderings—have been the subject of ongoing scholarly and theological debate.