Written in modern and simple english, the niv has been promoted widely among the evangelical community and has supplanted the king james version as the bestselling english translation. The new testament was first published in 1973 and the complete bible was published in 1978 and revised in 1984. Accuracy of translation and the new international version. These scholars and stylists went back to the original languages and sought to produce the closest natural equivalent of the message in natural, contemporary english. Translation philosophy the esv is an essentially literal translation that seeks as far as possible to capture the precise wording of the original text and the personal style of each bible writer.
Translation philosophy niv bible new international version. The texts of the dead sea scrolls have been used to provide a textual apparatus for understanding the old. Balance between word translation and meaning, with an emphasis on meaning where necessary for simplification. The complete new international version was first published in 1978 by the new york bible society now biblica. What is the translation philosopy of the new international. With twentynine chapters written by international specialists in translation studies and philosophy, it represents a major survey of two fields that have only recently begun to enter into dialogue. Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. The new international version of the bible and issues of. Gain deeper meaning and insights in scripture with online devotionals and study articles. Where necessary, words are transliterated in order to help the reader who is unfamiliar with hebrew to identify the. Choosing a bible translation, read more about spiritual life growth, christian living, and faith. The omissions alone in the critical greek text equate the deletion of the entire books of 1 and 2 peter from the new testament. Different translation philosophy other differences can often be. Is the new international version a good translation of the.
With bible gateway plus, you gain instant access to a digital bible study library, including complete notes from the niv cultural backgrounds study bible and the new bible commentary. Even though i walk through the darkest valley, i will fear no evil, for you are with me. It omits thousands of words from the bible and over 100 verses. The translation itself strikes a balance between a wordforword and thoughtforthought philosophy, for the best representation of the intent of the original languages in todays language. As is true of any translation or version, the niv has many strengths and weaknesses. Niv bible new international version the niv bible translation. The new international version is a completely new translation of the holy bible made by over a hundred scholars working directly from the best available hebrew, aramaic, and greek texts. The cbt also developed the new international version niv in the 1970s.
Robert martin understands some of these difficulties and has written a small book on bible translation and why accuracy is so important. In 2011, the committee on bible translation updated the new international version, unlocking the 1984 edition and revising around 5 percent of its content. The new international version niv is an english translation of the bible first published in 1978 by biblica formerly the international bible society. The niv bible was produced by more than one hundred scholars working from the best available hebrew, aramaic, and greek texts. English standard version pros and cons the english standard version receives complaints from both sides. Continuing from the previous post about bible translations, i felt it necessary to post. The translation had a marked influence on english literary style and was generally accepted as the standard english bible from the mid17th to the early 20th century.
The new international version niv was birthed in 1965 when a multidenominational, international group of scholars gathered at palos heights, illinois, and came to an agreement that a new translation of the bible in contemporary english language was greatly needed. The result is a translation that is more literal than the new international version, but more fluent and colloquial than the new american standard bible. A balanced approach some bible translations focus on the way scripture was written the form, grammar, even the word order of the original. The niv was published to meet the need for a modern translation done by bible scholars using the earliest, highest quality manuscripts available.
Thats the translation philosophy behind the new international version niv. Translated by the international bible society now biblica following a similar philosophy as the new international version niv, but written in a simpler form of english, the nirv seeks to make the bible more accessible for children and people who have difficulty reading english, such as nonnative. How is the niv translation different from other translations. Philosophy of translation meets translation studies. Jun 30, 2011 the niv is a very good translation, easy to read and understand. Niv bible translation philosophy biblica the international bible. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. Hardback and paperback editions of the complete translation are expected in 2019. My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete unders. The same bible translation they now use in their sunday school materials, replacing the new international version of the bible. Both the new international version and the new living translation of the bible are popular modern englishlanguage translations of bible. I was viewing your site on the net, and the question came as to why you would use a translation which has been tampered with and seems to be corrupt, leaving out complete verses and part of verses. What about the new international version way of life. The new international version niv is a translation of the bible.
It is a common practice for modern, mainstream translations to make minor or even significant revisions and updates to the translation. In the new testament the word israel has been translated into the jewish people, the jews, or the people because. There was no gap between hearing gods word and understanding it. Translated by the international bible society now biblica following a similar philosophy as the new international version niv, but written in a simpler form of english. Niv is the most widely read bible translation in contemporary english. The version on which this commentary is based is the new international version, but other translations are referred to as well, and on occasion the author supplies his own. Mar 29, 2019 the new international version niv was birthed in 1965 when a multidenominational, international group of scholars gathered at palos heights, illinois, and came to an agreement that a new translation of the bible in contemporary english language was greatly needed. It follows the principle of dynamic equivalence to. It follows the principle of dynamic equivalence to ensure crystal clear understandable english. The new international version niv is an english translation of the christian bible and is the most popular of the modern translations of the bible made in the twentieth century.
About the niv bible translation decades after the vision was cast, the new international version niv has become one of the most widely read bible translations in contemporary english. New international version trinitarian bible society. In the old testament in particular no single english translation is adequate to reflect the original text. The project was further endorsed a year later when a vast number of church. Biblica is the worldwide publisher and translation sponsor of the new international version one of the most widely read contemporary english versions of the bible.
Jul 24, 2015 even the best literal translation cant follow the original form all the time. Check out the new and improved worthy christian search. See to it that no one carries you off as spoil or makes you yourselves captive by his socalled philosophy and intellectualism and vain deceit idle fancies and plain nonsense, following human tradition mens ideas of the material rather than the spiritual world, just crude notions following the rudimentary and elemental teachings of the universe and disregarding the teachings of christ. The new international version is based on the corrupt united bible societies greek new testament as opposed to the greek received text underlying the reformation bibles. Why is the new international version bible translation so. Beware of satans latest new international readers version. One of the major problems arises from its philosophy of translation dynamic equivalence. The new international readers version nirv is an english translation of the christian bible. New international version niv 1978 new jerusalem bible njb 1985, includes the apocrypha new jps version njps 1988 new king james version nkj 1990 new life version nlv 1969, a translation designed to be useful wherever english is used as a second language. Colossians 2 niv bible i want you to know how hard i. The new international version follows in the same tradition as the king james version, although it is tailormade for the way english is spoken around the world today.
The translation of the new international version of the bible was done by scholars from the united states, united kingdom, and several others. Todays new international version tniv was an english translation of the bible which was developed by the committee on bible translation cbt. The project was further endorsed a year later when a vast number of church leaders met in chicago in 1966. New international version niv bible in spanish on the. He guides me along the right paths for his names sake. Jan 02, 2020 the result is a translation that is more literal than the new international version, but more fluent and colloquial than the new american standard bible. The niv delivers the best balance of accuracy to the original languages and clarity of meaning in contemporary english. New international version niv download the free bible. Technically, all bible translations mix the two approachesno approach is purely wordforword or purely thoughtforthought. Translation studies and western philosophy anthony pym 2002 preprint draft 3. Before the middle of the 20th century there was only one basic philosophy of bible translation. The first publication was the gospel according to john, a contemporary english translation of the verses in the book of john. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my. Thats because the niv delivers the very best combination of accuracy and readability.
Using the niv study bible 1984, he shows how translation goals could influence how a version is translated. Translations are not equal in accuracy, and readability may come at the expense of precision to gods words and therefore his message. Even the best literal translation cant follow the original form all the time. New international version bibles niv journaling bibles. The todays new international version tniv was unveiled jan. Among the more recent protestant bibles are the revised version 188185, a revision of the king james version. The problems begin at its very core the philosophy of translation held by its translators. The routledge handbook of translation and philosophy is a pioneering resource for students and scholars in translation studies and philosophy alike. The most popular dynamicequivalency translations, which dominate the evangelical world, are the new international version niv, todays new international version tniv, the message msg, the living bible tlb, the good news bible gnb, and the new living translation nlt. The new international version niv is an english translation of the bible first published in 1978 by biblica the niv was. A balanced approach some bible translations focus on the way scripture was writtenthe form, grammar, even the word order of the original.
The routledge handbook of translation and philosophy 1st. Colossians 2 i want you to know how hard i am contending for you and for those at laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. The primary criterion in evaluating bible versions paperback december 1, 1989. The anglicized edition was originally known as the revised authorized version, but the nkjv title is now used universally. About the niv bible translation new international version. Is todays new international version or the tniv a good. English translations bible and theological reference tools. Biblica formerly the international bible society is the worldwide publisher and holder of the niv, and licenses commercial rights to zondervan in the united states and to. Danish bible that removed israel not antisemitic argues. But thats not how it felt to its original audience. They differ not only in how they address their subject matter but also in that they occupy different niches in the culture. The king james version is a classic example of formal equivalence, although the time period during which it was translated the 1600s means that it may now sound outofdate not because of translation philosophy but because of changes in the english language. The international standard version or isv is a new english translation of the bible for which translation was complete and published electronically in 2011. A popular example is the new international version.
It is said by many that the new international version bible is just. Oct 11, 2015 the niv translation of the bible is very flawed, if not satanic. Since its first emergence as a complete text in 1978, the new international version niv has stood as the modern pioneer of a different approachan approach that mirrors the balance of priorities held by the kjv translators four hundred years ago. The translation of the new international version of the bible. Is the new international version a catholic bible answers. At biblica, we believe that with god, all things are possible. The niv is the most popular translation today because it remains faithful to the original scriptures while being easy for people to understand. The new international version niv of the holy bible is the result of work by over a hundred scholars. Sky cline most people believe that different bible translations are simply a function of varying levels of readability, though all are roughly similar in accuracy. The new king james version nkjv is an english translation of the bible first published in 1982 by thomas nelson.
The initial vision for the project was provided by a single individual an engineer working with general electric in seattle by the name of howard. Instead, i will brag only about what i have done in the area god has given me. And even the best meaningbased translation cant capture every detail of meaning found in the original emphasis mine. What is the new international readers version nirv. There are more than 50 english bible translations in circulation by some estimates. Defending their translation, the danish bible society said in a statement. Preface to the new international version the new international version is a completely new translation of the holy bible made by over a hundred scholars working directly from the best available hebrew, aramaic and greek texts. This translation philosophy placed a premium on making the original languages transparent to the reader to the extent that english grammar would allow. Is the new international version a good translation of the bible. A critical examination of the new international version. The new international version niv is an english translation of the protestant bible.
King james version kjv, also called authorized version or king james bible, english translation of the bible published in 1611 under the auspices of king james i of england. As such, its emphasis is on wordforword correspondence, at the same time taking into account differences of grammar, syntax, and idiom between. What is the difference between the new international. The new testament was published in 1979, the psalms in 1980, and the full bible in 1982. Doug moo agreed to speak on behalf of the 2011 new international version niv, wayne grudem defended the english standard version.
The new international version niv deception youtube. New translations of the bible into english proliferated in the 20th century. Fifth, the new testament writers use of the septuagint indicates that they believed that this greek translation of the old testament, at least in the quoted passages, was the word of god. Jan 02, 2020 the new international readers version translates the bible from the original greek, hebrew and aramaic manuscripts, but in the process, lowers the reading level by simplifying the words and shortening the sentence length. In the terminology of bourdieu, they partake in different, though possibly partly overlapping cultural fields. A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a trustworthy envoy brings healing. You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. The project was started by groups from the christian reform church and the national. And even the best meaningbased translation cant capture every detail of meaning found in the original.
The scriptures captured exactly what god wanted to say to them in their everyday language and idiom. Many bibles tend toward one approach, but all fall somewhere in between the two extremes. Is the new international version of the bible accurate. The theme of martins book can best be summed in his sentence, the dynamic equivalence. The result is an accurate translation that is readable and understandable by more people, regardless of their english. Does the translation seek to be a thoughtforthought translation or a wordforword translation. Bible versions in 1967, the new york bible society now biblica generously undertook the financial sponsorship of creating a contemporary english translation of the bible. Search for library items search for lists search for contacts search for a library. The translation philosophy of the new international version niv is to recreate this experience for you in contemporary english. When the books of the bible were first written, they spoke clearly to people in their heart language. The new international version niv is a completely original translation of the bible developed by more than one hundred scholars working from the best available hebrew, aramaic, and greek texts. Martin explains the principles lying behind contemporary translations, and carefully analyses the new international version new testament to see whether it provides a translation which is satisfactory for widespread use in the church today. Choose from hundreds of niv editions available to meet a wide variety of interests and needs.
Thus, the modernday translator can have the confidence that his faithful translation of the original text must also be accepted by todays readers as. Theyre different primarily because each bible had its own set of translators and even the best translators. About the new international version the niv is the worlds most read and trusted contemporary english bible translation. Niv 18 who is a god like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance. James dobson joins critics of genderneutral niv revision. Though there are no clearcut boundaries between the philosophy of translation and translation studies, they are obviously not the same. Some people prefer the kjv or the nkjv, some the american standard, some the interpreters version and on and on. Numbers 14 the people rebel 1 that night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud.