E-book update of best-selling translation made available three months ahead of print editions

The much-anticipated update of the New International Version (NIV) Bible has been made available for purchase in digital form, three months ahead of its arrival in stores.

With print editions to go on sale from next month, Zondervan launched its NIV eBook Bible on Dec. 21—believed to be the first time a new translation has been offered in digital format before print publication. 

“With the updated NIV complete and consumers enthusiastically awaiting its arrival, we wanted to make it available as soon as possible,” said Moe Girkins, president and CEO of Zondervan. 

Launching it in digital format with a ministry giveaway “follows the heritage of the NIV—to reach more people with God’s Word by translating in the language that ordinary people can understand,” she added.

The revision of the NIV was announced in September 2009 and completed in a year, with the new text made available online for review and comment. As part of the update, the controversial Today’s New International Version (TNIV)—beset by criticism of some of its gender-related changes—is being phased out.

The pre-Christmas launch saw the digital edition available at Amazon.com for $9.99, with Zondervan pledging to donate a New Testament for an evangelistic effort in India for every e-sale.

As part of its rollout of the new translation, Zondervan also offered pastors and church leaders a complimentary updated NIV for review, as well as a free softcover Gospel of Mark sampler.

The NIV eBook Bible has been redesigned for “an intuitive user experience,” Zondervan said, with a crisp font and maximized readability. The new edition also features quicker speed turns and a numbered footnoting system to enable readers to easily jump between Bible text and footnotes.

Following its posting online—with an invitation for people to comment—the updated text received “a large amount of positive feedback,” according to publisher Zondervan and copyright holder Biblica. 

“We’re pleased to see so many people engaging with the updated text, and sharing their thoughts about it,” Zondervan and Biblica spokesperson Tara Powers told Christian Retailing. “We are encouraged by the response.”  

With more than 300 million copies sold since its first publication in 1978, the NIV update by the Committee on Bible Translation (CBT)—the first in 25 years—is intended to reflect changes in English usage and advances in biblical scholarship. 

Mardel Christian & Education supported the update of the new NIV, said Senior Buyer Dylan Hillhouse.  “We have no concerns about the translation,” he told Christian Retailing. “We will have sales and promotions on NIV product, as we have always had, but we will not be making a big deal about the update of the translation.

“We did have some good success with the TNIV products that included special content or had special covers, but the translation itself never seemed to gain much of a following,” Hillhouse added. “Our expectation is that the new NIV will be received as a needed update of a great translation.” 

Parable Group was “really looking forward” to the updated NIV, said Sales and Marketing Manager Randy Maricle.

“We will be heavily promoting the updated NIV through all of our advertising channels and through all phases of the launch,” he told Christian Retailing. “The NIV is our best-selling translation, and I don’t expect that to change with the update. With the refresh of the entire line and updated packaging, notes and maps, we expect the NIV to do very well for our stores.

“Zondervan has done their due diligence with customer research, including retailers, to ensure a great product and a smooth transition for the stores,” Maricle added. “We are confident that this launch will be successful.”

LifeWay Christian Stores, which did not carry the TNIV,―was noncomittal on the revision. “We are carefully reviewing the NIV, and will make the decision whether or not to carry it as the release date gets closer,” LifeWay Christian Resources Director of Communications Micah Carter said. 

     Meanwhile, the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW), the most vocal critic of the TNIV, said the group could not commend the revision for most of the same reasons it could not support the Today’s New International Version.  

“Our initial analysis shows that the new NIV retains many of the problems that were present in the TNIV, especially with regard to the over 3,600 gender-related problems we previously identified,” CBMW said. “In spite of the many good changes made, our initial analysis reveals that a large percentage of our initial concerns still remain.”

CBMW President Randy Stinson added that the NIV revision will be facing stiff competition in the Bible market.   

“Since 2005, the ESV (English Standard Version) and HCSB (Holman Christian Standard Bible) have gained traction, giving the evangelical community even more good options than they had before,” he said. “So just based on the numbers of good translations available, it will naturally be more difficult for the new NIV.”

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