Ultraclear print Red letter Full-color maps Presentation and family record section Messianic prophecies noted Giant print study helps 52-week reading plan Favorite readings Miracles and parables of Christ Harmony of the Gospels Gold gilding Thumb Index 6 5/8 x 9 1/8 % Font size: 13
Books can be attributed to "Anonymous" for several reasons:
* They are officially published under that name * They are traditional stories not attributed to a specific author * They are religious texts not generally attributed to a specific author
Books whose authorship is merely uncertain should be attributed to Unknown.
Read and keep as resource. The NIV (1984) earned its place in many churches as the standard translation. In many ways it is more readily understandable than a more accurate translation such as ESV, NASV, NKJV etc. Yet, it is a responsible translation that aims to present what is in the original with as little interpretation as possible to get the idea across to the modern reader. These make it good for an initial read through. However, deeper and continuous study would be better done with a more literal translation such as the ones mentioned above (though there is no such thing as a 1 for 1 translation between languages). Also, for clarity of interpretation and understanding, the NLT is a more helpful tool. The NIV serves as a nice compromise between these, or as a second opinion. Ultimately, I would not choose or recommend it as someone's primary or only Bible.
I used to be very critical of the NIV translation because it is not as Word for Word literal as the NASB or the ESV. However, The NIV reads beautifully! I'm so thankful that God has blessed us with his word. We are truly blessed that we are giving the luxury of reading his word in multiple and various translations. I would recommend the NIV to any new Bible reader any day over the NASB or ESV for one simple reason: The reader will understand the big theme of scripture in a language that is easy to understand and read. Once a reader has become familiar with the narrative of the Bible the ESV is a wonderful translation to go into deeper scholarly studies. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this translation cover to cover.