The Holy Bible for ESL Readers (NIrV)

3995 Pages·2011·10.12 MB·English

by  Zonderkidz

Holy Bible for ESL Readers (NIrV)
New International Readers Version
ZONDERVAN PUBLISHING HOUSE
Grand Rapids, Michigan
T C
ABLE OF ONTENTS
Articles and Resources
OLD TESTAMENT
NEW TESTAMENT
OLD TESTAMENT
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalms
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Songs
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
NEW TESTAMENT
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation
A R
RTICLES AND ESOURCES
A Word About the New International Reader’s Version
The ABCs of Salvation
5 Ways to Read the Bible
Life in New Testament Times
Dictionary
Who’s Who in the Bible
A W A N I
ORD BOUT THE EW NTERNATIONAL
R ’ V
EADER S ERSION
God has always spoken so people would know what he meant. When God first
gave the Bible to his people, he used their languages. They could understand
what they read. God wants us to understand the Bible today too. So we have
worked hard to make the New International Reader’s Version easy to read and
understand.
W I N I R ’ V ?
HAT S THE EW NTERNATIONAL EADER S ERSION
The New International Reader’s Version (NIrV) is a new Bible translation
based on the New International Version (NIV). The NIV Committee on Bible
Translation (CBT) didn’t produce the NIrV. But several members of CBT
worked hard to make the NIrV possible. The NIV is easy to understand and
very clear. More people read the NIV than any other English Bible. We made
the NIrV even easier to read and understand. We used the words of the NIV
when we could. Sometimes we used shorter words. We explained words that
might be hard to understand. We made the sentences shorter.
We also did some other things to make the NIrV a helpful Bible version for
you. For example, sometimes a Bible verse quotes from another place in the
Bible. When that happens, we put the other Bible book’s name, chapter and
verse right after the verse that quotes another place.
We separated each chapter into shorter sections. We gave a title to almost
every chapter. Sometimes we even gave a title to the shorter sections. That
will help you understand what each chapter or section is all about.
Sometimes the writers of the Bible used more than one name for the same
person or place. For example, in the New Testament the Sea of Galilee is also
called the Sea of Gennesaret and the Sea of Tiberias. But in the NIrV we
decided to call it the Sea of Galilee everywhere it appears in the New
Testament. We did it because that is its most familiar name.
We also wanted to help our readers learn the names of people and places
even in verses where those names don’t actually appear. For example, when
we knew that “the River” meant “the Euphrates River,” we used those words
even in verses where only the words “the River” are found. When we knew
that the name of “Pharaoh” in a certain verse was “Hophra,” we wrote his
name in that verse. We did all of those things because we wanted to make the
NIrV as clear as possible.
W W E R N I R ’
HO ILL NJOY EADING THE EW NTERNATIONAL EADER S
V ?
ERSION
We made sure that people who are just starting to read could understand and
enjoy the NIrV. Children will be able to read it and understand it. So will
older people who are learning how to read or those who are reading the Bible
for the first time. So will people who have a hard time understanding what
they read. And so will people who use English as their second language. We
hope this Bible will be just right for you.
I NI V A B ?
S THE R AN CCURATE IBLE
At the time the Bible was written, God’s people used the Hebrew and Greek
languages. So the first writers of the Bible used those languages. We wanted
the NIrV to say just what the first writers of the Bible said. So we kept
checking what the Hebrew and Greek said.
We used the best and oldest copies of the Hebrew and Greek. Some of the
first English Bibles could not use those copies because they had not yet been
found. But today we can check copies that are closer in time to the ones the
first Bible writers wrote. We wanted to make sure we were giving you the
actual Word of God.
There are two places in the NIrV where some verses are marked with long
lines. We don’t know whether the first writers of the Bible wrote those verses.
They may have been added later on. You will find the long lines at Mark
16:9–20 and John 7:53–8:11.
W I O P Y ?
HAT S UR RAYER FOR OU
The Lord has blessed the New International Verison in a wonderful way. He
has used it to help millions of its readers. Many have put their faith in Jesus
after reading it. Many others have become stronger believers because they
have read it.
We hope and pray that the New International Reader’s Version will help
you in the same way. If that happens, we will give God all of the glory.
V T W N F E G N
ERSES HAT ERE OT OUND IN THE ARLIEST REEK EW
T
ESTAMENTS
Later copies of the Greek New Testament added several verses that the earlier
ones don’t have. An example is Mark 9:44. That verse is not in the oldest
Greek New Testaments. So we put the number 43/44 right before Mark 9:43.
The verse for Mark 9:44 is listed below.
But that kind does not go out except by prayer and
Matthew 17:21
fasting.
Matthew 18:11 The Son of Man came to save what was lost.
How terrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees!
You pretenders! You take over the houses of widows.
Matthew 23:14
You say long prayers to show off. So God will punish
you much more.
Mark 7:16 Everyone who has ears to ear should listen.
In hell,/ “The worms do not die./ The fire is not put
Mark 9:44
out.”
In hell,/ “The worms do not die./ The fire is not put
Mark 9:46
out.”
But if you do not forgive, your Father who is in heaven
Mark 11:26
will not forgive your sins either.
Scripture came true. It says, “He was counted among
Mark 15:28
those who disobey the law.”
Two men will be in the field. One will be taken and the
Luke 17:36
other left.
It was Pilate’s duty to let one prisoner go free for them
Luke 23:17
at the Feast.
From time to time an angel of the Lord would come