This book is as generally unreadable as most religious texts - lots of boring parts & odd ways of putting things. All the 'begats' seem extraneous to me, but I'm not a scholar. It has its moments & is worthwhile reading since most everyone I know is a Christian.

There is a lot of action, sex & adventure, if you can get past the archaic wording. I especially like the Old Testament & reading about David, never cared much for Psalms & never understood Revelations - too much like reading a horoscope. I find the names really confusing. So many folks that seem to swap names around, especially in the New Testament.

The overall messages from the Old & New Testaments seem quite at odds to me - completely different writing & the new one isn't nearly as exciting as the old. ( )

hand size classic 3 piece purple spine

I can't say I've ever made it through the whole Old Testament, but it's on my eternal to-do list. I'm fairly certain I've read the New Testament through. ( )

Most people here are giving emotional and prejudiced opinions on the bible, not this specific translation. Let me give a real review:

BACKGROUND:
This translation, "Today's New International Version" (TNIV) is an update of the tremendously successful NIV which came out in the '70s and was the first English translation since the King James Version (KJV) to receive such wide acceptance, especially among evangelicals and other newer church movements.

A main reason the NIV is so popular (over 200 million copies!) is the easy reading level -- about 7th or 8th grade -- yet it is suitable for bible study unlike some paraphrases.

Some feel it is too simple and prefer a more literary translation like the Revised Standard Version or even the old KJV.

BASE TEXTS:
For the original language texts, the TNIV uses the Biblia Hebraica and UBS Greek New Testament which may be the best reconstructed ancient documents in existence.

TRANSLATION:
The TNIV, like its successor, uses simple syntax yet does a good job of reproducing the original-language texts. Some have argued that in the "smoothing out" and simplifying of the translation some theological bias crept in. I wouldn't call this serious -- maybe a point here or there. It should be noted that bias is inevitable in any translation and the TNIV may have less than most

CHANGES FROM THE NIV:

A casual reader may notice no difference from the original NIV. However a serious bible student will notice a slightly more literal translation. I think the new changes went more-literal at a ratio of 3 to 1.

With the more literal translation, one might have expected the TNIV to be embraced by conservative Christians but that hasn't happened.

The TNIV uses more gender-inclusive language which some conservative Christians equate with liberalism. It can be counter-argued that American English has become more gender-inclusive so this change is simply a correct translation.

I, myself, barely noticed the difference. An example might be "God created human beings..." rather than "God created man..." (But God is still called "he.")

CONCLUSION
In summary, I would not advise you to toss-out your NIV for this update. The differences are not that great. However, if you are buying a new bible, then get the TNIV, instead of the older NIV. This is especially true if you prefer gender-neutral language.

I, myself, enjoyed the TNIV for a time but have gone back to the New Revised Standard Version.

Whether you love or love-to-hate the bible, you can rest assured that, with the TNIV, you have a solid translation based on the best available ancient texts. ( )

the bible is the word of god as far as it is translated correctly. ( )