Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, the New International Reader’s Version (NIrV) easy-to-read Bible translation for young readers and English language learners has more than 8.5 million copies in print worldwide, being jointly published by Zondervan and Biblica since 1996.
Bible Gateway interviewed Rev. Paul Swarup, PhD about his role in translating the NIrV.
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Tell us about yourself and your work.
Rev. Paul Swarup, PhD: I am currently the Presbyter in Charge of Green Park Free Church, Diocese of Delhi, Church of North India (CNI). I’ve held this position for the last three years. Before coming to this church, I was the Presbyter in Charge of the Cathedral Church of the Redemption for seven years. I’ve been serving the Diocese of Delhi since 1987.
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How long have you been on the NIrV translation committee and why did you decide to become a part of this committee?
Rev. Paul Swarup, PhD: I joined this Committee in 2015 when my friend and fellow translator Ron Youngblood passed on to glory. There were four members on the team and with Ron’s passing they were looking for someone to fill the gap. Since it was the New “International” Reader’s Version they decided to look for someone outside the USA to be on the Committee.
[Read the New International Reader’s Version (NIrV) on Bible Gateway]
What is your role or area of expertise on the committee?
Rev. Paul Swarup, PhD: I’m an Old Testament scholar and therefore look a bit more carefully at the Old Testament sections. As an Asian I also try to bring in my inputs as to how certain words would be understood in a global context and how feasible it is to use them.
How has your involvement with the Committee on Bible Translation (CBT), the group that oversees the NIV text, helped you as you’ve been working on the NIrV translation committee?
Rev. Paul Swarup, PhD: I’ve been on the CBT since 2008 and that helped me to see how the translation committee works and the meticulous detail that goes into every word of translation. I strive with the rest of the team to bring that same level of rigor to the work that’s done on the NIrV translation.
How is the NIrV different from the NIV?
Rev. Paul Swarup, PhD: The NIrV is an easy-to-read version for children, for adults who find the terms and concepts of the Bible difficult to understand, and for those to whom English is a second language. The vocabulary is usually limited to a third-grade reading level and is therefore easy to understand. The sentences are also broken down and kept at no more than 15 words a sentence.
Who do you feel are the audiences that benefit most from using the NIrV?
Rev. Paul Swarup, PhD: Again, the primary audience for this translation is children, people for whom the terms and concepts of the Bible can be hard to understand, and individuals who are learning English as a second language.
What translation challenges has the committee faced while working on the NIrV?
Rev. Paul Swarup, PhD: The main challenge in translating the NIrV is to keep it simple and short. Sometimes it’s difficult to communicate set theological concepts in very simple English. We have to constantly break down complex sentences into small and understandable sentences and sometimes that task is not very easy.
What is a favorite Bible passage of yours and why?
Rev. Paul Swarup, PhD: Isaiah 40:8. “The grass dries up. The flowers fall to the ground. But what our God says will stand forever.” Just the durability of God’s Word through the ages encourages me to stand firm.
[Read articles about the NIrV on the Bible Gateway Blog]
What are your thoughts about Bible Gateway and the Bible Gateway App and Bible Audio App?
Rev. Paul Swarup, PhD: I find the Bible Gateway App immensely useful as I keep using it for all my Bible studies, sermon preparation, and teaching as well. The greatest advantage of Bible Gateway is to have so many Bible versions available in one place. I’m also grateful for all the resources that are available with it. I particularly use the NIV Study Bible notes, the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary, and the NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible for my preparations. It’s a wonderful resource available online.
Is there anything else you’d like to say?
Rev. Paul Swarup, PhD: The NIrV is a very easy-to-understand translation and we on the committee were thrilled to hear that while it’s been profitably used by children for years, it has also been used in many prisons for personal Bible reading and for Bible studies. All of us on the committee hope and pray that this translation will continue to be a blessing to children, to others who struggle to understand the terms and concepts in the Bible, and to those for whom English is their second language.
Read interviews with the other translators of the New International Reader’s Version:
The New International Reader’s Version (NIrV) is published by HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc., the parent company of Bible Gateway.
Bio: Rev. Paul Sawrup, PhD, is a minister in the Church of North India, the leading Protestant denomination in that part of the country. He specializes in Old Testament theology and study of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Rev. Dr. Swarup is a visiting faculty member at a number of Christian seminaries in India.
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