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NIV, Books of the Bible
Return to the Bible as it was before chapters and verses.
The Bible isn’t a single book. It’s a collection of many books that were written, preserved and gathered together so that they could be shared with new generations of readers. The Bible is an invitation to you to first view the world in a new way, and then to become an agent of the world’s renewal.
The Books of the Bible, NIV helps you have a more meaningful encounter with the sacred writings and to read with more understanding, without centuries of added formatting, so that you can take your place more readily within this story of new creation.
“There is no Bible more suited to reading from beginning to end.”
— Scot McKnight, author of Jesus Creed
Features:
• Chapter and verse numbers have been removed from the text.
• The books are presented instead according to the internal divisions that we believe their authors have indicated.
• A single-column setting is used to present the text more clearly and naturally, and to avoid disrupting the intended line breaks in poetry.
• Footnotes, section headings and any other additional materials have been removed from the pages of the sacred text.
• Individual books that later tradition divided into two or more parts are put back together again.
• The books are arranged in an order that helps you understand the Bible more completely.
The Bible isn’t a single book. It’s a collection of many books that were written, preserved and gathered together so that they could be shared with new generations of readers. The Bible is an invitation to you to first view the world in a new way, and then to become an agent of the world’s renewal.
The Books of the Bible, NIV helps you have a more meaningful encounter with the sacred writings and to read with more understanding, without centuries of added formatting, so that you can take your place more readily within this story of new creation.
“There is no Bible more suited to reading from beginning to end.”
— Scot McKnight, author of Jesus Creed
Features:
• Chapter and verse numbers have been removed from the text.
• The books are presented instead according to the internal divisions that we believe their authors have indicated.
• A single-column setting is used to present the text more clearly and naturally, and to avoid disrupting the intended line breaks in poetry.
• Footnotes, section headings and any other additional materials have been removed from the pages of the sacred text.
• Individual books that later tradition divided into two or more parts are put back together again.
• The books are arranged in an order that helps you understand the Bible more completely.
1920 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
104 people are currently reading
104 people want to read
About the author
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791k books3,369 followersBooks can be attributed to "Anonymous" for several reasons:
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See also: Anonymous
* 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.
See also: Anonymous
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 23, 2013
The first thing people notice when I show them this Bible goes like this: "There are no verses!"
Second thing: "There are no chapters!"
Then I get an evaluation. Actual quotes: "Cool!" or "This is not a step forward."
But I'm certain that it is. This edition of Scripture is the latest fruit of the efforts of Christopher R. Smith and a team of editors who've worked hard to present the Bible in a format that is, in one sense, quite novel (read more in Smith's book After Chapters and Verses ) but in another sense very traditional. The Books of the Bible takes a step forward by taking several steps backward in time, eliminating typographical encumbrances from the text that have been added over the centuries. No little numbers dot the text, breaking up your reading and inviting atomistic prooftexting. What you get is pure Bible text in a single column with paragraph divisions and, when appropriate, one or more blank lines in between paragraphs to indicate major breaks in the thought flow of a given writing. In poetical passages, two lines in a couplet are kerned closer together than the couplets around them. Smith put a great deal of thought into this, and he did an excellent job.
A few more steps forward need to be taken, however, to make this Bible my go-to text. The typeface used for this Bible is superior to the odd one used in the first iteration of The Books of the Bible (a strange quasi-serif face I could never get used to), but overall the Bible simply is not as typographically beautiful as it ought to be. And whereas the newest ESVs manage to have supple faux leather, a beautiful font, a well-designed interior, and even "line matching" to prevent text ghosting through pages, this NIV lacks all those features. The binding I have, the "Italian Duo-tone" vinyl, feels chintzy.
I sound like a true complainer, and I shouldn't, because I'm so glad this idea didn't die with the somewhat half-hearted, paperback-only first editions from a few years back. But I want this Bible to succeed; I hope it launches a new format used by every major translation. And in a culture full of competing Bibles, it's more likely to succeed if it's truly excellent in every respect.
This Bible is a fantastic idea that needs just a bit more help.
Thanks to Zondervan, which sent me a copy of this Bible for review. I wasn't required to give a glowing recommendation.
Second thing: "There are no chapters!"
Then I get an evaluation. Actual quotes: "Cool!" or "This is not a step forward."
But I'm certain that it is. This edition of Scripture is the latest fruit of the efforts of Christopher R. Smith and a team of editors who've worked hard to present the Bible in a format that is, in one sense, quite novel (read more in Smith's book After Chapters and Verses ) but in another sense very traditional. The Books of the Bible takes a step forward by taking several steps backward in time, eliminating typographical encumbrances from the text that have been added over the centuries. No little numbers dot the text, breaking up your reading and inviting atomistic prooftexting. What you get is pure Bible text in a single column with paragraph divisions and, when appropriate, one or more blank lines in between paragraphs to indicate major breaks in the thought flow of a given writing. In poetical passages, two lines in a couplet are kerned closer together than the couplets around them. Smith put a great deal of thought into this, and he did an excellent job.
A few more steps forward need to be taken, however, to make this Bible my go-to text. The typeface used for this Bible is superior to the odd one used in the first iteration of The Books of the Bible (a strange quasi-serif face I could never get used to), but overall the Bible simply is not as typographically beautiful as it ought to be. And whereas the newest ESVs manage to have supple faux leather, a beautiful font, a well-designed interior, and even "line matching" to prevent text ghosting through pages, this NIV lacks all those features. The binding I have, the "Italian Duo-tone" vinyl, feels chintzy.
I sound like a true complainer, and I shouldn't, because I'm so glad this idea didn't die with the somewhat half-hearted, paperback-only first editions from a few years back. But I want this Bible to succeed; I hope it launches a new format used by every major translation. And in a culture full of competing Bibles, it's more likely to succeed if it's truly excellent in every respect.
This Bible is a fantastic idea that needs just a bit more help.
Thanks to Zondervan, which sent me a copy of this Bible for review. I wasn't required to give a glowing recommendation.
September 28, 2015
This Bible was phenomenal! I have read through the Bible before, but seeing it without the page markings made the stories and writings come alive in a way that they hadn't before. Now that I have grown accustomed to reading the Bible like this I find the numbers very distracting. The only issue is that it is hard to reference because you only know which book you are in rather than chapter and verse. This is easily remedied with a Google search or some other companion text. I would HIGHLY recommend this for anyone who feels as though the Bible is hard to read, or those who wish to breath new life into texts they have read multiple times.
December 23, 2018
Exceedingly easy to read! Flowing seamlessly like reading a story, just how it might be intended to be. An enlightment for those looking for a refreshing way for reading the Bible. The chapters and verses are removed in the main text but instead are put at the bottom of every page (except the Psalms), making it still easy to compare the content / context with other traditional Bibles. My concern lies on the thickness of the paper, for a book of this size, which is as thin as most “traditional” Bibles, though understandable considering the sheer number of pages it contains.. Just have to be careful when opening in order not to tear them. In my opinion it’s not suitable for reading on the go, but to be used for contemplation at home. Overall, I enjoy reading it very much!!
Read
April 2, 2020I'm not sure when I began reading this version, exactly, but I finished on 18 March 2020.
While I loved the absence of chapter and verse breaks - of all the distracting additions most of our Bibles contain - what I loved most about this edition is actually the re-arrangement of book order and the commentary preceding each section. The editors do a great job of highlighting elements of structure and theme, helping one see the holistic nature of the text - the way narrative strands, and structural choices, find themselves echoing across chapters, books, and centuries.
A great way to encounter the narrative of Scripture afresh.
While I loved the absence of chapter and verse breaks - of all the distracting additions most of our Bibles contain - what I loved most about this edition is actually the re-arrangement of book order and the commentary preceding each section. The editors do a great job of highlighting elements of structure and theme, helping one see the holistic nature of the text - the way narrative strands, and structural choices, find themselves echoing across chapters, books, and centuries.
A great way to encounter the narrative of Scripture afresh.
November 30, 2020
The Bible is a living book, and this format enhances the power of the word of God. Removing chapters, columns, and verses eliminates the "ruts" that your brain had formed and helps you see it in a new light. Books of the Bible are formatted according to natural literary breaks. Charts, poetry, coherent stories, and other elements are placed together in a visually pleasing format. The arrangement of the books of the Bible, as well as the invitations that introduce each book, enhance is a lot. This format of the Bible is worth reading. I highly recommend!
December 24, 2025
I mean... what is there to say. OH! Oh... except that this version has no chapters, no verses, no footnotes, no commentary, no cross-references... just pure plain scripture. Also, it is arranged similarly to the way the OT would have been pre-Septuagint, and the NT in collections by author (or tangentially). Love it, and found myself reading more quickly than I would otherwise because I was reading "naturally" - obviously, since I'm finished a week before the end of the year. Highly recommend!
January 28, 2019
I really like this novel-like format for scripture readingWithout the braks for verses, the etxt flows much more naturally.
January 16, 2017
Pros: 1) This is set up as a reader's Bible, that is, chapter and verse numbers have been removed. No subheading have been introduced. Single-column format and no red-letter. Hence, it is easier to read large chunks of the text. 2) Brief introductions to each book that explain the content and the structure. 3) The order of the books is different, not only from our English versions, but from the Septuagint and the Hebrew text as well. 4) NIV2011 text, which is apparently popular, or at least well-marketed.
Cons: 1) "The Drama of the Bible," "Living the Script," "About The Books of the Bible," and "A Word About the NIV," which are all at the end, should have been put first. 2) The introductions are sometimes a little weird, such as using "Jesus-followers" instead of disciples (though the NIV uses "disciples") and "community/assembly of Jesus-followers" instead of "church." 3) The arrangement of the order of the books struck me as arbitrary, but then, I suppose our current order is equally arbitrary. 4) It's the NIV2011. I never did develop any affection for the NIV, and I like its latest iteration even less. The whole idea that in a translation "we have sought to recreate as far as possible the experience of the original audience" is ludicrous. How could we possibly know what the experience of, say, Paul's original audience was? For one thing, most of the were hearing his letters, not reading them. At any rate, some people might find this a helpful way to read through the Bible.
Cons: 1) "The Drama of the Bible," "Living the Script," "About The Books of the Bible," and "A Word About the NIV," which are all at the end, should have been put first. 2) The introductions are sometimes a little weird, such as using "Jesus-followers" instead of disciples (though the NIV uses "disciples") and "community/assembly of Jesus-followers" instead of "church." 3) The arrangement of the order of the books struck me as arbitrary, but then, I suppose our current order is equally arbitrary. 4) It's the NIV2011. I never did develop any affection for the NIV, and I like its latest iteration even less. The whole idea that in a translation "we have sought to recreate as far as possible the experience of the original audience" is ludicrous. How could we possibly know what the experience of, say, Paul's original audience was? For one thing, most of the were hearing his letters, not reading them. At any rate, some people might find this a helpful way to read through the Bible.
February 27, 2015
Jesus is the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone. SALVATION IS FOUND IN NO ONE ELSE, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved. Acts 4:11-12 NIV
This is the first time I've gone through the bible with no verse or chapter breaks and the books listed in a different order than the traditional bible. The Old Testament is written in the order of the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament is written starting with Luke and Acts who spent time with Paul so next the letters of Paul in the order most likely written. Next Matthew, Hebrews, James, books written to Jews who believed Jesus was the Messiah. Mark along with 1 & 2 Peter and Jude because Mark and Peter tell a similar perspective of Jesus and Jude which is similar to Peters second letter. Finishing with the works of John.
This is the NIV hardcover version, there is intro. to each book, usually a page or two. The pages are very thin but the bible is inexpensive on Amazon. The text was printed with nice spacing, words spoken by God are distinguished from words by others and each psalm is numbered. For reference but in very light colored font each chapter(s) and the verses on that page are written small in the bottom right hand corner.
This is the first time I've gone through the bible with no verse or chapter breaks and the books listed in a different order than the traditional bible. The Old Testament is written in the order of the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament is written starting with Luke and Acts who spent time with Paul so next the letters of Paul in the order most likely written. Next Matthew, Hebrews, James, books written to Jews who believed Jesus was the Messiah. Mark along with 1 & 2 Peter and Jude because Mark and Peter tell a similar perspective of Jesus and Jude which is similar to Peters second letter. Finishing with the works of John.
This is the NIV hardcover version, there is intro. to each book, usually a page or two. The pages are very thin but the bible is inexpensive on Amazon. The text was printed with nice spacing, words spoken by God are distinguished from words by others and each psalm is numbered. For reference but in very light colored font each chapter(s) and the verses on that page are written small in the bottom right hand corner.
held
April 21, 2015As the India paper is very thin, & thus quite transparent, lines should coincide.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews