I received a complimentary copy of the NIrV Journal the Word Bible for Girls as a member of the Bible Gateway Blogger Grid in exchange for an honest review of this Bible. #BibleGatewayPartner
Can the NIrV Journal the Word Bible for Girls help my child read the Bible?
The NIrV Journal the Word Bible for Girls is a journaling Bible intended for children and people learning to read, beginning Bible journaling, and verse tracing. There is a whole line of Journal the Word Bibles available and the design of each is to make space for your preferred style and method of journaling while reading and studying the Word of God. These Bibles are intended for creative Bible journaling, art journaling, general note-taking, bullet journaling, and verse art. The Bible text is in the NIrV Journal the Word Bible for Girls is a double-column format and sits next to a generous 2-inch journaling margin.
 | NIrV Journal the Word Double-Column Bible for Girls, hardcover By ZonderKidz |
While I sincerely appreciate the amount of margin space given, there is much more to consider when shopping for your next Bible, or for your child’s first journaling Bible. One of the first questions we should ask when choosing a Bible, and particularly so when choosing a Bible for our children, is whether the translation and the commentary are Biblically accurate. With this, I appreciate that the NIrV Journal the Word Bible for Girls gives us an in-depth explanation of the translation used.
What is the NIrV Bible translation?
The NIrV Journal the Word Bible for Girls comes in the NIrV, or New International Reader’s version, Bible translation. This translation is written at a third-grade reading level. It is based on the NIV Bible translation, and uses much of the NIV text but with some updates with the goal of making the Bible easier to understand. Some updates to this translation include shortening and simplifying words and sentences, breaking up sections into smaller paragraphs with more identifying headers, and adding verse references right after a verse that is quoting another verse of the Bible.
The translators for the NIrV used the oldest copies available of the Greek New Testament and the Hebrew Old Testament. With this, there are some passages that were not in these older documents that were added in later documents, and the NIrV leaves these verses out. While the verse is omitted, the verse numbers are lumped with the previous verse to indicate that some translations include another verse at that point.
Who is the NIrV Bible translation designed for?
- Children who read at a 3rd-grade reading level
- Adults who are learning to read
- Those whose first language is not English
- Those who have a hard time understanding written information
- Those who are reading the Bible for the first time
Is the NIrV translation helpful for kids learning to read?
You can find my review about the NIV translation and some additional insight in my review of the NIV Radiant Virtues Bible, but in short, I always encourage Bible readers to not use the NIV translation as their primary or only translation, and I encourage the same for the NIrV.
I appreciate that the NIrV helps make it easier for those learning to read or with reading disabilities to read the Bible. The process, however, ends up drastically changing words and sentences which can alter the tone and message of what is being read. This is a thought-for-thought translation, and there are many differences in how the NIrV and NIV word things in comparison to word-for-word translations and translations such as the NKJV translation, and especially in comparison to the original Hebrew and Greek which are much more poetic in nature and tone than our modern English.
Overall if you are reading the Bible at all that is a big deal and a big win. The translation does matter, and this is a translation I would advise each reader to compare and companion with a literal or word-for-word translation as they advance in their experience reading the Bible.
Can the NIrV Journal the Word Bible for Girls help kids read the Bible?
The thing about journaling Bibles is that often times the translations are the more thought-for-thought, modern language style translations. This tends to make it easier for a lot of people to turn a verse into Bible art. I use my
This journaling Bible is a great option for people of all ages who want a simple, clean-cut journaling Bible. This journaling Bible is fantastic for someone who wants to learn and practice Bible journaling, and creative Bible journaling. It is not cluttered or prefilled with a bunch of fancy verse art and is extremely easy on the eyes. This can be really helpful for kids who get easily distracted and can also be great for adults who struggle to focus or understand written materials.
There is a lot of space in the margins, some margins are faintly lined and some are blank, and the verses offered in a limited number of the margins are in a simple, accessible, traceable font. This design would be helpful for those with visual disabilities and can allow adults and kids learning to read and write to do so in a creative, God-honoring way. This journaling Bible is well designed for someone who wants to learn to read and write with the Bible.
My copy of the NIrV Journal the Word Bible for Girls is going to go to my daughter who is reading the whole Bible on her own for the first time. She loves to journal and take notes and is excited about the space available and the traceable verses to help her practice her handwriting with Bible verses. She will also be companioning it with her NKJV Thinline Bible.
Do I recommend the NIrV Journal the Word Bible for Girls?
The NIrV should be read as a starter Bible with the goal and intention to move up to a translation that is written at a higher reading level when the reader has advanced to a higher reading level.
The NIrV Journal the Word Bible for Girls is a wonderful option for kids and adults who are learning to read or who have a hard time understanding written information, but as one learns and grows in their literary abilities moving up to a more literal translation will help identify verses that are left out or worded differently, and expand on their understanding of scripture.
Where can I buy the NIrV Journal the Word Bible for Girls?
You can find this Bible and many others from the Journal the Word line at the following locations, and more.
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My favorite note-taking tools
- 5 subject notebook to break my notes into categories and double as a prayer notebook to bring it all together
- Amazing and colorful pilot pens that are fun for notes and art journaling
- Sticky notes and lined sticky notes for extended notes to save in my Bible. Margins can only fit so much! And great for when I go back and study something again. Add a sticky note with your new notes on it!
- Bible pens and fine liner pens for doodling, circling, underlining, and note-taking in my Bible
- No-bleed Bible highlighters that are vibrant and not tacky and messy.
