Bible translation
Nueva Versión Internacional (NVI): history, style and where to read it
The Nueva Versión Internacional is Biblica's modern Spanish Bible, and the Nova Versão Internacional is its Portuguese counterpart. Both were translated from the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek by teams of native scholars, not from the English NIV. In The Living Bread you can read the Spanish NVI 2025 and the Portuguese NVI inside the app.
At a glance
| Full name | Nueva Versión Internacional |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | NVI |
| First published | 1999 (Spanish); 2000 (Portuguese) |
| Publisher or sponsor | Biblica |
| Language | Spanish and Portuguese |
| Translation philosophy | Balanced |
| How it reads | Contemporary, clear |
| In The Living Bread | In the app |
Who made the NVI and when
Biblica, working with scholars from many Spanish speaking countries, completed the Nueva Versión Internacional in 1999, after years of work. The translators went to the original languages directly rather than translating the English NIV, though the editorial philosophy is similar. The Portuguese edition, the Nova Versão Internacional, was published around the year 2000 by the same ministry with Brazilian and Portuguese language scholars.
The Spanish text has been revised since; the app offers the 2025 edition. For readers who are bilingual, the NVI and the NIV can be read side by side as siblings from one publisher with the same aims.
How the NVI translates
The NVI keeps the balanced approach of its family: faithful to the original, written in natural, current Spanish or Portuguese, so that it does not sound like a translation from English.
Readability and typical use
Modern and clear, a good choice for congregations with younger members and for people who find the Reina-Valera language hard to follow.
Strengths
Contemporary language, a committee of native speakers across Latin America and Spain, and an easy match for reading aloud in church and in homes.
Cautions, stated fairly
Congregations accustomed to the Reina-Valera 1960 may feel the wording is unfamiliar, so churches often use both. It is a copyrighted text and quoting it requires a license.
Familiar renderings, in our own words
Where the Reina-Valera keeps a formal Spanish construction, the NVI chooses the way a family would say it at the table.
Who should choose the NVI
Choose the NVI when you want modern Spanish or Portuguese. In the app you can also read the NBLA and LBLA for a more literal Spanish.
Where to read the Nueva Versión Internacional in The Living Bread
In the app To read the Nueva Versión Internacional here, use the app. Its rights belong to Biblica, and our license through the YouVersion Platform lets the app display it live, with the copyright line beside it, but not keep a copy. Spanish NVI 2025 and Portuguese NVI are in the app. Switch to it from the version picker in the Bible reader.
Because of that license, this website, our AI answers and our MCP server do not quote the NVI, and it is left out of audio, share images and offline copies. For a translation to read right on the website, the public domain King James Version, Berean Standard Bible and World English Bible are always free. Compare every translation before you choose.
Related translations
- Reina-Valera 1960 (RVR 1960)Word for word. Traditional Spanish, dignified.
- New International Version (NIV)Balanced. Clear, everyday English.
- New International Reader's Version (NIrV)Thought for thought, simplified. Easiest: short sentences, simple words.
- New American Standard Bible (NASB)Word for word. Precise, a little formal.
- Berean Standard Bible (BSB)Balanced, leaning literal. Modern, clear.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I read the NVI in The Living Bread?
- Yes, inside the app. The Spanish NVI 2025 and the Portuguese NVI are licensed through the YouVersion Platform and shown live with their copyright line. Our website, AI answers and MCP server do not quote them.
- Is the NVI a translation of the English NIV?
- No. It was translated from the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek by native scholars, although it follows the same editorial philosophy as the NIV.
- What other Spanish Bibles are in the app?
- The Nueva Biblia de las Américas and the Biblia de las Américas, a more literal pair from the Lockman Foundation, are also in the app, and the Reina-Valera 1909 is free here.
The Word became flesh
The NVI is one of many faithful ways into the same story. Whichever translation you choose, the point of Scripture is the One it gives you: Jesus Christ, who said that we are to love one another as he loved us. Read a little each day, read it with someone, and ask him to open the page.
Open the Bible readerGet the appAsk the BodyJesus Christ is Lord.
