In less than two years after the release of the entire Bible in Today's New International Version (TNIV), the translation has cracked the Christian Bookseller's top ten list of best selling translations. The TNIV enters the top ten rankings for the first time as #7. Regular readers of This Lamp know that the TNIV is a highly recommended translation on this blog.

For those keeping track of translations released since the beginning of the new millennium, two points are with noting. First, the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB), another translation recommended by this blog, has completely dropped out of the top ten list for the first time since it entered the rankings in 2004. Second, strictly for sake of comparison, the English Standard Version (ESV), now ranked #5, took about three and a half years to crack the top ten compared with less than two years for the TNIV. It may also be worth noting that the New American Standard Bible (NASB) now has one of the lowest rankings I can remember seeing.

The CBA rankings, while significant, do not paint the entire picture of Bibles sold. They do not include non-member stores, including large retail chains and Amazon.com. The CBA rankings are probably best described as Bibles that a large number of evangelicals purchase in actual stores.

Congratulations to Zondervan, the International Bible Society and the TNIV Committee on Bible Translation for the new ranking that demonstrates the growing acceptance of this very accurate and readable translation.

Tags: TNIV, Translations