The New International Reader's Version(r) (NIrV, 1996) is a Bible version developed to enable early readers to understand God's message. Begun in 1992 and co-sponsored by International Bible Society and Zondervan Publishing House, the New International Reader's Version is a simplification of the New International Version (NIV), today's most popular translation of the Bible. The NIrV was designed to make the Bible clear and understandable to early readers and it is also of value to the millions for whom English is a second language. It intends to be distinguished by five fundamental characteristics - readability, understandability, compatibility with the NIV, reliability, and trustworthiness. It serves as a natural stepping-stone to the NIV when the time is right.