Contact: Liane Worthington, 616-698-3345

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., June 17, 2015 /Christian Newswire/ -- Biblica and Zondervan have come together to make the New International Reader's Version (NIrV) of the Bible available to all English-reading children and those who read at a lower level. For centuries, God's Word has been translated and shared so that all who read it can understand it and experience the good news of the gospel. Biblica and Zondervan are united in the mission to bring the Word of God to people of all ages, including children.

Biblica is pleased to announce its renewed license with Zondervan for the newly updated NIrV translation. The license grants Zondervan the exclusive commercial and non-exclusive non-commercial rights to publish the Anglicized edition of the NIrV, in addition to the Americanized edition. With this contract, Zondervan becomes the exclusive commercial publisher of the NIrV in both American and British editions for North America, the United Kingdom (UK), the European Union (EU) and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).

First published in 1995, the NIrV is an English Bible translation based on the widely used New International Version (NIV). More people read the NIV than any other modern language English Bible. The NIrV was developed for those who read at a lower lever and is very clear and easy to understand. The NIrV has been updated recently to ensure its simpler words and shorter sentences still reflect the accuracy and clarity of the NIV. Targeting a third-grade reading level, the NIrV is the ideal translation for the emerging reader.

"Zondervan upholds the mission to inspire young lives, awaken hearts, and touch souls with Bibles specially designed for children and those who are learning to read," said Annette Bourland, Senior Vice President of Publishing. "Our partnership with Biblica on the NIrV translation helps us fulfill our mission by bringing the inspired Word of God to children in a way that they can read for themselves and understand."

Scott Bolinder, Executive Vice President at Biblica, added, "Zondervan has been an effective publishing partner on behalf of the NIrV in North America for over 20 years. We are delighted to now extend their influence, including the Anglicized edition of the NIrV, to the UK, EU and EFTA territories."

The licensing partnership between Zondervan and Biblica will offer new benefits to retailers throughout Europe and the UK. This agreement helps Zondervan fill a publishing gap in the international market by making Anglicized NIrV product available to retailers, to meet the demand of their consumers. In addition, Zondervan will work closely with Biblica to offer low-cost NIrV ministry products, perfect for evangelistic use. Zondervan also publishes NIrV Bibles for ESL (English as a Second Language) readers and anyone who reads at a lower level.

Zondervan features the NIrV translation in many Bibles for children, including trusted brands like the Adventure Bible and The Beginner's Bible, known for making the Word of God accessible to children for a quarter of a century. Together, Zondervan and Biblica hope to make Bible reading and deeply understanding God's message an active part of the spiritual life of children. For more information visit Biblica at www.biblica.com. For more information on Zondervan NIrV products, visit www.zondervan.com.

About Biblica: Biblica provides God's Word in multiple languages so people can enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ and grow in him. We work in Africa, East Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, Middle East/North Africa, North America, and South Asia. We translate and publish the Bible in the top 100 major spoken languages in the world and are the translation sponsor and worldwide publisher of the New International Version® (NIV®) Bible, the most widely used contemporary English translation in the world and the New International Reader's Version® (NIrV®).

About Zondervan: Zondervan is a world-leading Bible publisher and provider of Christian communications. Zondervan, as part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc., delivers transformational Christian experiences through its bestselling Bibles, books, curriculum, academic resources and digital products. The Company's products are sold worldwide and translated into nearly 200 languages. Zondervan offices are located in Grand Rapids, MI. For additional information, please visit www.zondervan.com.