What is the best edition of the Bible for Catholics?

[Michie]

There are dozens of translations of the Bible into English, none of which is perfect.

So, you’ve decided to make an extra effort and finally read the Bible. Perhaps you have an old family Bible in the house, but you feel like you need a fresh copy, a better translation, something you can read and understand. You take a trip to the local Barnes and Noble or a Catholic bookstore, and the clerk directs you to the religion section.

“I didn’t know there were so many different versions,” you might think to yourself. “Does it matter which one I buy? Which one is best for a Catholic like me? This one looks good, but is it worth it to pay more for it?”

The choice can be daunting. At Barnes and Noble’s website, a search for “Bible,” narrowed down to hardcover versions, yields over 4,700 results.

If the Bible might be considered a guide to life, one might actually need a roadmap to find the version most suitable for the average pilgrim.

Continued below.

What is the best edition of the Bible for Catholics?

There are dozens of translations of the Bible into English, none of which is perfect.

aleteia.org

 

[AlexB23]

There are dozens of translations of the Bible into English, none of which is perfect.

So, you’ve decided to make an extra effort and finally read the Bible. Perhaps you have an old family Bible in the house, but you feel like you need a fresh copy, a better translation, something you can read and understand. You take a trip to the local Barnes and Noble or a Catholic bookstore, and the clerk directs you to the religion section.

“I didn’t know there were so many different versions,” you might think to yourself. “Does it matter which one I buy? Which one is best for a Catholic like me? This one looks good, but is it worth it to pay more for it?”

The choice can be daunting. At Barnes and Noble’s website, a search for “Bible,” narrowed down to hardcover versions, yields over 4,700 results.

If the Bible might be considered a guide to life, one might actually need a roadmap to find the version most suitable for the average pilgrim.

Continued below.

What is the best edition of the Bible for Catholics?

There are dozens of translations of the Bible into English, none of which is perfect.

aleteia.org

Well, the NRSV-CE is a good place to start.

From Bible Gateway: "The New Revised Standard Version of the Bible (NRSV) was published in 1989 and has received the widest acclaim and broadest support from academics and church leaders of any modern English translation."

From Wikipedia: "The NRSV (Catholic Edition) is officially approved by the Catholic Church and can be profitably used by Catholics in private study and devotional reading."

Sources:

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) - Version Information - BibleGateway.com

www.biblegateway.com

New Revised Standard Version - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Lady Bug]

I actually like Douay-Rheims as my default, with the RSVCE for "cheating."

 

[AlexB23]

I actually like Douay-Rheims as my default, with the RSVCE for "cheating."

Wow, the Douay-Rheims is like the Catholic version of the KJV, while the NRSV-CE/RSV-CE is like the NKJV, ESV or NIV in style. The Douay-Rheims does have a beautiful, poetic quality to it.

 

[Lady Bug]

Wow, the Douay-Rheims is like the Catholic version of the KJV, while the NRSV-CE/RSV-CE is like the NKJV, ESV or NIV in style. The Douay-Rheims does have a beautiful, poetic quality to it.

I used to enjoy KJV until I came into the church, and when I realized that the KJV was the Protestant version of Douay, I was really happy about that. It also meant that the Douay was here first.

 

[AlexB23]

I used to enjoy KJV until I came into the church, and when I realized that the KJV was the Protestant version of Douay, I was really happy about that. It also meant that the Douay was here first.

Pretty cool, isn't it? The Catholics have done it first.

 

[AlexB23]

So, @Lady Bug , what is your least favorite Catholic Bible translation?

 

[Lady Bug]

So, @Lady Bug , what is your least favorite Catholic Bible translation?

I don't know enough translations to say, but I don't like the version said at Masses. The New American Bible. It feels like the Catholic version of the NIV - watered down or something.

I liken the RSV-CE to the New King James version.

 

[AlexB23]

I don't know enough translations to say, but I don't like the version said at Masses. The New American Bible. It feels like the Catholic version of the NIV - watered down or something.

I liken the RSV-CE to the New King James version.

Ooh, I like the NIV for optimal equivalence, but yes, your point is valid. The New American Bible does not seem to be as formal compared to the NRSV-CE or the Douay-Rheims Bible. So, what do you liken the NRSV-CE to? The ESV? (I like the NKJV and ESV for formal equivalence).

You want to know my least favorite Protestant Bibles? The Message, and the Amplified Bible... The first is total paraphrasing, while the other one is excessive commentary.

 

[Lady Bug]

I'm not familiar with the style of NRSV-CE. I wonder if that translation is even necessary, lol.

 

[AlexB23]

I'm not familiar with the style of NRSV-CE. I wonder if that translation is even necessary, lol.

Well, from the Bible Gateway, it says:

The RSV was the only major translation in English that included both the standard Protestant canon and the books that are traditionally used by Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christians (the so-called "Apocryphal" or "Deuterocanonical" books). Standing in this tradition, the NRSV is available in three ecumenical formats: a standard edition with or without the Apocrypha, a Roman Catholic Edition, which has the so-called "Apocryphal" or "Deuterocanonical" books in the Roman Catholic canonical order, and The Common Bible, which includes all books that belong to the Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox canons.

The NRSV differs from the RSV in four primary ways:

• updating the language of the RSV, by replacing archaic forms of speech addressed to God (Thee, Thou, wast, dost, etc.), and by replacing words whose meaning has changed significantly since the RSV translation (for example, Paul's statement in 2 Corinthians 11.25 that he was "stoned" once)
• making the translation more accurate,
• helping it to be more easily understood, especially when it is read out loud, and
• making it clear where the original texts intend to include all humans, male and female, and where they intend to refer only to the male or female gender.

Source: New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) - Version Information - BibleGateway.com

 

[Wolseley]

The best Bible version is the one that you'll actually read.

That means find one that speaks to you, that you can understand, and that feeds your spirit. It does no good to have a scholarly version with full notes and connotations if you read a chapter and two minutes later, have no clue what you just read. Get one that you can absorb. Bible Gateway is a good method to make comparisons.