Hi Holly - I can’t say that I have a wide knowledge of the different Bibles which are out there, but I suppose when choosing a Bible one must ask “which version will I actually read” - or in your case, which one your friend will read. Some, as you know, such as the Douay Rheims, can be a bit difficult for some people to follow since readers may not be familiar with the older English which was common at the time.
I myself use the New American Bible - a compact edition of it, published by Oxford University Press. I find it easy to follow, and there are good introductory remarks on each book, as well as good notes on the text. It is most certainly compact, and it was very cheap! From reading the Scripture texts on the missalettes at Mass every Sunday, I think that the Jerusalem version is in standard English and also easy to follow.
Apart from the style of English used in the translation, it might depend on whether they are Catholic or not. I have heard that many Protestants simply won’t go near a Bible which is not the King James version! Depending on what denomination they are (or if they are not Catholic, and you are hoping to convert them), you may have to consider whether they will welcome and accept a Bible which contains the Deuterocanonical books - i.e. a Catholic Bible. On the other hand, if they are new Catholics, or considering joining the Catholic Church, or you think they would be open to looking at Scripture from a Catholic perspective, then it might be a good idea to look for the Catholic Study Bible.
