Best Catholic Bible?

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I heard that there is only one version of the original DR bible that was in print. It came out as 3 books that one had to have to collect the entire bible. It was by Dr. Somebody (can’t think of his name). Is this worthwhile? Is there any company that currently prints the orignal version?
 
RedSoxFan said:
I heard that there is only one version of the original DR bible that was in print. It came out as 3 books that one had to have to collect the entire bible. It was by Dr. Somebody (can’t think of his name). Is this worthwhile? Is there any company that currently prints the orignal version?
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The original 1582 new testament, and 1609 old testament of the Douay-Rheims are not in print anymore.
What you’re referring to is the work of a guy in the US who is putting out his own version of these texts, with the spelling updated, and some other changes. I don’t know if they contain the original notes and annotations (which are the best part). He is self-publishing it on lulu.com, and on eBay.

It’s a shame that he modernized the spelling. It really takes the Elizabethan flavor out of it. But I suppose it’s necessary if the book is to hit a wider audience, other than academic types. And it should get more usage, since it’s far superior to the 1759 Challoner revision that every catholic bookstore sells. That edition stripped out 80% of the annotations, and 80% of the flow and musicality of the language, IMO.

Joel
 
Joel_Tunnah said:
The original 1582 new testament, and 1609 old testament of the Douay-Rheims are not in print anymore.
What you’re referring to is the work of a guy in the US who is putting out his own version of these texts, with the spelling updated, and some other changes. I don’t know if they contain the original notes and annotations (which are the best part). He is self-publishing it on lulu.com, and on eBay.

It’s a shame that he modernized the spelling. It really takes the Elizabethan flavor out of it. But I suppose it’s necessary if the book is to hit a wider audience, other than academic types. And it should get more usage, since it’s far superior to the 1759 Challoner revision that every catholic bookstore sells. That edition stripped out 80% of the annotations, and 80% of the flow and musicality of the language, IMO.

Joel
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Thanks for the info. Now if there are any benevolent millonaires who are happening to read this, perhaps a repriting of the original as it appeared might be something to look into!
 
RedSoxFan said:
Thanks for the info. Now if there are any benevolent millonaires who are happening to read this, perhaps a repriting of the original as it appeared might be something to look into!
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I believe that the Douay-Rheims is available from Tan Books and Publishers, Inc., Rockford, Il tanbooks.com

Peace
 
I have the Douay Rheims two volume set if anyone is interested p.m. me.

Peace,
David
 
Genesis315 said:
. . . There’s also a couple places where the translator had a couple of possible options and went with less than Catholic one’s–like calling Mary “highly favored” instead of “full of grace” (who changes the words to the Hail Mary?!?–. . …
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That’s an interesting sidelight of this discussion.

My idea is that these things happen because of copyright problems and fears of academic plagiarism. No one talks about this, but I think it is a real concern, but one that probably just doesn’t break out in public too often.

You might like the rendition of verses in the KJV, for example. But, that has a copyright on it, so just “borrowing” from it here and there might be an infringement of copyright.

For example, I’ve been reading Psalm 4 in various translations (all of which are from the originals they say) and here is how verse 1 comes out:

NAB: When I call, answer me, O my just God.

DR: When I called upon him, the God of my justice heard me

RSV-CE: Answer me when I call, O God of my right! (this is the worst of the bunch, I think – what does this mean “God of my right”? )

NIV: Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God.

NAS: Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!

Jerusalem Bible: God, guardian of my rights, you answer when I call

KJV: Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness

Do you see how they are all dancing around the idea? It is no surprise to me that, for example, the NAB was started in 1944 and the OT was not published until 1970. Imagine all the decisions they had to make, all the comparisons they had to make, to come up with something unique that wouldn’t violate a copyright somewhere.

I think this is also the simple reason for versions that are paraphrased or dynamic equivalences, just to avoid the minefield of copyright infringement. I’m no scholar, and so I can’t be confused with technical issues. There’s a simpler explanation, revolving around the copyright notice at the beginning of each of these English versions.

In my NAB, there’s an essay spanning several pages about the english translations of the Bible. The RSV-CE came out earlier than the NAB. I think that’s interesting that the Church is regressing a couple years back from the NAB because it isn’t worth the effort to come up with a new version. Such a thing shouldn’t waste a generation of time to prepare. But, you know, the RSV-CE will fall into disfavor sooner or later – there are too many people who make their living from quibbling about stuff like this, not to mention the publishingn houses and others who have the same vested interests.

On EWTN the other night, Fr. Ruttler told a short story about a donkey which starved to death, because it couldn’t decide which of two bags to eat from.

Exactly my point. Watch the sales and get a couple versions, even a Jewish translation. C’mon jump in, the water’s fine.
 
Crumpy said:
That’s an interesting sidelight of this discussion.

My idea is that these things happen because of copyright problems and fears of academic plagiarism. No one talks about this, but I think it is a real concern, but one that probably just doesn’t break out in public too often.

You might like the rendition of verses in the KJV, for example. But, that has a copyright on it, so just “borrowing” from it here and there might be an infringement of copyright.

For example, I’ve been reading Psalm 4 in various translations (all of which are from the originals they say) and here is how verse 1 comes out:

NAB: When I call, answer me, O my just God.

DR: When I called upon him, the God of my justice heard me

RSV-CE: Answer me when I call, O God of my right! (this is the worst of the bunch, I think – what does this mean “God of my right”? )

NIV: Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God.

NAS: Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!

Jerusalem Bible: God, guardian of my rights, you answer when I call

KJV: Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness

Do you see how they are all dancing around the idea? It is no surprise to me that, for example, the NAB was started in 1944 and the OT was not published until 1970. Imagine all the decisions they had to make, all the comparisons they had to make, to come up with something unique that wouldn’t violate a copyright somewhere.

I think this is also the simple reason for versions that are paraphrased or dynamic equivalences, just to avoid the minefield of copyright infringement. I’m no scholar, and so I can’t be confused with technical issues. There’s a simpler explanation, revolving around the copyright notice at the beginning of each of these English versions.

In my NAB, there’s an essay spanning several pages about the english translations of the Bible. The RSV-CE came out earlier than the NAB. I think that’s interesting that the Church is regressing a couple years back from the NAB because it isn’t worth the effort to come up with a new version. Such a thing shouldn’t waste a generation of time to prepare. But, you know, the RSV-CE will fall into disfavor sooner or later – there are too many people who make their living from quibbling about stuff like this, not to mention the publishingn houses and others who have the same vested interests.

On EWTN the other night, Fr. Ruttler told a short story about a donkey which starved to death, because it couldn’t decide which of two bags to eat from.

Exactly my point. Watch the sales and get a couple versions, even a Jewish translation. C’mon jump in, the water’s fine.
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There are no copyright issues with the KJV or DRB. They are old enough that the laws no longer apply.
 
lak611 said:
There are no copyright issues with the KJV or DRB. They are old enough that the laws no longer apply.
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I don’t often get responses to my posts, so I must first say, Thanks.

Yeah, I said I’m not a scholar. I’m not a lawyer, either. Nevertheless, whether these are now in the public domain, a translator might ruin their career by passing some translation off as their own, that they had lifted from even either of these versions. The active copyrights merely put more legal teeth into preventing the infringements.

I did leave it unsaid, of course, and that’s my fault, but my point was that the dual concerns of copyright infringment and fear of plagiarism reduce the quality of the translations, Verses that we may know, simply don’t sound like they ought to, in some more recent translations.

It makes you wonder whether the earlier translators were pulling our legs, when they gave us some verses. Is the difference a real matter of scholarship?

If we can’t find a Bible which is the best of all translations, maybe somebody should get the rights and take the best of all of these translations. But, that will never happen and will never please anybody.

I like the KJV because I have the accompanying Strong’s Concordance, which gives me a doorway into the original text. I never have the KJV far from me, when I’m reading any other particular version.

Selection of a particular version involves so many compromises, that fortunately we have a Vatican and magisterium which can help us in the matter.
 
The recent “New Jeruselem Bible” is the most accurate version ou there right now!!! I hope this helps.🙂
 
The Knox Bible is a joy to read for those who appreciate beautiful English. Msgr. Knox spent so many years making the translation to please the Bishops of England and Wales. Copies can be found on the net in second hand book stores.
The only drawback that the emphasis is for the chapters to read as a whole without indenting for each verse. But that makes for more interesting reading.
 
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