Bible for begginer...Help

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I am Catholic and was looking into buying a Bible but have no idea which one to get. I am new at reading the Bible. Which do you suggest would be good for me?
 
Either the RSV, Scepter Press or

Douey Rhiems translation, or

Navarre Bible Commentary set (RSV with Latin and commentary), or

perhaps a parallel bible…
 
Thanks for your response. But I forgot to ask another question. Where would I be able to buy one of these? And are they fairly easy to understand while reading?
 
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Cagrl:
Thanks for your response. But I forgot to ask another question. Where would I be able to buy one of these? And are they fairly easy to understand while reading?
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I would suggest the NAB translation. It a little more easier to understand and definetly for the beginner, make sure you get a study bible. I would corralate this with a study DR bible as well. Scott Hahn has great Scripture books out there.
 
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Cagrl:
Thanks for your response. But I forgot to ask another question. Where would I be able to buy one of these? And are they fairly easy to understand while reading?
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tanbooks.com/
ignatius.com/

Don’t forget the New American Bible…
I use Douay-Rheims most of the time…but that’s just me.
Find one you can understand…then ask the holy Spirit to do the rest.
All of these translations can be sampled online.
drbo.org/ for the Douay–Rheims
parishesonline.com/scripts/HostedSites/Org.asp?ID=19161
for the NAB
Sorry I don’t have a link for RSVCE…but google it…
Dominus Vobiscum!
Mike
 
you can find a new American bible at any Catholic bookstore or catalog website, for low cost, and because this is the version you hear at Mass and is written in direct contemporary English in a good translation, will be easier to read than other versions suggested here. The Student Bible for Catholics NAB from Nelson, sold through Flannery and other Catholic catalogs, has lots of good Q&A in the front. The Catholic Student Bible from St. Mary’s Press NAB version also has lots of good Q&A, study suggestions and artcles throughout. both available from most on-line Catholic book catalogs
 
the nrsv is one of the best translations out there. the nab is… ok. not great.

i would recommend, when you get one of these, starting with the gospels. read john, or luke. then i’d read some of the epistles - like philippians or the timothy’s. don’t start with genesis and try to read straight through - the Bible isn’t designed for that.

after i’ve read the gospels and some epistles, then maybe go back to the old testament and read some stories from genesis, exodus, or from ruth, or daniel. daniel is great.

pick off a little at a time, and try not to overdo it at first - you don’t want to overwhelm yourself or burn out.

i have a ‘one year Bible’, which has a reading for each day of the year, with a selection from the old testament, a selection from the new testament, a reading from psalms, and a reading from proverbs, each day. it’s a great idea, one that i’ve used for about 8 years now. if you read your reading each day, you read the entire Bible through in a year, and you read the psalms and proverbs twice. it keeps things interesting, when the OT gets a bit boring in places. 🙂 they make a catholic version, which includes the deuterocanonicals (don’t worry about this if you don’t know what i’m talking about).

God bless you as you seek Him in His gift of Sacred Scripture.
 
I use the Jerusalem bible 1966 edition and the NAB bible, I like both. I don’t know what commentary to use. Could anyone comment on the Collegville commentary, is it reliable, free from modern errors? A friend of mine recommended that to me. If its not a good commentary could someone please tell me one that is?

GOd Bless,
Kaily
 
I’d say for readability, the New American Bible, or the (New) Jerusalem Bible are the best places to start. You’ll be able to understand the English much more easily. There is a “spectrum” of translations from the more literal, word for word translations to the dynamic equivalency translations, which are more concerned with presenting the ideas of the authors in a readable fashion rather than being word-for-word. The NAB and NJB fall on the latter side of the spectrum.

Once you become more familiar and comfortable with scripture, you can get one of the more literal translations, such as the Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition (RSV-CE) or the Douay-Rheims Bible. The Douay originally came out before the King James Bible and was last revised in the 1700’s, so if you like that type of language, that would be a good version to get (it’s also a direct translation of the official Vulgate).

Just to see the differences, I’ll post a verse (John 1:1-5) from each:

NAB
1 2 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; 4 the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

NJB
1In the beginning was the Word: the Word was with God and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things came into being, not one thing came into being except through him. 4What has come into being in him was life, life that was the light of men; 5and light shines in darkness, and darkness could not overpower it.

RSV-CE
1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2] He was in the beginning with God;
3] all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. 4] In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5] The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

DRV
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him: and without him was made nothing that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
 
Look out for a translation with “New” in the title. You’ll get “gender-neutral” language – and not always in the places where gender-neutral terms appear in the Greek and Hebrew. The BEST (closest to the original languages) translation is the Revised Standard Version – Catholi Edition.

The NAB (the student version has GREAT notes) is good but is a little too “inclusive” for my taste.

Maybe something that isn’t really a translation at all but one of those “sense of the text” things would help if you are REALLY clueless. (Some of them talk about filling up the tank with gas.) But used in tandem with a “real” translation, one of those might give you a handle on what the Bible is trying to say.
 
As an introductory bible, I’d recommend the New American Bible. You can pick one up at just about any book store for about $10.00. (it will have a carboard cover and plain paper pages, but hey, it still reads the same). If you want to get into seious Scripture study, I’d rather you use a Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition (also called the Ignatius Bible). THis is the bible of preference at Catholic Answers. Avoid the non-Catholic translations, they are incomplete (missing 7 books), until you plan on having discussion with non-Catholics and want to understand thier frame of reference.
 
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