Bible translation: DR? Knox? Quotation marks?

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El_Kevino

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I was watching a video on YouTube about Bible translations. The teacher was comparing passages from the Douay-Rheims to the KJV, the RSV, and the NAB. Many passages in the DR are absent in the RSV (and RSV2CE) as well as the NAB. He focused on Luke 1:28; the DR includes, “Blessed art thou among women,” whereas the RSVCE, RSV2CE, and NAB do not. There were other passages as well, but that’s just one example.

I’m interested in reading the DR since it doesn’t leave out important words/phrases, but the lack of quotation marks for the beginning and end of people speaking in scripture kind of throws me off. Is there an edition of the DR out there that has updated punctuation (primarily quotation marks)?

If not, is the Knox Bible a good translation (doesn’t leave a lot out of verses like the RSVCE and NAB)? Is the Knox a fairly literal translation, or is it dynamic? Also, does the edition from Baronius Press use quotation marks for when someone is speaking?

I’m open to suggestions. Thanks.

The following is an link to the video I watched:

YouTube
 
The Douay-Rheims is the best Bible translation imo.

What convinced me was a little booklet from TAN Books 1-800-437-5876 called Which Bible Should You Read? Great booklet.
 
I have the Douay Westminster Bible. The Westminster edition was an unfinished edition for English Catholics. My 1958 family Bible has the Old Testament in the Douay Rheims and the New Testament Psalms and Proverbs in the Westminster edition.
 
I use the Douay Rheims sometimes, but my primary Bible is the Revised Standard Version second Catholic edition, my opinion is for devotional use, use the one that makes you feel the most comfortable, in fact I tell people that come from KJV only backgrounds, that when they convert to Catholicism that they would probably be most comfortable using the Douay-Rheims version. Ultimately, which Bible you use is up to you.
 
Unfortunately, I don’t believe that any version of the DR contains quotation marks. The same can be said for the Knox Bible as well.

I use my Knox Bible quite often, although I do prefer the psalms in the DR as a whole over those in the Knox translation. Still, Knox’s version is based on the Latin Vulgate, just like the DR, so I believe you’ll find it very worthwhile to have it on your shelf.

It does lean more towards the dynamic end of the spectrum, but his translation of the Pauline letters is superb and is almost always universally praised.

All of my copies of the Knox Bible are from the early 50’s and one from I believe the mid 60’s. So I’m not sure how good the Baronius Press Edition is. I know it comes with a booklet written by Ronald Knox, called Trials of a Translator, in which he speaks of his efforts in creating a new bible translation for Catholics of his day.
 
Thanks for your response. I’m leaning toward buying the Knox Bible anyway; kind of just wanted a heads up about what I was in for. Thanks again.
 
Daniel 9—

Knox:
Then Darius the Mede, son of Assuerus, was raised to the throne of Chaldaea; and in the year when his reign began who but I, Daniel, should discover by the reading of old records, how to compute the seventy years of Jerusalem’s widowhood? Such doom the Lord had foretold to the prophet Jeremias. And with that, I turned to the Lord my God; pray to him I would, and sue for mercy, fasting ever, sackcloth and ashes my only wear.
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Douay-Rheims
In the first year of Darius the son of Assuerus of the seed of the Medes, who reigned over the kingdom of the Chaldeans: The first year of his reign, I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, concerning which the word of the Lord came to Jeremias the prophet, that seventy years should be accomplished of the desolation of Jerusalem. And I set my face to the Lord my God, to pray and make supplication with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes.
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No quotation marks in either.

Job 34 - Knox -
And Eliu spoke on: A word for the wise; listen, you that are the world’s sages; for food, the discerning palate, for wisdom, the discerning ear. Award we must give, this way or that; of two ways we must choose the better. Here is Job telling us that he is innocent, that God denies him his rights, judges him falsely, and plies him with punishment undeserved. Are there many such, many that thirst so greedily for the opportunity to cavil? What is this but to take part with wrong-doers, range himself among the impious, when he complains that there is no pleasing God, however ready a man is to do his will?
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and DR:
And Eliu continued his discourse, and said: Hear ye, wise men, my words, and ye learned, hearken to me: For the ear trieth words, and the mouth discerneth meats by the taste. Let us choose to us judgment, and let us see among ourselves what is the best. For Job hath said: I am just, and God hath overthrown my judgment.

For in judging me there is a lie: my arrow is violent without any sin. What man is there like Job, who drinketh up scorning like water? Who goeth in company with them that work iniquity, and walketh with wicked men? For he hath said: Man shall not please God, although he run with him.
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I also found myself really liking the Knox one-column layout. It changes the flow and readability in a surprising way.
 
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There is a Douay Rheims link below that highlights Jesus’ words. No “you” version of DRB with quotations though.
www.credobiblestudy.com

I also might add it is mobile compatible, with clickable annotations such as cross references and commentary, pictures, atlas, concordance. I think its the best site for the DRB out there, though completely unknown.
 
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Thanks for responding with all that. Helps me decide that I might want a Knox Bible (even if it doesn’t have quotation marks).
 
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