Bible Translation

[ishabayle]

I received my Bible when I was in Sunday school after my First Holy Communion. I was recently listening to the New American Standard Bible translation (audio Bible) and following along in this supposedly Catholic Bible. I noticed that there was a huge difference in the wording and some sentences were even left out in my Bible. I looked for what translation my Bible is, and it is literally called “Catholic Edition of the Good News Translation”. Has anyone heard of this translation? Also, does anyone know if it is a valid Catholic translation? Thank you!

 

[JRKH]

I received my Bible when I was in Sunday school after my First Holy Communion. I was recently listening to the New American Standard Bible translation (audio Bible) and following along in this supposedly Catholic Bible. I noticed that there was a huge difference in the wording and some sentences were even left out in my Bible. I looked for what translation my Bible is, and it is literally called “Catholic Edition of the Good News Translation”. Has anyone heard of this translation? Also, does anyone know if it is a valid Catholic translation? Thank you!

The “Good News” translation is notoriously bad by most accounts.

As for whether it’s a valid translation, look in the front of the book on the page with the publishing information…It should have a Nihil Obstat, indicating it was reviewed and nothing found to be contrary to Church teaching…and an Imprimatur - indicating that it has been approved by a bishop for publication.

If it has these (and it probably does) it is a valid book, but it remains a lousy translation. (IMHO)

Peace
James

 

[Nan_S]

I received my Bible when I was in Sunday school after my First Holy Communion. I was recently listening to the New American Standard Bible translation (audio Bible) and following along in this supposedly Catholic Bible. I noticed that there was a huge difference in the wording and some sentences were even left out in my Bible. I looked for what translation my Bible is, and it is literally called “Catholic Edition of the Good News Translation”. Has anyone heard of this translation? Also, does anyone know if it is a valid Catholic translation? Thank you!

Yes, the GNT-CE is valid, but read on…

If I were you and a serious bible study student I would steer clear of both versions. I would get a Catholic study bible: one of the New American Bible study editions or the Revised Standard Version 2nd Catholic Edition Study Bible. Another fairly good alternative, slightly more readable in some opinions, is the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition which has several study editions.

Here are my reason for avoiding the other two:

1. The NASB is not a Catholic bible. It is a Protestant translation, with the subtle doctrinal biases in wording that exist in all Protestant translations. It’s not a bad bible, but it’s not Catholic and normally does not include the Deuterocanonical books of the Old Testament.

You may be confusing the NASB with the New American Bible, which IS a Catholic translation. The NAB is what is used in the Mass in the United States. Then NASB is not.

1. The Good News Bible was originally written as a Protestant translation, then slightly revised/expanded for Catholic use. Yes, the GNB-CE is a valid Catholic version, BUT… and it’s a big BUT…

The GNB uses a very simplified text, written on a grade-school / middle-school level. As such, it contains a very large number of unfortunate oversimplifications. But for people whose reading comprehension level is on the lower end, the GNB can be a very good choice.

Now I used the GNB for my 6th grade Bible Study CCD class for many years. There was a very important reason I did this. The 11 and 12 year old kids I was teaching had the vocabulary of typical 11 and 12 year olds. The New American Bible is written on a High School level, and my kids did not have the vocabulary to handle it in the time allowed for the class. Faced with the choice of giving dull weekly 60 minute vocabulary lessons, or giving interesting lessons that explored the bible’s messages in depth, I used the GNB with its simplified text and was glad to have it.

 

[z_0101]

Yes, the GNT-CE is valid, but read on…

If I were you and a serious bible study student I would steer clear of both versions. I would get a Catholic study bible: one of the New American Bible study editions or the Revised Standard Version 2nd Catholic Edition Study Bible. Another fairly good alternative, slightly more readable in some opinions, is the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition which has several study editions.

Very well said.
And the first time I’ve ever heard of any potential use for the GNT-CE. Normally, I have to try and explain the passage on my own to my PRE class… and that can be tough with 8 to 12 year old kids as one wants to get it right without jumping in the deepend too.

My wife has a RSV-CE, I have Douay Rheims (which is something to attempt to read I’ve found - and yet not too hard), and finally, we still have my old KJV that my Mom gave me ages ago although I use it much less than I use to (which was very little for a very long time)… I’ll compare passages between the three when I don’t quite “get it” and I’ll even go online to get the passage from the USCCB or one of the other sites… found one that compares six or seven different translations side by side which is really nice.

 

[Dodge_pursuit]

Good News is, like the newer and more popular New Living Translation, essentially a paraphrase of scripture, not a true translation. You could read volumes and argue all day about the nuance of bible translation methods, etc. But, in a nutshell for someone not interested in tons of details, you might think of it this way:

A translation calling itself “formal” or “literal” is at least trying to show you, in English, what the originals said in the original languages.

A “dynamic” translation or paraphrase is assuming you will have a hard time understanding what the originals say, so it is giving you what the translators believe the text means.

As you might imagine, the second method ends up with translations that are a blend of what the bible “says” and what someone thinks it means, so it’s like asking your buddy to tell you what the bible means instead of you reading it yourself.

 

[ProVobis]

1. The NASB is not a Catholic bible. It is a Protestant translation, with the subtle doctrinal biases in wording that exist in all Protestant translations. It’s not a bad bible, but it’s not Catholic and normally does not include the Deuterocanonical books of the Old Testament.

You may be confusing the NASB with the New American Bible, which IS a Catholic translation. The NAB is what is used in the Mass in the United States. Then NASB is not.

Can’t we just look for an “Imprimatur” to determine whether it’s Catholic or not? Last time I counted, there were well over 100 published English Bibles.

 

[ChurchSoldier]

It’s not that the GNT that you were given is bad, it is just an easy translation for a younger reader. Some of the more formalized or literal translations are better for more accurate study, but if you are just getting into reading the Bible the dynamic equivalent translations tend to be easier going.

I like the RSV-CE by Oxford University Press.

 

[DelsonJacobs]

If I might add the following with the understanding that this is not my favorite Bible for personal use or a personal opinion (and therefore my comments should not be construed as being based on such), I can add the following based on what I’ve learned from working for the Pastoral Center and under my bishop for a few years about the Good News Translation.

First of all, it is NOT a paraphrase. It is a dynamic-equivalence version of Scripture, like the Jerusalem and New Jerusalem Bible. This means that the translators render the original language thought-for-thought, like you do when you are translating in real life, and not word-for-word (which is known as “formal equivalence.”)

Because English is not related to the original languages that the Scriptures were written in (Hebrew, Aramaic, and koine Greek) you cannot easily render the meaning of the original text into our language, and therefore neither approach is a panacea. You often have to read one type with the other to get the full picture of what is written in the original language texts.

A paraphrase is when you *do not translate from the original languages *, but instead offer the meaning of the text *as you understand it *in words and thoughts that are different from what can be rendered from the original text (“paraphrase” means “to put into other words”). The *Good News Translation *is a translation that required a panel of translation scholars.

The current Good News Translation, which is a revision of Today’s English Version, was produced by a body of scholars associated with and appointed by the American Bible Society. The ABS is a member of the international and ecumenical United Bible Societies. The UBS works closely with the Catholic Church and her bishops to produce and distribute only officially approved Catholic Bibles. Among these in the U.S., the ABS produces the NABRE, the NJB, the NRSV:CE, and officially approved Catholic versions of the GNT and CEV (among approved Spanish versions too).

The GNT is the most widely recognized of all Bibles produced by the ABS. It was produced with an ecumenical audience in mind and purposefully uses the simplest language possible as to make the Bible more readily understood by more people. It is considered as one of the most faithful dynamic-equivalent versions of the original texts ever produced, with almost 100 million copies being printed and distributed around the world.

The GNT may be best known for showcasing the artwork of the recently-departed Annie Vallotton of whom the BBC reported as being the most published artist of the modern-era.

Of course people have their preferences and I am sure the reason for their opinions are valid. But for the type of translation it is meant to be, the GNT: Catholic Edition is dependable and highly praised by scholars.

 

[Vico]

I received my Bible when I was in Sunday school after my First Holy Communion. I was recently listening to the New American Standard Bible translation (audio Bible) and following along in this supposedly Catholic Bible. I noticed that there was a huge difference in the wording and some sentences were even left out in my Bible. I looked for what translation my Bible is, and it is literally called “Catholic Edition of the Good News Translation”. Has anyone heard of this translation? Also, does anyone know if it is a valid Catholic translation? Thank you!

USCCB has approved these for private use and study:

Complete Bible

• New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE)
• New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition, National Council of Churches
• Today’s English Version, Second Edition, American Bible Society

New Testament

• Books of the New Testament, Alba House
• Contemporary English Version - New Testament, First Edition, American Bible Society
• So You May Believe, A Translation of the Four Gospels, Alba House
• Translation for Early Youth, A Translation of the New Testament for Children, Contemporary English Version, American Bible Society

Psalms and Proverbs

• Contemporary English Version - Book of Psalms, American Bible Society
• Contemporary English Version - Book of Proverbs, American Bible Society
• The Grail Psalter (Inclusive Language Version), G.I.A. Publications
• The Psalms, Alba House
• The Psalms (New International Version) - St. Joseph Catholic Edition, Catholic Book Publishing Company
• The Psalms - St. Joseph New Catholic Version, Catholic Book Publishing Company
• Revised Psalms of the New American Bible (1991)

usccb.org/bible/approved-translations/

 

[Nan_S]

Can’t we just look for an “Imprimatur” to determine whether it’s Catholic or not? Last time I counted, there were well over 100 published English Bibles.

Yes, the GNT-CE has an imprimatur. When introducing the bible to my students on the first class day I made sure they saw it, understood what it meant, and knew why it was important.

Existence of an imprimatur indicates the book has an absence of anything that would “harm correct faith or good morals.” It is merely a declaration about what has been kept out of the book. An imprimatur is not an endorsement by the bishop of the contents of a book, and doesn’t make it a good book for adult instruction.

 

[Nan_S]

USCCB has approved these for private use and study:

Complete Bible

• New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE)
• New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition, National Council of Churches
• Today’s English Version, Second Edition, American Bible Society

Today’s English Version, Second Edition, American Bible Society, IS the Good News Translation.

 

[Nan_S]

Very well said.
And the first time I’ve ever heard of any potential use for the GNT-CE. Normally, I have to try and explain the passage on my own to my PRE class… and that can be tough with 8 to 12 year old kids as one wants to get it right without jumping in the deepend too.

Thank you.

When I was teaching the 6th Graders with the NAB, they struggled to figure out what the scriptures said. That means I was constantly struggling just to keep their attention.

When I switched to the GNT the increase in the 6th Graders’ understanding was dramatic. Suddenly the conversation changed from, “What do those words mean?” to “Ooohhh! Why did he do that?”

 

[Dodge_pursuit]

Interesting observation.

And that’s going from the NAB, which uses contemporary language, to the GNT! Imagine those dear saints teaching Sunday school in some Baptist Church where they use the KJV, even with the 10 year olds? That’s tough.

I teach 7th grade and we didn’t have too many issues with archaic words or Hebraisms using the NAB. But I could see where some figure of speech might be carried over in the NAB to allow for better cross referencing and study, whereas the GNT would just spell it out.

Funny side note, as I was thinking about all this, I recalled that I was given a GNT way back when I was in CCD! It was one of those tough, reinforced paperbacks, with those cute illustrations someone mentioned. Many years later, my mom happened to grab that same bible when she began to attend prayer meetings and do daily devotional reading. She asked me to put tabs in it for her, when I was in high school. Today, it is one of the few things of my mom’s that I cherish, since she’s gone to be with the Lord. There it is, in the beat up blue bible case she picked up 25 years ago, with the little dove representing the holy spirit. It sits on the shelf next to the NIV, KJV, NKJV, NASB, NAB, D-R, ESV and whatever else her son has read since her passing.

Didn’t mean to turn this into an emotional topic or something, just sharing!

Peace and have a great weekend!

 

[Vico]

Today’s English Version, Second Edition, American Bible Society, IS the Good News Translation.

Thank you, it is good to know that.

The New American Standard Bible (NASB) is a literal translation, but TEV 2nd ed. (a.k.a., GNTCE) is dynamic. It is best to compare NASB against Douay-Rheims. When literal and dynamic are compared they will be quite different. Also the NASB is not an approved Catholic translation so that will also introduce certain word differences and missing the Apocrypha.

 

[ProVobis]

An imprimatur is not an endorsement by the bishop of the contents of a book, and doesn’t make it a good book for adult instruction.

True, but imagine the poor guy who spends the time reading an entire imprimatured-Bible from cover to cover, only to be told it really stinks. Or any book, for that matter.

 

[ishabayle]

Thank you, everyone for your answers! I did not know that the NASB was not a Catholic Bible. That is probably another reason why I was confused! Thank you!

 

[Nan_S]

Thank you, everyone for your answers! I did not know that the NASB was not a Catholic Bible. That is probably another reason why I was confused! Thank you!

A Catholic Bible has two key features:

1. Catholic bibles always include Deuterocanonicals (which Protestants call the Apocrypha). Some Protestant bible include them also, so this is not always a way to tell the two apart.
2. Catholic bibles always have a Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur. You’ll find them located with the publication and copyright information.

Still, I have to defer to Karl Keating himself, the founder of Catholic Answers, for the ultimate answer: The best bible to have is one you will read! (Or in your case, listen to.)

Happy listening!