buying a new bible

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FutureCatholic1

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like the title says im buying a new bible i need some help though im deciding between a Douay-Rheims, RSV-CE, or a NAB. i am open to other catholic bibles but the reason i am starting this is i want to read a bible without having to worry about it liberalized as i use the word or words having been changed as to possibly cause harm to a spiritual life any help is appreciated

also any information about the bibles i listed will be ery very appreciated

God bless

And have a Happy New Year
 
An excellent everyday bible is the RSV-2CE, or Ignatius Bible as it is known. I would avoid the NAB, as it is politically correct and the notes in it are horrible. A Douay-Rheims is excellent, but its English runs the gamut from late 14th to late 19th century, depending upon the version. Still, if you can read a KJV, you can read the D-R.
 
Like the CAF article says, the best bible to buy is, ‘the one you’ll read.’

I tend to favor the Ignatius Bible that was mentioned in an earlier post. It isn’t a struggle to read and it is not PC. God is referred in the maculine, and so on.

Some people like to read the old english style lititure, if that’s you then you’ll love DR.

God Bless you
cheese
 
Nelka said:
New Jerusalem Bible.
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Seconded. 👍 A very good translation, used in the English Mass, IIRC.

If you like a more KJV-ish sort of Bible, the D-R is right up your alley. It’s a very enjoyable read, although the names of the books are a bit different, as is the numbering of the Psalms.

The NAB is used by the USCCB (the US Council of Catholic Bishops) in our Mass. However, that is probably the only advantage of this Bible; its translation, while modern, fairly literal, and easy to read, is politically correct. And the notes are… ugh. Just stay away from it.

RSV-2CE is the version the folks at EWTN and Catholic Answers use. It also has the advantage of being a translation some Protestants use (the RSV). So if you debate with Protestants, it might be nice to use a Bible they are familiar with, to some degree.
 
The Douay-Rheims is the best. Yes, it’s work to read, work to understand. And worth it.

My other comments:

New American Standard Bible: I love it! It’s so PRETTY!

KJV: If you’re gonna do this much work, get a D-R.

Jerusalem Bible: very nice.

Living Bible, Today’s English Version: avoid these two!

New International Version: popular, readable. It’s okay.

Darby Bible: See KJV.
 
Well, I was duped into buying a NAB because that’s the only one the bookstore had. Avoid it. 🙂
 
My favorites our the Douay Rheims and the Ignatius Bible. If I could only have one I’d want my Ignatius Bible. As a Protestant convert the Ignatius Bible actually sounded the closest to what I’d grown up hearing (which was King James and New King James). Just as a matter of personal preference I wasn’t a fan of the New Jerusalem Bible (I think DH had to get it for school) or the NAB… I was just trying to remember why the New Jerusalem bothered me so much… and I found it… this…
 
I have the Douay Rheims, the Ignatius and the New Jerusalem Bible. I like the Ignatius translation the most. It is also in a convenient travel size (with zipper closure).
 
I switched to an NAB about 2 years ago and I absolutely love it.
 
The Douay-Rheims is the most accurate translation available. It is translated directly from the Latin Vulgate. The language is not that hard to understand as long as English is your first language. I can’t recommend the DR Bible enough.
 
The Douay-Rheims is the most accurate translation available. It is translated directly from the Latin Vulgate. The language is not that hard to understand as long as English is your first language. I can’t recommend the DR Bible enough.
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I almost agree… except that most D-R editions available these days are based on the Challoner edit. Bishop Challoner, good man though he was, also used the KJV to make his edition of the Douay-Rheims. Thus it’s not quite true that the D-R is completely translated from the Vulgate anymore… sorry…

Nonetheless, it is still a very, very good translation.
 
I wouldn’t own any other Bible but the Douay-Rheims version. Got rid of several NAB’s that I had stored away in boxes. Wife owns an RSV 2nd edition that she won’t use anymore. So we got her a DR also and she loves it. 👍
 
Finding a bible is an individual thing. Several people have offered suggestions in which ones to avoid, there seems to be a consensus on that. The New Jerusalem Bible, from what I can tell uses language that is a littler higher than the others. I personally don’t like it.

I think your best bet is to look at Biblegateway.com or go to your local bookstore, preferably Catholic or Christian bookstore (if you have one in your area) and go through the various versions to see which ones speak to you. Language, font size as well as layout is important. I suggest everyone who wants a bible to take several hours to decide and when in doubt, come back. When I look for a bible, I will take several versions and compare them using the same bible reference point. Take a few passages from the Old Testament, the Gospels as well as Paul’s letters. Then you can decide which version speaks best.

Once you have determined the desired version, you can decide what format you want. Since you are starting out, getting a good study bible is a great way to begin. Harper Collins has a great study bible that is awesome. It is thick and heavy but has lots of information. My theological department recommends this bible for all its students. Later on, if you are wanting to read your bible on the bus or other places, there are some great thinline bibles that are also available. I personally have several bibles. I have a couple of study bibles as well as a thinline that is great to carry because it is so light.

Font size and layout, weight can be important. If the letters are too small or if the layout drives you crazy, chances are, you might give up reading it or you might decide to buy another bible which is something I once had to do because the layout was driving me insane.

Weight also matters. If you are buying it for home study, the size and weight doesn’t matter. If you are buying one to read on the bus, it does matter. The imitation leather and paper backs weigh less than hardcover. You can also buy bible covers to cover your bible. They are great because they keep it in great condition and are especially handy when you are travelling around. It keeps the bible safe and sound.

The link for the harper collins bible is below.

amazon.ca/Harpercollins-Study-Bible-Student-Revised/dp/0060786841/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1325521260&sr=1-1

Being Catholic doesn’t mean that if you find a protestant bible that you like means you can’t buy it or if you are a Protestant and you are becoming Catholic means that you need to buy a new bible. No, you can actually buy the Apocrypha which contains the extra Catholic books from the Old Testament. You can get one on amazon for about $12 to $15. Furthermore, if when doing your research if you find a bible that claims to have the Apocrypha or Deutrocanical books, it is also Catholic. The only difference is that someone has placed the Catholic books in a separate section verses at the end of the Old Testament.The extra Catholic books are known as Apocrypha or Deutrocanical books.

Version wise, I personally prefer the NRSV as as well as the New King James Version.

If you are new to the bible in general, there are several guides to the Catholic Bible that are relatively inexpensive. For example: A Catholic Guide to the Bible, Revised by O Lukefahr it costs $10 on amazon. I got my copy through this link.

amm.org/chss/chss.asp

There are other guides available.

Don’t settle for second best. Buying a bible is one of the most important books you can have on your self. This is God’s word and it’s not a book you are going to throw away like an old fiction or non fiction book.

Hope this helps.

Good luck SG
 
The Douay-Rheims is a translation of a translation that (of course) did not benefit from modern scholarship and post-1750 textual criticism. It is most definitely not the most “accurate” translation in any meaningful sense of the word. If you want to use it for your personal reading though, FutureCatholic, that is of course just fine.

The New American Bible has a difficult to parse translation philosophy, some quirks, is not pretty at all, and occasionally has unacceptable notes. It’s also incredibly obnoxious that there are a million different versions, including a new one with a newly revised Old Testament, and yet you can’t actually buy the version used in the lectionary. Still, it’s not terrible and its problems are exaggerated around here.

The RSV-CE (and it’s little family of different versions) is probably my favorite version; it’s reasonably pretty and reasonably literal and reasonably accurate. I only know of one place off the top of my head where it makes me angry (1 Corinthians 15:44: “It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body.” Seriously, translators? Do you often completely make stuff up? Psychichon means “physical,” does it? Does “duck” mean “dishwasher” in your world too?).

NJB isn’t bad, and I hear it’s more popular outside the United States.

Good luck!
 
I’d cast my vote for the RSV-CE (Ignatius) Bible, because of its readability without concession to modernity or political correctness. The language does retain much of the poetry of the DR Bible without being archaic. Additionally, the edition I bought was the large print edition. It’s very readable even for those of us with presbyopia. When I was starting the Spiritual Exercises, my SD asked me why I had gotten a lectionary–LOL–because of its size! It’s not as if you are carrying a phone directory around, but it is definitely not a pocket book size. It is designed to put on a lectern and read from a distance, a real treat for my eyesight.

Like someone else said here, the best Bible is the one you’re actually going to read. Therefore, the actual physical book should be something comfortable and enjoyable to read. If a book, any book, requires squinting your eyes or holding it open with a gorilla grip you will not enjoy the experience much, and will be less likely to pick it up. The Bible should be a book that you want to pick up, again and again, daily preferably, and want to keep on reading for quite a long time. While certainly the least expensive paperback will serve the purpose, it’s my belief that something as beautiful as the Word of God ought to be beautifully crafted and published as well. To my way of thinking the actual physical experience of holding and reading a particular Bible should further entice the reader to anticipate any given reading session of God’s Word with delight. That’s just my take on it.
 
FutureCatholic1 said:
like the title says im buying a new bible i need some help though im deciding between a Douay-Rheims, RSV-CE, or a NAB. i am open to other catholic bibles but the reason i am starting this is i want to read a bible without having to worry about it liberalized as i use the word or words having been changed as to possibly cause harm to a spiritual life any help is appreciated

also any information about the bibles i listed will be ery very appreciated

God bless

And have a Happy New Year
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Finding a Bible is very individual, as an earlier poster said. If you are very familiar with the bible already, perhaps from a protestant bible background, you could probably go straight into DR or RSV-CE. The NAB is what they use at Mass in the US, unless you are attending a Traditional Latin Mass. I suggest the New Catholic Answer Bible for newbies. I am shopping myself for an RSV-CE, which is my preferred version.

"The best bible version is the one you will read."
 
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