choosing a bible

  • Thread starter Thread starter Joelle_M
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
J

Joelle_M

Guest
I have a New American Bible- revised edition. From what I have read, it’s simplified. I’d like to invest in a second bible- but I want a more “true” translation. A more literal translation, if you may. I’d like to have 2- so I can compare texts from time to time (i’m doing some bible studies on my own online).

Can someone recommend which version I should get? Keep it simple! Haha- I am not sure what to look for:)
 
Personally, I have the Didache Bible which is the RSV-2CE (Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition). It’s published by Ignatius Press. It’s a very nice Bible. You can find reviews online to see if it is something that might interest you. To my knowledge, most studies are done using the RSV while the NABRE is what the mass readings are taken from.

Hope this helps.
 
Joelle_M said:
I have a New American Bible- revised edition. From what I have read, it’s simplified. I’d like to invest in a second bible- but I want a more “true” translation. A more literal translation, if you may. I’d like to have 2- so I can compare texts from time to time (i’m doing some bible studies on my own online).

Can someone recommend which version I should get? Keep it simple! Haha- I am not sure what to look for:)
Click to expand...
Knox Bible? Douay-Rheims?
 
Thanks! I keep reading different info online and get really confused by the descriptions on the different texts. When I chose my first bible- all I really knew to do was to look for a catholic church approved bible- I assumed they’d all be the same. Silly me. I like my bible, it’s easy to read, but i’d like something more literal.

I appreciate the feedback!
 
I use the New American Bible, too, but my primary study Bible is the Ignatius edition of the Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition. It’s a more literal translation than the NAB.
 
Mary_Ellen said:
I use the New American Bible, too, but my primary study Bible is the Ignatius edition of the Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition. It’s a more literal translation than the NAB.
Click to expand...
Well- now you’ve taught me something new. I think I’ve seen that- I assumed “study bible” meant it was more of a text book study guide- I didn’t realize it was a full bible. I’m such a newbie:) i’ll look for it at my christian book store. Thanks!
 
Joelle_M said:
I have a New American Bible- revised edition. From what I have read, it’s simplified. I’d like to invest in a second bible- but I want a more “true” translation. A more literal translation, if you may. I’d like to have 2- so I can compare texts from time to time (i’m doing some bible studies on my own online).

Can someone recommend which version I should get? Keep it simple! Haha- I am not sure what to look for:)
Click to expand...
I’m very partial to the Douay-Rheims myself for its beauty.
 
Joelle_M said:
Well- now you’ve taught me something new. I think I’ve seen that- I assumed “study bible” meant it was more of a text book study guide- I didn’t realize it was a full bible. I’m such a newbie:) i’ll look for it at my christian book store. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Study bibles are wonderful! I have two.
 
Bible, with a capital “B.”

Titles of books are supposed to be capitalized.
 
I myself have been reading the NIV (New International Investment). My father has told me many times, however, that the King James version is a good version. I’m unsure if the second is available in America as I’m not from that side of the waters.
 
I personally have (in English) both the Douay-Rheims version and the King James version (with the deuterocanonical books (search for KJVA or King James Version with Apocrypha)) and I like both very much but I think I slightly prefer the KJV.
 
Sockio said:
I myself have been reading the NIV (New International Investment). My father has told me many times, however, that the King James version is a good version. I’m unsure if the second is available in America as I’m not from that side of the waters.
Click to expand...
The King James Version is a PROTESTANT Bible – it does not have all the books of the Bible which are in Catholic Bibles. The Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition uses similar language to the King James, but has all the required books. I recommend the Didache Bible as well.
 
Magdalen2013 said:
The King James Version is a PROTESTANT Bible – it does not have all the books of the Bible which are in Catholic Bibles. The Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition uses similar language to the King James, but has all the required books. I recommend the Didache Bible as well.
Click to expand...
Goodness- it’s almost overwhelming. I knew about the King James version. I’m going to write down your suggestions and take a trip to the store to compare them. I understand that in the end it’s all God’s word- but I want as litteral a text as I can get. If that isn’t easy enough for me to understand, then one that is as literal as possible, while slightly easier to read. Does that make sense? Haha

I’ll wind up just doing a bit of research to see what I like I guess.
 
I’m about to dive into the Douay-Rheims bible. This bible was translated from the Latin Vulgate and was in use for 200 years or so before other English translations. I’m sort of curious what it’s going to be like to read because I’m used to my Catholic Youth Study Bible, lol.
The D-R bible is written with some archaic language, so, think medieval “thee’s, and thou’s” and that kind of thing, but from what I read before purchasing it actually doesn’t seem to be all that hard to follow.

“The Douay Rheims Bible was translated in the 16th century from the Latin Vulgate of St Jerome, a text that was declared authoritative for Catholics and commonly known as the purest text available at the time. The first version of the Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible was started at the English College at Douai in 1568 and completed in Reims in 1582. Originally known as the Rheims Testament, it was revised by Bishop Challoner in 1749-1752 as the Douay-Rheims Bible. The Douay-Rheims translation is the one most often used in Latin Missals. The Douay-Rheims Bible is a good choice for those who love history, tradition, and language.”
catholiccompany.com/douay-rheims-c465/
 
Elmawa said:
I’m about to dive into the Douay-Rheims bible. This bible was translated from the Latin Vulgate and was in use for 200 years or so before other English translations. I’m sort of curious what it’s going to be like to read because I’m used to my Catholic Youth Study Bible, lol.
The D-R bible is written with some archaic language, so, think medieval “thee’s, and thou’s” and that kind of thing, but from what I read before purchasing it actually doesn’t seem to be all that hard to follow.

“The Douay Rheims Bible was translated in the 16th century from the Latin Vulgate of St Jerome, a text that was declared authoritative for Catholics and commonly known as the purest text available at the time. The first version of the Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible was started at the English College at Douai in 1568 and completed in Reims in 1582. Originally known as the Rheims Testament, it was revised by Bishop Challoner in 1749-1752 as the Douay-Rheims Bible. The Douay-Rheims translation is the one most often used in Latin Missals. The Douay-Rheims Bible is a good choice for those who love history, tradition, and language.”
catholiccompany.com/douay-rheims-c465/
Click to expand...
Wow! Thank you! Very helpful:)
 
The Douay-Rheims is indeed a very precise and beautifully translated Bible. But it is a translation from the Latin texts which, themselves, are translations of the original Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek manuscripts in which the Scriptures were originally composed.

The New American Bible is a direct translation from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek languages that the original writers wrote in. It is also an extremely literal, word-for-word translation. This type of Bible translation is called “formal equivalence,” which means it sticks as close to the word choice and word order of the original languages as possible unless the English language syntax demands differently.

The Bible reads slightly different in the original languages than it does in Latin. Not too much, to be sure, but in some instances the differences can give rise to richer insight into the original culture and way of speaking. Both the Old Testament and the New are products of the Jewish world, and Latin doesn’t always capture the original Hebrew and Aramic as well as the original texts. The Apostles also chose to compose the New Testament in Greek becuase Greek had been chosen by Jewish scholars as the first language to translate the Bible into. So a Bible from the original languages is always a good choice.

If you ever want to know how literal and precise any translation is, use an interlinear Bible to help you. Biblehub.com will give you an interlinear reading of any Bible text. Just go to the site, select the verse you want to examine, and after it appears choose “INT” from the top menu. You will then see the original language text with the literal English word below each foreign word. (Just remember that Hebrew reads right to left unlike English and Greek). While the Douay is still a great choice, you will find the NAB is about as literal as you can get. You can also purchase an interlinear Bible too.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top