Compact Bibles

[Brian_C]

Barring New Testament-only editions, who can point me to some compact editions of the bible in either NAB or RSV-CE. I know Ignatius makes a 5x7 inch version and my local Catholic bookstore owner says she’s got a compact NAB on order. I have yet to see it, though. I have a giant (well, two of them) St. Joseph’s edition that I got in RCIA but it’s too unwieldy to take anywhere. I have a smaller “Catholic Couples” version but it has so many inserts as to make itself unusable for quick flipping to different books or verses.

 

[LilyM]

There is what’s called a ‘personal size’ (nice and compact) of the St Joseph’s NAB as well as the regular size. I have the compact one.

I’ve also seen compact editions of the New Jerusalem Bible (not sure of the name of the company which produces them) - though the print is much smaller than the St Joseph’s one, may be a little difficult to read.

I think the Jerusalem and New Jerusalem Bibles are more popular in the UK and Australia than the US, but they’re not bad translations.

I’ve also seen one called the Christian Community Bible that comes in a compact size - it’s actually a pretty good translation too (has ‘full of grace’ if I remember rightly).

 

[Future_Prodigy]

do you need a ‘full’ version? I really like a lot of the small psalm, and NT books

 

[Sabda]

I found this one in my local Catholic bookstore. My only complaint is that I wish I had gotten the zippered version instead. This is a really nice Bible. I have marked passages in it and the paper has never bled though. It has all the little things that one expects a Bible to have. One thing I found interesting was that in the back it even has a section where they show you the changes that were made to the RSV in order for it to become a RSV-CE. I would definitely recommend getting one for on the go. Also this is a full version, it has both Testaments as well as footnotes which are in the back of each Testament.

 

[Brian_C]

Thaks folks! That Oxford Press zipper seems very similar in size to the Ignatius. I just hate, if I’m going to get an RSV, that it’s not the 2nd ed.

 

[porthos11]

Thaks folks! That Oxford Press zipper seems very similar in size to the Ignatius. I just hate, if I’m going to get an RSV, that it’s not the 2nd ed.

Some posters here noticed that the Compact RSV-CE’s actually use the 1971 NT as their base text, so it may actually be a better rendition than the original 1966 RSV-CE.

But if you like the changes in the 2nd Catholic Edition (I prefer it over the Oxfords), then, sorry.

 

[MH84]

In case you didn’t know, there is one published by Scepter Press.

 

[Brian_C]

Thanks! Those are some nice colors. I like the “timber” color. And we know, color is what to look for in a precise rendering of God’s Word.

Seriously, though, those are on my short list.

 

[Brian_C]

Okay, well, I compromised, kinda. I went ahead and bought the Ignatius New Testament and Psalms b/c I’ve been so curious about the RSV-CE. What clinched it was I also bought *Jesus of Nazareth. *RSV-CE is used and barring buying a full-size Ignatius (the only other size my local bookseller had in stock) I figured I’d at least have a compact version of the NT. Granted, my time in the hospital with my wife is soon to be over (she delivers tomorrow after being hospital-bound for 7 weeks) but at least I’ll have it for extreme portability.

Yes, I do still plan to get some reading done despite a new baby. It’s our third, so it’s getting to be old hat.