Does ANYONE like the NABRE?

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johnbres2

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The only good thing apparent to me at this point about the NABRE is Psalm 1. Otherwise, it seems to consistently go against traditional Catholic positions. I am a big collector of Bibles, and I don’t see a reason to buy this one.
 
johnbres2 said:
The only good thing apparent to me at this point about the NABRE is Psalm 1. Otherwise, it seems to consistently go against traditional Catholic positions. I am a big collector of Bibles, and I don’t see a reason to buy this one.
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I was told by my local Catholic retailer that the differences in this version from the NAB were so minor, that they weren’t going to stock many copies of it. I haven’t looked through one. Are the changes really that small?

ICXC NIKA
 
I have the previous edition of the NAB and the NABRE, and in the new edition the OT is written in clearer language and has much more detailed notes. Overall, it is a big improvement. The NT, of course, hasn’t changed at all.

Authorization for printing editions of the current NAB will expire in about 17 months, so there will be no older NABs available from publishers then.
 
It is not getting good reviews. I do not believe it will sell many copies.
 
It has been out for less than a month, and at this point, I believe only one small publisher (St. Benedict Press) actually physically has copies available for sale. In the next few months, we’ll be seeing all of the major publishers switch to the NABRE.

Most of the discussion on these boards has focused on the “virgin”/“young woman” question in Isaiah 7:14 (the NABRE uses “young woman” in text and both “virgin” and “young woman” in the footnote.) While that is an important issue to some, I don’t think it will impact sales because most of the NABRE’s competitors translate that verse similarly (RSV-CE, NRSV, NJB, etc.) And, of course, that is just one verse – there are extensive changes throughout.

As to sales projections: since the NAB is being phased out over the next year and a half, it is reasonable to assume that after the old NAB is no longer available, that the NABRE will sell roughly the same number of volumes as the NAB does. There should also be a modest boost in sales at from Bible collectors who have the old NAB but want to read the new NABRE.

One last prediction: since publishers won’t be able to distribute the old NAB after September 2012, look for some great opportunities to pick up remaindered old NABs around them, as publishers are forced to dump their stock.
 
Bible_Reader said:
It Most of the discussion on these boards has focused on the “virgin”/“young woman” question in Isaiah 7:14 (the NABRE uses “young woman” in text and both “virgin” and “young woman” in the footnote.) While that is an important issue to some, I don’t think it will impact sales because most of the NABRE’s competitors translate that verse similarly (RSV-CE, NRSV, NJB, etc.) And, of course, that is just one verse – there are extensive changes throughout.
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You are sadly mistaken. It is a huge issue (as evidenced by what I read here and other Catholic sources). Most people are outraged by the Isaiah passage. The gender neutral garbage is also tedious. It will bomb. 😉
Bible_Reader said:
One last prediction: since publishers won’t be able to distribute the old NAB after September 2012, look for some great opportunities to pick up remaindered old NABs around them, as publishers are forced to dump their stock.
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I have a better idea. Purchase the Douay-Rheims. It’s awesome! 👍
 
Bible_Reader said:
I have the previous edition of the NAB and the NABRE, and in the new edition the OT is written in clearer language and has much more detailed notes.
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Considering the quality of the notes in previous editions, is this good or bad?
 
I own all four versions (yes, there really are four different versions of the NAB: 1970 original NAB, 1986 NAB with revised NT, 1992 with revised Psalms, and 2011 with revised OT.

To answer your question, no, I do not like the NABRE. As I have said in several other posts, I do not think I should have to understand Catholic doctrine about scripture in a footnote - I should be able to read the bible verses themselves and then consult a footnote for an explanation of how it might be rendered differently in other bible translations.

And I really don’t like the idea that we have a lectionary that does NOT match the portions quoted in the bible for Mass readings. That has never made any sense to me since the Novus Ordo became the typical mass. In the 1962 Missal, what you had in your misssal, you had read at Mass.
 
Mickey said:
It is not getting good reviews. I do not believe it will sell many copies.
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I believe the USCCB owns the copyright, collects the royalties, and mandates its use in the liturgy. That should ensure a significant market regardless of its quality. 😦
 
Joe_Kelley said:
I believe the USCCB owns the copyright, collects the royalties, and mandates its use in the liturgy. That should ensure a significant market regardless of its quality. 😦
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And these are the same bishops who have a problem with what the governor of Wisconsin is doing, right? :confused:
 
johnbres2 said:
The only good thing apparent to me at this point about the NABRE is Psalm 1. Otherwise, it seems to consistently go against traditional Catholic positions. I am a big collector of Bibles, and I don’t see a reason to buy this one.
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No, it’s even worse than the NAB and the problematic commentary wasn’t even addressed. Why don’t the bishops just kill this thing?
 
I have read somewhere that the Anglican Ordinariates may use the RSVCE. That would be great!.
 
I like it for one huge reason. They finally corrected the passages in the Old Testament where verses were arranged out of order (EX: a passage in Ezekiel might read verse 1,2,3,20,21,22,4,5,6…). None of that in the NABRE. Now the notes in the paperback I bought are in very small type that I can’t read, but I don’t care, I never liked the notes anyway.
 
garysibio said:
The RSVCE is used in English-speaking countries in the Caribbean.
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And should have been used here in the US. In my own opinion. Even the Ruthenian Church is using the NAB in their Revised Divine Liturgy. Which is causing much anguish in the Byzantine Catholic Church.
 
bkovacs said:
And should have been used here in the US. In my own opinion. Even the Ruthenian Church is using the NAB in their Revised Divine Liturgy. Which is causing much anguish in the Byzantine Catholic Church.
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I couldn’t agree with you more.
 
How’s this for consistency?
  1. NABRE is officially approved by the USCCB for private study, but NOT for use at Mass.
  2. NABRE uses an Psalter that was approved by a special committee formed by Rome in response to repeated rejections of Psalm revisions submitted by the USCCB/ICEL.
  3. NABRE does NOT contain the Revised Grail Psalter.
  4. Revised Grail Psalter is the ONLY Psalter that has been approved for use at Mass in America.
  5. The lectionary used at Mass in America, including the upcoming revision that will be instituted during Advent later this year, will NOT be based on the NABRE.
So, to recap: to follow along at Mass, you either:

A. Use a missalette that MAY be available in sufficient numbers in pews (which, if you use only this, you will not be able to prepare for Mass ahead of time), or

B. You buy a lectionary and a Revised Grail Psalter and bring them with you to Mass so that you can follow along with what the priest reads.

FLASH! - USCCB approves New American Bible Revised Edition, but it will not be used at Mass and does not have the only approved Psalter for use at Mass.

:confused:
 
Salvatore123 said:
NABRE is officially approved by the USCCB for private study, but NOT for use at Mass.
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Yes, that is correct. It is even a little worse than that – the Confranternity (which owns the NAB and lectionary copyright) has repeatedly stated that

(a) they will not allow a version of the NAB to be printed with the (original or revised) Grail psalter

(b) they will not allow a version of the Bible to be printed with the lectionary texts. You can buy a lectionary, or you can buy a Bible, but you can’t buy one with harmonized text.

At some point in the future, the USCCB may apply to update the lectionary, but that is a long and involved and uncertain process.

The bottom line is that you are absolutely correct on this point, and it is crazy, but it won’t be changing anytime in the near future.
 
garysibio said:
Considering the quality of the notes in previous editions, is this good or bad?
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I want to clarify – I think the NABRE is an improvement the old NAB OT – but I don’t think the NAB is the best translation for English Bible study. Both the RSV and the NRSV follow the original languages more closely than NABRE.

The NABRE is still inconsistent in style as well.

On the “easy to read” scale, I think that NAB falls short of the NJB or JB (or the GNB-CE, for people who require very easy-to-read translations). I also think that many of the NABRE footnotes are quite difficult for many ordinary readers.

(And, of course, for traditionalist Catholics, all of these modern versions pale in comparison to the Douay-Rheims-Challoner.)
 
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