Help Please with Bible Choice

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Skipssong

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Hi All,

I would appreciate some help with the choice of a Bible.

I have read some previous posts and can see that the Revised Standard (English Version) seems favourite but there are a couple of points to consider.
  1. My local parish uses the Jerusalem version (1966).
  2. Hole See says New American
  3. I would like to get some kind of ‘Study’ bible. Is a combined bible and study aid right or is there a better option?
Many thanks,

Mike
 
I recommend getting two translations, 1st the NAB (this translation is used at Mass, etc.) and 2nd the Douay Rheims is an excellent translation as well. I would definitely get those two…and in 3rd place you could get the RSV-CE…make sure it is the CE version though (Catholic Edition)…but the first two I named are a better translation IMO.
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Skipssong:
Hi All,

I would appreciate some help with the choice of a Bible.

I have read some previous posts and can see that the Revised Standard (English Version) seems favourite but there are a couple of points to consider.
  1. My local parish uses the Jerusalem version (1966).
  2. Hole See says New American
  3. I would like to get some kind of ‘Study’ bible. Is a combined bible and study aid right or is there a better option?
Many thanks,

Mike
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I would definitely get the Douay-Rheims. It is the only Bible I know of that is faithful to Genesis iii. 15: “SHE shall crush thy head” God says to Satan. SHE (Our Lady) shall cursh his head. Many new-age translations (from c. 1920- ) use either “He” (Christ) or “it” (the seed of Our Lady). These are both inaccurate and are clearly a shot at trying to remove Our Lady from the necessity for Salvation. Moreover, the Bible of the Church is the Vulgate. This is a direct translation into English of that version; therefore, it is the most accurate translation according to the Bible of the Church. Moreover, it uses beautiful language, which shows how the text is sacred and not just the same as some modern speech, which, unfortunately, is the opposite of what the translations for the Novus Ordo Mass are.

In any event, I could explain many other good reasons to get the Douay Rheims, but if you would like to get them all yourself (and explained in a better way than I am able), and since you want the best Bible, I would suggest you read this short work from TAN publishers (it’s very short): “Which Bible Should You Read” by Thomas A. Nelson. You can get it here for only 4 dollars: tanbooks.com/index.php/page/shop:flypage/product_id/614/keywords/which,bible/

Also, if you want a good study Bible, I would suggest you get the Douay Rheims with Haydock’s Commentary (they are often called “Haydock Bibles”). The commentary is wonderful (and very thorough) by Fr. George Leo Haydock. He wrote the commentary in 1812, so it is not some modernist rendition or some neo-protestant bias. It is true Catholic teaching from a holy and very intelligent Priest. The version I have seen sold is a reprint of the 1884 edition. You can get it online for a very good price here: prayrosary.com/shoppingcart/haydock.php3. It is under 0 dollars from that website, which is a great price for such an extensive and sound commentary. Also, it is beautifully bound.

I would highly encourage you to get this Bible if you want the absolute best, most Catholic Bible.
 
Thanks for the response.

Just one point/question: Aren’t the ‘old’ editions a little difficult to read because of the use of old English (ye, thee, thou etc)?

Mike
 
I would say get an NAB for study, get a DRV for poetic reading, get a RSV-CE for poetic and study as well.

No one version is best. They are all translated based on what the editors try to point out.

Avoid miss-edited and abridged protestant versions like the KJV etc. These were authorized by a homosexual king for political reasons. Stick to versions approved by the Catholic Church as they are based on theology and the authority Jesus gave His Church, not the Bible or some king or schismatic or money grubbing publisher.

I do suggest you obtain some protestant versions of Scripture so that you can use them in apologetics and evangelization. Good protestant Bibles are the AKJV, NIV and KJV. Use them to understand protestant opinions, not Gods word. Anyone can write and edit a protestant Bible and put it on bookshelves. A homosexual king did it 400 years ago. Who knows who does it today? Would you read a President Bill Clinton Authorised Version written by the best beurocrats Clinton could pick to write his opinions into the verses? Well, the KJV is not much different today.

The best Bible, Catholic or protestant, is the one you read!

There are other threads on this forum with good posts and links to Bible sites.
 
Caveat!

Both links provided by “CatholicCrusade” are to organizations operated by persons who are not in full communion with the Catholic Church.

TAN Books and Publishers is (still is?) operated by Thomas A. Nelson who is (was?) a member of the Sovereign Military Order of St John of Jerusalem - a spurious chivalric “Order” which is not recognized by the Catholic Church.

His organization publishes only pre-Vatican II publications (which ARE very good per se) AND publications which are highly critical of the post Vatican II popes, sacraments and practices; an example is “The Great Sacrilege” by Fr. James Wathen, OSJ (sic). Fr. Wathen was, for a long time, Chaplain to the OSJ until a recent bitter schism in that group. The OSJ’s chaplain is now the Thuc “Bishop” Anthony Chadwick.

The second link is to the website of Chuck Sampair, who is also operator of A-Catholic Doctrine Forum. Sampair is also a sedevacantist adherent to the Thucite CMRI group at Mt St Michael. – the former Schuckardt stronghold.

The Vatican’s attitude towards those “consecrated” by Archbishop Ngo Dinh Thuc and his successors may be viewed HERE
 
I like the RSV-Catholic Edition. As for commentaries, I think that Jeff Cavins has produced some on the Gospels that are available from Ignatius Press (where, by the way, you can also get an Ignatius RSV-CE). He may have produced them in collaboration with Dr. Scott Hahn—I forget. Though I haven’t read them, I am currently attending a Bible study given by Jeff Cavins, and am very, very impressed—he is an excellent teacher! I would also suggest looking at the past issues of “This Rock” magazine that are now available online. I seem to recall that there was an article on this exact topic, and needless to say the recommendations would be good orthodox recommendations from a good orthodox source (which is not the case with some of the posters here).
 
I used to, but can no longer recommend the New American Bible in its present incarnation, because of the severely inclusivized Psalms (which in includes “vertical” inclusive language for references to God), although its Old Testament and Revised New Testament text (despite some mild horizontal inclusive language) is actually pretty good. But its notes are too modernist and some directly contradict Church teaching. If you’re looking for study notes, steer clear of the NAB, although you can use its text for devotional reading.

Here’s what I’d get: RSV-CE for serious study, since the RSV is a literal translation.

And the original 1966 Jerusalem Bible, which has good study notes. Note that this Jerusalem Bible is the translation used at Mass in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and many other Commonwealth nations. So if you want a translation used at Mass (just not in the US), the JB is fine.

DON’T get the NRSV.
 
Thanks all for your responses and help.

Feelings about the NAB seem a little ‘off message’ given that NAB is the version promoted on the Holy See web site.

I am having a great deal of trouble getting a copy of RSV-CE here in the UK; looks like it’s out of stock and print at Amazon.

Looks like I’ll opt for the JB (not the NJB) although I can’t see a copy with a fuller study guide. Any suggestions for a study guide (concordance etc) to work with JB?

Thanks again,

Mike
 
I have several Catholic and Protestant Bible translations. It is useful to have the extra translations when debating with Protestants. Of these I like the NIV because I find the language is often a bit clearer than the KJV and the Standard Version. My first Catholic Bible is the Knox version. My copy is close to 40 years old and it was the version that was favoured in the Catholic schools as I was growing up. My sons used the Good News Bible, but I do not like this translation. There seems to be a lot of errors and it is a badly written translation.

I find it strange that the NAB has been recommended on the Vatican site. I thought that the preferred version of the Vatican is the Vulgate translated from Latin per the Revised Standard Version CE. Not all RSV CE bibles are the same. I found a good one but I am looking forward to the release of the study Bible by Scott Hahn and Jeff Cavins. I do not like the New American Bible. I think that the commentary within the NAB is appalling. On the other hand I like the Navarre Bible and I do like the commentary. The project has been continuing and I now have the Pentateuch, Psalms, Joshua-Kings, Chronicles-Maccabees, and the Wisdom Books, as well as the New Testament books. They are well worth the money.

I have seen two genuine copies of the Haydock Bible, complete with the coloured plates and gold lettering. The Haydock is very easy to read, and it is without the errors that are contained in the newer translations. I have a Jerusalem Bible, but not the New Jerusalem Bible. The other Bible that I own has a better commentary than the NAB and that is the Claretian Christian Community Bible, Catholic Pastoral Edition. I have some minor issues with this particular translation. I have a Douay Rheims, and I doubt that you will get a reasonably priced copy that is not from TAN Books. The other Bibles that I own are the Confraternity Family Bibles (one from my family and one from my husband’s family). These are big Bibles, like the Haydock, and they do not get used all that often.

MaggieOH
 
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dumspirospero:
I recommend getting two translations, 1st the NAB (this translation is used at Mass, etc.) and 2nd the Douay Rheims is an excellent translation as well. I would definitely get those two…and in 3rd place you could get the RSV-CE…make sure it is the CE version though (Catholic Edition)…but the first two I named are a better translation IMO.
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That’s what I have. It works fine for me. The NAB Study Bible’s notes are sometimes less than 100% orthodox, but there are good ones out there.TAN publishes a Practical Commentary on the Holy Scriptures that is pretty decent and orthodox. A friend gave me a copy. See it here: tanbooks.com/index.php/page/shop:flypage/product_id/618/keywords/commentary/
(HEY! It’s on sale!) I also have a Jerusalem Bible and it’s okay too, but the use of the sacred name the way it does sort of bugs me sometimes because it doesn’t read as well as I’d like. In my personal reading…I use the DRV.
Pax vobiscum. :twocents: :bible1:
 
RSV-CE found on Amazon by searching for Ignatius (OK might have been obvious to some).

That and a copy of the revised CCC ordered and on there way.

Thanks again,

Mike
 
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Skipssong:
Thanks all for your responses and help.

Feelings about the NAB seem a little ‘off message’ given that NAB is the version promoted on the Holy See web site.

Mike
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Yah it is. However, you will notice that the NAB Psalms aren’t included, for the reasons cited above. Unfortunately, the un-orthodox notes are indeed reproduced.
 
It really depends on your needs. For serious Bible Study the NAB is terrible, but as something to read for daily purposes and children it is Good from a Catholic point of view and marginally acceptable from my Lutheran point of view.

The Douay-Rheims Bible is a very good Bible to have in my personal opinion. Even as a Protestant when I have a question as to the meaning of a verse the Douay-Rheims is helpful; although as pointed out, it does have Old English and might be difficult from time to time and is not for Children.

Avoid any Living Translations…
 
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