Let's hear about your latest/favorite bible

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We have a stack of Bibles in our home, inherited, found, purchased, etc., with varied degrees of artwork, maps, charts, and such. However the one I actually pick up to read on any given day is the Catholic edition of The Good News Bible. It’s about 20 years old, ( at one point one family member had a denim-bound edition in the 1970s). The Good News Bible is so not “in” these days and I don’t care. It’s not beautiful prose, but it is a clear and plainspoken translation, without the editorial viewpoint embellishment of scripture found in The Message.
 
Have a look at either the Revised English Bible with Apocrypha (Deuterocanon), or the just released Catholic New Living Translation. I am about as old-fashioned as you can get, but either of these bibles are a good read. The Revised English Bible is slightly British, which means beautiful, well-phrased syntax. The NLT you will find is similar to the Good News, but a little more “biblical” if that is understandable.

The good thing about being a bible aficionado is that they are dirt cheap used and rarely worn out.
 
I have a copy of the Catholic Edition of the Good News Bible also and I really like it too.
I noticed that two Nigerian priests we have had over the past 5 years also prefer that
particular Bible.
 
My primary problem with the GNT is that, in John 2 at the wedding feast, Jesus “rebukes” Mary, telling her “Woman, you must not tell me what to do!”

Not even close.
 
po18guy said:
My primary problem with the GNT is that, in John 2 at the wedding feast, Jesus “rebukes” Mary, telling her “Woman, you must not tell me what to do!”

Not even close.
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Classic example of tendentious translation (at best) or a sinister mistranslation to promote their errors. It must be an Evangelical favorite. 😩
 
Indeed. “What to me and thee?” is the literal translation. A far cry from how the GNT renders it. The Catholic Living Bible does better, as does the New Living Translation, both from Tyndale - a decidedly not Catholic company. Bless their hearts for publishing Catholic bibles! I normally prefer a more erudite translation, but sometimes my energy level is lacking and a conversational translation is the best I can delve into.
 
One of my recent additions, having gone into print in October, 2017. From Tyndale. It carries the nihil obstat and imprimatur, so that is at least assurance that it does not contradict Catholic teaching. It is not actually a bad read. Printed in Italy.

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A 1950 Douay-Confraternity, printed by P. J. Kenedy. (Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
 
A 1952 Douay-Confraternity, printed by Benziger Brothers. It “was” unread. Fixed that. (Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
 
A 1952 three volume set of the Knox, printed by Sheed & Ward.(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
 
Here is a perhaps lesser known bible, the Revised English Bible, produced by Oxford/Cambridge in conjunction with all major denominations in the United Kingdom, including the Catholic hierarchy in England and Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Even though it is not a strictly Catholic bible (the Deuterocanon are placed between testaments), it contains all of the Catholic books. I find it a rather good read.

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I only have one now, given to me by my niece. It’s a simple soft cover, quite unpretentious, well-thumbed and slightly battered KJV, which I know many here disapprove of.

I like it because:
  1. The old English isn’t always easy to read so slows me down and makes me think more.
  2. Many died or were tortured for possessing it when it was first printed in its original form, so I read it in their memory.
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A KJV with the Deuterocanon is a very good bible indeed - just hard to find. Although, I find its NT to be somewhat stilted in comparison to the Douay-Rheims.
 
TheButler said:
I like it because:

The old English isn’t always easy to read so slows me down and makes me think more.
Many died or were tortured for possessing it when it was first printed in its original form, so I read it in their memory.
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I am going to have to take issue with your point two. 😉 No English Protestant was ever tortured or put to death for possessing the KJV bible. Indeed it was THE AUTHORIZED edition of the Bible. IOW, it was legally the official bible for England. Maybe you’re thinking of the earlier bibles which the KJV bible supposedly is based on?
 
I’m getting ready to spend some time reading my cherished Didache NABRE Bible.

I love this thing so much!

I just ordered a new PJ Kennedy Douay Rheims off eBay thanks to this thread! Found one in mint condition for $44 including S&H.

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I just ordered this Spanish Bible from bestcatholicbible.com , a link I found by following a bible link on this thread !! Not inexpensive, but so beautiful. I didn’t know anything about the “Spanish Equivalent of the Douay-Rheims Bible, the Torres Amat text” until looking at this bible selling site. I found a sample page of the book on Amazon and discovered I understood it ! I’ve been Spanish Music Director for a couple of years, playing with guitar, piano, singing and directing a Spanish Girls Choir. Although I can pronounce Spanish well enough to sing fluently, I only understand spoken Spanish a few words here and there. Osmosis is working, but slowly. This bible has prayers and many helps. Great language study. Thank you for your fun post.
 
Bump. I emailed Scepter, requesting that they investigate the possibility of publishing a complete 1941-1969 Confraternity bible. Methinks it would be a rightful heir to the Douay-Rheims.
 
The Bible I use the most these days is probably either my Didache, or my Ignatius Catholic Study Bible NT, because I like the references to the CCC and I’ve been in a Bible study kind of mood, but my favorite Bible right now is arguably neither of those.

I very recently, as in two days ago, got a small leather softcover RSV2CE from Ignatius that is just a really good, small-ish size. I’m keeping it by my bedside. It’s that fake leather stuff, so I don’t know how long the cover will last, but it’s my favorite translation for just reading, feels great in the hand, and the size is wonderful. Two ribbons, too, which is nice. It’s replacing the Bible I received during my Confirmation studies from the parish I grew up with, as my “personal Bible”. That one was a hardcover, small size, but unfortunately in NRSV which is a translation I don’t much care for. I’ll always cherish it because it reminds me of the retreats my Confirmation class went on, and other fond memories like just reading the thing in my childhood bed. I hope my new personal Bible will remind me of other great memories in the future.

I’m moving soon, putting myself on a new path in life which I’m very excited about, and it was important to me to have a new personal Bible to mark the change. I’ve never really moved all at once in one day, my moves tend to drag out for weeks, lots of trips back and forth between two residences, but one thing I’ve always used as a mark of where “home” is, is where I have my personal Bible. It’s not where I’m sleeping the most nights, it’s where that Bible is. I don’t make a big ceremony of it or anything, but I can remember each time I’ve moved my old personal Bible and what that felt like. I’m really looking forward to putting this new Bible down on a side table in my new place and making it my new home.
 
My favourite Bible was a gift from a dear friend when I decided to join RCIA. She isn’t Catholic - she was raised Anglican and at the time she described herself as Wiccan, but has since left that and come back toward Christianity. She was pretty much the only one of my friends/family to support my joining the church and as I was struggling financially at the time, bought me a beautiful, leather Ignatius RSV-2CE.

It is beautiful, easy to read, and just feels right in my hands.

I’ve gotten a few others since, but that remains my favourite.
 
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