Looking to buy a Catholic version of the Good News Bible

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I’m looking at this one from the American Bible Society:

tinyurl.com/mwtaty

I think it’s Catholic, but it doesn’t say on the page.

If this version is okay (or if anyone can recommend a better version of the GNB), please let me know.

Thanks!
 
If it says “with Deuterocanon” then its “Catholic”

However, I would not recommend this Bible…

Your best bet would be the Revised Standard Version- Catholic Edition or the RSV- Second Catholic Edition which is in modern English.

The New Jerusalem Bible is another highly recommend translation. It has some inclusive language, but it’s tame. Its not as literal as the RSV, but very readable. Its better than the GNT for sure. Also, the NJB Study Edition is one of the best out there.

There’s also the original Jerusalem Bible. I don’t know much about, so I can’t really recommend it personally…

The most “scholarly” is probably the New Revised Standard Version- Catholic Edition but its not as literal as the RSV and has a lot of inclusive language. However it’s also very readable.

Then there’s the “official” English Catholic Bible, that is the New American Bible, I would not recommend this now because the Old Testament was revised and will be published next year!!

Finally, this leaves the Douay-Rheims (Challoner); it’s the most expensive and also the hardest to read since its from the 19th century. It’s very literal and also the most “Catholic” in its renderings. (ex. Luke 1:28 reading “full of grace”).
 
Omyo12 said:
If it says “with Deuterocanon” then its “Catholic”

However, I would not recommend this Bible…

Your best bet would be the Revised Standard Version- Catholic Edition or the RSV- Second Catholic Edition which is in modern English.

The New Jerusalem Bible is another highly recommend translation. It has some inclusive language, but it’s tame. Its not as literal as the RSV, but very readable. Its better than the GNT for sure. Also, the NJB Study Edition is one of the best out there.

There’s also the original Jerusalem Bible. I don’t know much about, so I can’t really recommend it personally…

The most “scholarly” is probably the New Revised Standard Version- Catholic Edition but its not as literal as the RSV and has a lot of inclusive language. However it’s also very readable.

Then there’s the “official” English Catholic Bible, that is the New American Bible, I would not recommend this now because the Old Testament was revised and will be published next year!!

Finally, this leaves the Douay-Rheims; it’s the most expensive and also the hardest to read since its from the 19th century. It’s very literal and also the most “Catholic” in its renderings. (ex. Luke 1:28 reading “full of grace”).
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I’d like to second Omyo’s recommendation. I don’t believe that I have ever heard of a Catholic edition Good News Bible. 🤷
 
Thanks everyone.

I’m actually gonna read the Good News Bible because I had trouble reading the NAB and the RSV 2nd Catholic Edition.

I understood them just fine, but they were written in a way that didn’t really flow to me. I’m not a big reader in general, but after about 20 pages of reading either of these Bibles I would have to put them down.

I’m looking for something for a dummy like me.

Do you which Bibles are the “easiest” to read?
 
Hate to be blunt, but isn’t reading a paraphrased Bible like reading a different text? It may convey the same meaning, but it’s not so much a translation as a re-write.
 
GeorgeSword said:
Hate to be blunt, but isn’t reading a paraphrased Bible like reading a different text? It may convey the same meaning, but it’s not so much a translation as a re-write.
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Perhaps. But as I said I have trouble getting through the literal translations.
 
GeorgeSword said:
Hate to be blunt, but isn’t reading a paraphrased Bible like reading a different text? It may convey the same meaning, but it’s not so much a translation as a re-write.
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The GNB isn’t exactly a paraphrase, it’s what they call a dynamic-equivalence translation. I bought the Catholic version for my Confirmation students. It’s not bad - I wouldn’t want it for my personal devotional or study Bible - but I’m a very competent reader. The GNB is good for younger readers and for people for whom English is not a first language.
 
Broobarker said:
I’m looking at this one from the American Bible Society:

tinyurl.com/mwtaty

I think it’s Catholic, but it doesn’t say on the page.

If this version is okay (or if anyone can recommend a better version of the GNB), please let me know.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
in general when ordering from ABS (a good choice if you need bibles in quantity for outreach, evangelization etc, although the soft-cover don’t hold up very well) look for the maltese cross (that is the cross you see in a missal by a response) next to the title and the “Imprimatur” which is part of the description. They usually either advertise the Catholic and non-version of the same bible on the same page differentiated by color, or have all the Catholic bibles on one page, be especially careful when ordering bibles in another language. It will also say, as the GNT does “with deutero-canonicals” the Catholic books missing from many Protestant translations. in the GNT they are at the end, not in the order you would find them in the NAB or another Catholic translation.

GNT is acceptable only for use by middle graders, or for someone who has English as a second language, or for private devotion if you find it easier to read. it is a paraphrase, in “equivalent contemporary language” of existing English translations, not a direct translation from the ancient languages. So it would not be a good bible for formal study, or for use in a group setting such as RCIA or a class, by Catholics.

ABS also carries the New Jerusalem Bible and NAB (under license) and some RSV.

you can do better price-wise if you want only one bible for yourself by ordering from any Catholic book and gift catalog, or just on amazon–but you have to look at what you are getting on Amazon, and compare. If you don’t see the Imprimatur, or “Catholic version” keep looking.

Look for NAB or RSV-CE, NRSV-CE (inclusive language) or Jerusalem Bible, all approved for liturgy in some countries (only NAB is approved for liturgy, with some changes like the psalms, in the US).

For youself, get the version that you will read, and if that is the Good News translation, go with it, anything to get you reading the bible. But it will be confusing if you realize the readings you hear at Mass don’t sound the same. I can’t tell from the amazon link which version this is. your link blew me off the net and I had to restart my computuer, but I think its says “with deutero-canonicals” which means it is a version for Catholics, but understand the Good News translation was not done under Catholic auspices, but this version has been reviewed by the bishops and has an imprimatur, meaning there is nothing (footnotes, study articles etc.) contrary to the Faith.
 
We all have our favourite translations, but since the OP wanted a Catholic edition of the Good News Bible, let’s acknowledge his choice as legitimate (it is approved for Catholics) and offer some suggestions on getting a good Catholic Good News Bible.

It used to be not too long ago that the Good News Bible for Catholics only comes with the deuterocanonical books in a separate section between the OT and NT (such as the one the OP linked). However, in the past year, I’ve seen Catholic editions of the Good News Bible, i.e. the deuterocanonical books are interspersed with the other OT books like the NJB or NAB, and has no apocyrphal books (Esdras, Prayer of Manasseh).

You can find some very inexpensive copies here:
bibles.com/products/ABS_NEW/112705.aspx
bibles.com/products/ABS_NEW/113286.aspx
bibles.com/products/ABS_NEW/113287.aspx

The Bible with the deuterocannonicals in a separate section would functionally contain all the books the Catholic Church considers canonical. But I prefer my Bible to contain only the books that are canonical in the Catholic Church and in their traditional order.
 
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