New American Bible

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ChristopherMich

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I am currently returning to the Catholic church, and returning to my nightly rosary prayers. I have purchased two items that I would like opinions on. The first is the New American Bible, Official Catholic Bible. It is from the Catholic World Press.

I have also purchased “The Catholic Bible, Personal Study Edition”. This study edition contains references to the New American Bible. Can you provide me with any information concerning these two items? Any insight would be appreciated. I do not want to return to the church by reading substandard information in my study time at home.

Thank you.
 
The New American Bible (NAB) is the official translation from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The readings you hear in church are a slightly modified NAB.
 
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ChristopherMich:
I am currently returning to the Catholic church, and returning to my nightly rosary prayers. I have purchased two items that I would like opinions on. The first is the New American Bible, Official Catholic Bible. It is from the Catholic World Press.

I have also purchased “The Catholic Bible, Personal Study Edition”. This study edition contains references to the New American Bible. Can you provide me with any information concerning these two items? Any insight would be appreciated. I do not want to return to the church by reading substandard information in my study time at home.

Thank you.
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IMO, the best Study Bible is the Navarre Bible
 
I had a bit of a problem with the NAB when I read the Annunciation to Mary in Luke “Hail, favored one,” instead of “Hail, Mary, full of grace.” But it was chosen by the USCCB and approved by the Vatican to be the version read at mass.
 
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Maurelian:
I had a bit of a problem with the NAB when I read the Annunciation to Mary in Luke “Hail, favored one,” instead of “Hail, Mary, full of grace.” But it was chosen by the USCCB and approved by the Vatican to be the version read at mass.
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I had the same problem. What good Catholic would mess with the Hail Mary??? They also butchered the Magnificat as well from “My soul doth magnify the Lord” to “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.” That’s my rant.

Overall though, the NAB is very easy to read and it’s doctrinally sound.
 
I was trying to keep my opinion out of my answer. I’m not a NAB fan, but it is legit, so who am I to criticize?
 
I didn’t mean to sound critical, as much as confused. I’ve seen this verse used as scriptural evidence of Mary’s immaculate conception. But if it’s translated as “favored one,” it just doesn’t work.
 
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Genesis315:
I had the same problem. What good Catholic would mess with the Hail Mary??? They also butchered the Magnificat as well from “My soul doth magnify the Lord” to “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.” That’s my rant.

Overall though, the NAB is very easy to read and it’s doctrinally sound.
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My understanding is that the previous official Catholic English language Bible, the Douai-Rheims version, was a translation of St. Jerome’s Latin Vulgate – a translation of a translation.

The NAB, translated in English directly from the Hebrew & Greek, is no doubt better as a translation even if it is jarring in places.

The Jerusalem Bible is even more jarring because it goes for literal accuracy as much as possible, on the other hand it 's more scholarly (over my head) with tons of explanatory footnotes.

As for “messing with the Hail Mary”, remember the prayer was based on Scripture, not a translation of it.

Didymus
 
Neither “full of grace” nor “highly favored” nor “favored one” fully convey the force of “kecharitomene.” “Higly favored” isn’t the best translation but is somewhat acceptable. “Full of grace” is closer, but not still not quite.

For apologetics on “full of grace” and the Immaculate Conception, you must always go back to the Greek. The English is just not precise enough, regardless of the rendition.
 
Unfortunately both of the main modern English Catholic translations: NAB and Jerusalem Bible, have been tainted by the employment of liberal and overly ecumenicist translators.

Hail full of Grace was amended to the inaccurate protestant “highly favoured”, presumably in order to sink differences with protestants. The bibles also have a tendency to espouse liberal theory in their footnotes rather than defacto catholic doctrine.

For an approved modern translation with catholic footnotes, try the Christian Community Bible, used in the 3rd World. Where the faith is growing.
 
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didymus:
My understanding is that the previous official Catholic English language Bible, the Douai-Rheims version, was a translation of St. Jerome’s Latin Vulgate – a translation of a translation.
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True. In fact, up until 1943 all translations were based from the Vulgate. In that year Pope Pius XII isuued Divino Afflante Spiritu which allowed the departure from this tradition.
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didymus:
The Jerusalem Bible is even more jarring because it goes for literal accuracy as much as possible
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Depends on how you define “literal accuracy”. If you mean “word for word literal translation”, then no. The Jerusalem Bible is a “dynamic equivalence” translation in which more emphasis is placed on the meaning rather than the words.
 
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