New Living Translation/ Catholic ref edition

[bauerice]

I got the New Living Translation/ Catholic Reference Edtion last week. It is NOT The Living Bible. It is very readable and has the deuterocanical books in the Old Testament (not separated or even noted as being different). I have not found anything objectable so far and my intent is just for casual reading and not studying. Has anyone seen it or know of anything out of line?

 

[Aaron_I]

If it has nihil obstat + imprimatur, it’s fine.

 

[anawim]

The New Living Translation is an extensive revision of The Living Bible. I have the Catholic Edition of the Living Bible to use as a supplement to such translations as the D-R, and RSV-CE. When reading difficult passages, it’s helpful to first read an easy version.

The only thing that I’ve noticed is that Proverbs seems to take a lot of liberty in the meaning.

 

[silverwings_88]

I saw literally piles of the NLT Catholic reference editions in the Christian stores around my area (Surrey and Vancouver in BC, Canada) because no one was buying them for weeks, albeit months. Feeling bad, I bought one myself…

Despite its Protestant bias (although expected, being originally a Protestant bible, just check John 3:16 in light of other Catholic Bibles), it’s not bad as a translation, and I like their rendering of the Song of Songs.

It has no Nihil Obstat nor an Imprimatur, so it is not an officially checked-out Bible by any Catholic officials, but outside of studying, using this version for casual reading is good! I actually like the NLT for its “heart language!”

Unlike the Living Bible, although it still stays in the English modern idiom, it is better in that it parallels better as a translation and does not deviate from more conservative bibles’ rendering of passages. Heck, if it helps one read the bible more, then go ahead! At least it’s the WHOLE Bible (finally, another Protestant version that has come to its senses, and made available the deuterocanonicals), pure spiritual Word!

 

[demerzel85]

Despite its Protestant bias (although expected, being originally a Protestant bible, just check John 3:16 in light of other Catholic Bibles), it’s not bad as a translation, and I like their rendering of the Song of Songs.

Oh you mean this mistranslation of scripture. Even the manuscripts in Greek verify that the way it is translated in Catholic Bibles like the DRV is correct. Deliberate mistranslation speaks of dishonesty. Further the publishers of the NLT hold errorneous views about the way actions taken by the Catholic Church in vernacular translations of Sacred Scripture.

 

[silverwings_88]

Oh you mean this mistranslation of scripture. Even the manuscripts in Greek verify that the way it is translated in Catholic Bibles like the DRV is correct. Deliberate mistranslation speaks of dishonesty. Further the publishers of the NLT hold errorneous views about the way actions taken by the Catholic Church in vernacular translations of Sacred Scripture.

Yes, but neither do the NAB nor the RSV-CE do either, despite them being more literal translations. Although the DRV is a valid and orthodox Bible, a) the language is archaic and may be a hindrance today, especially in some unknown words such as “traffic” to hold an example, and b) it may not fit the budget of Catholics since they come in pretty much a large size for a weighty sum of money.

I truly dislike the NAB. It robs the poeticness of the Scriptures, and has heretical footnotes, and yet used by many people in America. But as my main point of my post, “Heck, if it helps one read the bible more, then go ahead!”

All translations will fall short of the Glory of the Word. But for casual reading only*, the NLT is an okay Bible. This also goes for the GNT as well. The Bible was made in order for one to understand Jesus’ role in our lives, and the validity of the Catholic Church, and if the NLT can do that, then it has done more than enough.

Frankly, I’m thankful of the ecumenical efforts our separated brethren have tried, even if just by providing the deuterocanonicals in thei translation.

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, refuting error, for correcting and training in Christian life. Through Scripture the man of God is made expert and thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17, Christian Community Bible

 

[Manfred]

Although the DRV is a valid and orthodox Bible, a) the language is archaic and may be a hindrance today, especially in some unknown words such as “traffic” to hold an example, and b) it may not fit the budget of Catholics since they come in pretty much a large size for a weighty sum of money.

Language isn’t THAT archaic, and TAN Publications makes the D-R affordable, more so than the Baronius Press edition. One could easily obtain a used D-R from an online bookstore for a very reasonable price (I did!).

I truly dislike the NAB. It robs the poeticness of the Scriptures, and has heretical footnotes, and yet used by many people in America.

The American bishops produced it, they like it, they derive income from it, it’s quite inexpensive, we’re forced to use it in the liturgy. But I’m with you on this one.

All translations will fall short of the Glory of the Word.

Very true, but paraphrases such as the NLT or GNB or CEV don’t even stand, let alone fall short.

 

[silverwings_88]

Language isn’t THAT archaic, and TAN Publications makes the D-R affordable, more so than the Baronius Press edition. One could easily obtain a used D-R from an online bookstore for a very reasonable price (I did!).
**
Well, it’s not THAT archaic, I guess, lol. I absolutely love the DRV. However, the discrepancies in numbering or additions in Tobit and Esther in comparison with modern translations can be a bother, especially with the numbering of the Psalms. And as many people choose the NIV or the NAB, it seems clear that the modern idiom is in.

But you’re lucky. In our stores in Canada, all that I can find is one Baronius edition in each major town. And they all are about $80-$90 Canadian. I would wish that TAN or Baronius would make smaller, more compact editions or cheaper ones so that more people could buy them.**

The American bishops produced it, they like it, they derive income from it, it’s quite inexpensive, we’re forced to use it in the liturgy. But I’m with you on this one.

It’s funny. Although we use the NRSV-CE in the Canadian liturgy, the English side of Canada uses the NAB (which in some Catholic households of people my age seem to leave on the bookshelf to collect dust). The French side, I have heard, avoid it merely because of the name “American” in the version. I certainly hope that whatever the Bible the Vatican chooses for the retranslation for the Novus Ordo, they get rid of the NAB as soon as possible!

Very true, but paraphrases such as the NLT or GNB or CEV don’t even stand, let alone fall short.
**
Well, I don’t know about the CEV, but the GNT and the NLT are thought-for-thought translations, or so I’ve heard insofar, and are not paraphrases, as opposed to The Message, the Living Bible and Word On the Street.

One of my favourite bibles, the Christian Community Bible is in between dynamic and literal. Although some parts of it deviate or simplify some of my favourite passages, it is no paraphrase at all.
**

Well, reading from the Bible Researcher, just a little disgusted on how freely the NLT translated this passage of Matthew 7:21-23:

“Not all people who sound religious are really godly. They may refer to me as ‘Lord,’ but they still won’t enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The decisive issue is whether they obey my Father in heaven. On judgment day many will tell me, ‘Lord, Lord, we prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, 'I never knew you. Go away; the things you did were unauthorized.”

Compare this with the Christian Community Bible:

“Not everyone who says to me: Lord! Lord! will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my heavenly Father. Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not speak in your name? Did we not cast out devils and perform many miracles in your name?” Then I will tell them openly: I have never known you; away from me, you evil people!”

And the Good News Translation:

“Not everyone who calls me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only those who do what my Father in heaven wants them to do. When Judgement Day comes, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord! In your name we spoke God’s message, by your name we drove out many demons and performed many miracles!’ Then I will say to them, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you wicked people!’”

And the Douay Rheims Version:

“Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. Many will say to me in that day: Lord, Lord, have not we prophesied in thy name, and cast out devils in thy name, and done many miracles in thy name? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity.”

I might donate my NLT later to charity…

 

[demerzel85]

Well, reading from the Bible Researcher, just a little disgusted on how freely the NLT translated this passage of Matthew 7:21-23:

“Not all people who sound religious are really godly. They may refer to me as ‘Lord,’ but they still won’t enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The decisive issue is whether they obey my Father in heaven. On judgment day many will tell me, ‘Lord, Lord, we prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, 'I never knew you. Go away; the things you did were unauthorized.”

Compare this with the Christian Community Bible:

“Not everyone who says to me: Lord! Lord! will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my heavenly Father. Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not speak in your name? Did we not cast out devils and perform many miracles in your name?” Then I will tell them openly: I have never known you; away from me, you evil people!”

And the Good News Translation:

“Not everyone who calls me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only those who do what my Father in heaven wants them to do. When Judgement Day comes, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord! In your name we spoke God’s message, by your name we drove out many demons and performed many miracles!’ Then I will say to them, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you wicked people!’”

And the Douay Rheims Version:

“Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. Many will say to me in that day: Lord, Lord, have not we prophesied in thy name, and cast out devils in thy name, and done many miracles in thy name? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity.”

I might donate my NLT later to charity…

Now these are precisely why I decided to set aside the 2 GNBs that I was given for confirmation, ignored the NLT, sometimes refer to the CCB and am very settled with the DRV

 

[Hessian]

Well, reading from the Bible Researcher, just a little disgusted on how freely the NLT translated this passage of Matthew 7:21-23

I might donate my NLT later to charity…

You have the wrong print, the initial NLT’s were lousy. Later editions were MUCH better, go in to any LifeWay store if you can handle it (lol) and look at the NLT now, they use the final draft version. And even a Christian woman I knew whose mother was Greek and spoke it testified to how faithful the current NLT was to the spirit of the letter.

catholicbiblesblog.com/2016/05/nltce-in-usa.html www.catholicbiblesblog.com/2016/05/nlt-catholic-edition-official.html

 

[hadulzo]

The catholic bible blog brought this up a few weeks ago. Tyndale sells a NLT Catholic reference edition with no nihil obstat or imprimatur. I got a 2002 edition for $2 . Funny thing I noticed was though deuterocannon is in the book in the proper locations the concordance in the back does not deal with it at all. It also has the lectionaery reference. Back to the blog. The 2017 edition has a nihil obstat and imprimatur. It is being printed by Tyndale’s publisher in India so it will be a while before we see it. The Bishop that approved it is from India. Wondering if that’s why they printed it there. Easier to deal with him than someone in the states??
I felt the Good News Translation is choppy compared to the NLT.