+1 for the Confraternity bible
Interesting find. Is that in paragraph format (like the original) or verse format?
The most obvious change would be that the 2CE disposed of the archaic thee and thou and equivalent verb changes. Otherwise, I believe they would be pretty similar.
The RSV one even more easily fits in your pocket and as Tim noted yes has a rather readable font and is single column. Has a very nice cover too.It’s Small enough to fit in your front pocket but it has a large enough font to be readable.
I haven’t seen the Pocket RSV-CE, but it does look nice. Thank you for the review mccorm45
It retains the paragraph format, with verse numbers in the margin. The print is good-sized for normal eyes. I have had to resort to reading glasses in reading it. The only negative is that the vinyl covers tend to curl. Even bonded leather would be an improvement.
I tried to upload a picture of mine (Scepter RSV red) from a different angle but I could not figure out how…
Thanks for the info mccorm.
I think I’ll buy one; I just can’t decide between the red one and the black one. I’ve never had a red bible, but I’ve always thought they looked nice, so I’ll probably go that way.I don’t know why publishers seem to favor those “soft” covers.
I just sent back a leather bound version of the Ignatius Study Bible with those, since I would much prefer a true hardback, even if the covers aren’t genuine leather. I got the hardback version now, which in my view is far sturdier and better made (IMHO.) On a small Bible, the soft covers do not seem as objectionable (although I would still prefer a true hardback, in leather if possible.)
I have an RSV CE, D/R by CTS, The New English Bible (also by CTS) as well as some old D/R ones, like a VERY small 1840 Irish bible by Simms & McIntyre, and an even smaller 1812 KJV by Sauer of Baltimore.
As to pocket-sized, I have the1952 Confraternity (“Illustrated”), the Scepter re-print, a 1946 KJV, which is 2-3/4" by 4-1/4" (The two column format allows only about three words per line!), and a 1977 vinyl-covered KJV which travelled around the US with me. I also found a “compact” sized 1941-dated Confraternity NT which I have had hard-bound.I don’t know why publishers seem to favor those “soft” covers.
Glad they kept the paragraph format in the new rendition of the 1941 Confraternity NT.
I am also a collector of pocket size Bibles.
Hardbacks do not work well in the* pocket.*…
Your 1946 KJV is the winner! My two smallest complete Bibles are both 5-1/4" x 3-1/4" The 1812 KJV is thinner @ 1-1/4" but of course it has no apocrypha. The Irish Bible is 1-5/8" thick including Challoner’s notes and other material. But it also has more readable type. The KJV is in Diamond Point, in fact the first American Diamond Point Bible ever printed. It is leather bound, gilt decorated and all edges gilt. My other modern pocket size complete bibles are all a bit larger, although the RSV-CE is a very handy size, small and thin, with good paper and print quality. It’s my favorite pocket size Bible. My favorite bible right now is the hard back version of the Ignatius Study Bible (NT) Not at all compact though.
The tiny KJV was one of my mom’s. And, for a well catechized Catholic, it is a very good NT to rely on. It’s language is somewhat more stilted than the Douay-Rheims, but still readable. For actual readability and faithfulness to the Clementine Vulgate, the 1941-1969 Confraternity is awfully hard to beat. I do not know of any pocket-sized Knox translations.
I like the red one…it is a nice red.