The Bible

[Marysgirl]

When I was a protestant I don’t think I ever worried about which Bible to buy. I just looked for the format that I liked. The Catholic Bibles are a different story. I don’t understand why the “seal of approval” is put on inferior translations and the print and format are so poor. I would buy the Douay but the print size is not pleasing to me. The only Bible that I could find in the larger print is the NAB. I’ve heard that this is a poor translation. The RSV-CE is supposed to be good but it is small print and not good quality. It just seems like the Bible is a low priority. What is the advantage of a poor Catholic Bible over a good protestant Bible? At least with a protestant Bible you are aware that there are bias’ but I expect authentic teaching when I read the Catholic Bible. I don’t think you should have such poor translations that you have to read several at a time and commentaries to get a correct reading. Do they not know that Catholics want a good sound translation with good print and a good format! I am frustrated about this. How do you feel?

 

[Bobby_Jim]

I have seen at used book stores and book fairs some old-time Catholic family Bibles - these would be the ones that are maybe a 14 inches by 10 inches, hard-bound, with gold-rimmed leaves, and beautiful decoration of the cover and nice full-page color illustrations. You may be able to find one of these in the old Confraternity edition, or the original New American version, both which some find preferable to the more recent revision of the NAB.

Now if you want to read a single version to get the correct reading, you could perhaps learn ancient Greek and Hebrew, and read these in the original languages. But even then you would have many different manuscripts to read through and compare - there is no single reading even in the original languages.

Perhaps the difference in Bible versions reflects the fact that translation is (a) a difficult thing, and (b) never perfect. The existence of multiple translations, each of which carry the Church’s Imprimatur and Nihil Obstat (and yes, this includes the NAB that so many people think is defective) perhaps speaks to the Church’s recognition that there is no such thing as a single perfect translation.

 

[Scott_Lafrance]

Marysgirl:

When I was a protestant I don’t think I ever worried about which Bible to buy. I just looked for the format that I liked. The Catholic Bibles are a different story. I don’t understand why the “seal of approval” is put on inferior translations and the print and format are so poor. I would buy the Douay but the print size is not pleasing to me. The only Bible that I could find in the larger print is the NAB. I’ve heard that this is a poor translation. The RSV-CE is supposed to be good but it is small print and not good quality. It just seems like the Bible is a low priority. What is the advantage of a poor Catholic Bible over a good protestant Bible? At least with a protestant Bible you are aware that there are bias’ but I expect authentic teaching when I read the Catholic Bible. I don’t think you should have such poor translations that you have to read several at a time and commentaries to get a correct reading. Do they not know that Catholics want a good sound translation with good print and a good format! I am frustrated about this. How do you feel?

1. All protestant bibles are incomplete. They are missing 7 books and parts of 2 others.
2. The NAB is a good reading translation. Some people have a problem with the commentary and therefore dismiss it out of hand. I reject such a notion. No other bible has the content of Scripture with cross-references and commentary, including a intro paragraph all in one place. I like the NAB as the most complete source of scriptural information within the cover of one book.
3. The Ignatius Bible, available at Catholic Answers, is a fantastic version of the RSV-CE. I don’t think it is available with a fancy schmancy leather cover and red letters, etc… but Jesus didn’t speak in red letters (to my knowledge).

 

[FiremanFrank]

Hello Marysgirl!

I have various mainstream translations myself that I have purchased over the years. NAB, NIV, RSV.

Personaly, I trust Catholic answers in their belief that the RSV is the most accurate translation. I also like the NIV, but that is a protestant Bible. As such, and by it’s very nature, it lacks then in presenting all of the books that Catholicsm has formally accepted.

Have you tried/considered the Navarre Bible?

This is put out by the Navarre Institute (Spain?) and makes use of references from the Fathers of the Church, the Catechism, Vat. I and Vat. II, the Church Councils, etc.

That is a very good bible to have. The Bible text is RSV, and they were initially being printed one book at a time for each book of the Bible. But I believe that you can now get a single version that encompasses the entire Bible.

And as to why the NAB and some of it’s commentary are not always clear and succinct in their writings? Well, as it’s name suggests, the NAB is the “New American Bible”. So I believe that it has been presented with certain American theological influences in mind. At times then, while not exactly being “heretical” in nature, the commentary can still be somewhat problematic or “weak”.

Hope that helps!

 

[Comet_Catholic]

Finally, someone who shares my frustration as well! Because Catholics have the sacraments, they don’t read the bible nearly as much as our separated brethren. So there is not much of a market. You can buy a KJV in endless configurations in nice bound leather.

Oh, sure, if you go to Mass every day for 3 years, you will have heard the entire bible, except for parts that are politically incorrect. You also get the watered down NAB that includes a lot of thought for thought translations. But let’s be honest; the fact that there are 1 billion Catholics in the world and not much selection is proof that Satan is succeeding in taking the Word of God out of the hands of Catholics.

The NAB is the Catholic version of the NIV. It’s good for those who want to read the Bible at a six grade level.

The most literal Catholic bible is the Douay Rheims. There is the Lareto, Baronius and Haydock versions. Granted, it is harder to read than NAB, but not more than 12 grade (same as KJV) The RSV-CE is not as literal, but the interpretation is more literal than the NAB.

I don’t care for the print of the Baronius Douay, and it is too thick. What I ended up doing is taking the Lareto Douay Rheims to a book binder and had it rebound with genuine leather. That is a rather spendy option.

There is one more option that no one has mentioned; the Oxford Annotated RSV with Apocrypha. The Orthodox Church uses this version in their semimaries. It is decent leather bound and has larger print that the RSVCE by Ignatius or Scepter. It has commentary that is OK for historical, but that’s about all. The cross-references are not as good as Ignatius (which is really from Nelson).

And finally, one more option is the NASB. Yes it is a protestant bible, but it is very literal and it comes in a lot of configurations. It is a sibling of the RSV; that is, both the NASB and the RSV derive from the American Standard Version (from KJV).

No, it does not have the deutero-cannonical books, but you can read those from your other bible. Personally, I could do without the apocrypha anyway. At least the Orthodox is honest enough to admit that the apocrypha is a lower tier in its cannonical merit. With the exception with Maccabees and purgatory, I rarely read from those books. I’m sure someone will be offended by that, but the bottomline is that the best bible is “the one that you read” (Billy Graham).

Comet

 

[Scott_Lafrance]

Comet_Catholic:

Oh, sure, if you go to Mass every day for 3 years, you will have heard the entire bible, except for parts that are politically incorrect. You also get the watered down NAB that includes a lot of thought for thought translations. But let’s be honest; the fact that there are 1 billion Catholics in the world and not much selection is proof that Satan is succeeding in taking the Word of God out of the hands of Catholics.

Huh? Jesus Christ is the Word of God. He is right there when you receive the Holy Eucharist. Catholics are encouraged to read Scripture daily, and can receive a partial indulgence for reading Sacred Scripture 30 minutes a day.

Comet_Catholic:

The NAB is the Catholic version of the NIV. It’s good for those who want to read the Bible at a six grade level.

No it isn’t The NAB is a completely Catholic translation. I agree that its intended audience reads at a lower grade level. But then again, UNIVERSAL means open to everyone, not only those with a college education.

Comet_Catholic:

The most literal Catholic bible is the Douay Rheims. There is the Lareto, Baronius and Haydock versions. Granted, it is harder to read than NAB, but not more than 12 grade (same as KJV) The RSV-CE is not as literal, but the interpretation is more literal than the NAB.

You forgot about the Challoner Version.

Comet_Catholic:

There is one more option that no one has mentioned; the Oxford Annotated RSV with Apocrypha. The Orthodox Church uses this version in their semimaries. It is decent leather bound and has larger print that the RSVCE by Ignatius or Scepter. It has commentary that is OK for historical, but that’s about all. The cross-references are not as good as Ignatius (which is really from Nelson).

And finally, one more option is the NASB. Yes it is a protestant bible, but it is very literal and it comes in a lot of configurations. It is a sibling of the RSV; that is, both the NASB and the RSV derive from the American Standard Version (from KJV).

No, it does not have the deutero-cannonical books, but you can read those from your other bible. Personally, I could do without the apocrypha anyway. At least the Orthodox is honest enough to admit that the apocrypha is a lower tier in its cannonical merit. With the exception with Maccabees and purgatory, I rarely read from those books. I’m sure someone will be offended by that, but the bottomline is that the best bible is “the one that you read” (Billy Graham).

Comet

It is not the Apocrypha. Apocrypha means hidden, and the Catholic Church has never hidden these books. At some point in Church history, there was some debate as to the inspiration of them, so they were given the title Deuterocanon, meaning “second canon”, but their inspiration and place in the bible has been affirmed since the Council of Hippo in 393. You are free to follow Orthodox theology if you want, I’ll stick with the Magisterium. Additionally, if you haven’t digested the Wisdom of Sirach, I recommend that you do. It is one of the best books in the Old Testament. Macabees is not only one of the sources for the doctrine of Purgatory, it is also THE source for the Jewist holiday of Hanukkah, or “Festive of Lights”, which Jesus Himself celebrated with the Apostles.

John 10:22-23 states, “And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch.” Since Jesus attended this festival, we should not be surprised that many aspects of its celebration has lessons to His followers today.

Hanukkah means “dedication”. Its initial purpose was to rededicate the temple that had sat filthy and had been used for the worship of false gods. This feast celebrated that fact that once again the house of God was cleansed and sanctified for His use alone. In like manner, we who have trusted in Jesus Christ as Saviour should cleanse our lives and set them apart for God’s use. We should dedicate ourselves to God and live only for Him.