What bible should i read?

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I have been reading the bible for about a year now and the only bible version i have read was the NLT on my iphone. Is this a good bible to read for a catholic like me? i have only began taken my catholic faith seriously just recently and i don’t know which bibles i should read and which a bibles i should avoid
 
I would say the nab and the rsv:ce are the best catholic bibles.
 
As a simple rule of thumb, you should feel confident reading any Bible with an imprimatur. The imprimatur is basically an assurance that there is no hidden agenda in the translation, and no translation strategy that is contrary to Catholic principles regarding how the Bible should be translated into English. (Not having an imprimatur doesn’t mean that a translation has a hidden agenda, or is anti-Catholic, but only that this has not been verified.)

That still gives you plenty of choices, three different ones that spring to mind are:
Douay-Rheims Version: The go-to version if you prefer traditional language (thees and thous), and traditional names and numbering for the books (like “Apocalypse”)
RSV Catholic Edition: This is an oecumenical version that has the advantage of also being widely accepted among Protestants (except that they don’t read the deuterocanonical books, which is why there’s a separate “Catholic Edition” that includes them.)
New Jerusalem Version: A very modern translation that offers the cutting edge of Biblical scholarship.

More complete list.

The NLT (including the NLT Catholic Edition) does not have an imprimatur, so it is not an approved translation, probably because the translation philosophy that is used is not that which the church recommends for Bible translations. If you don’t have the Catholic edition, then your Bible is missing a number books of the Bible (Tobit, I & II Maccabees…). There are a lot of great Catholic iPhone apps out there (let me put in a plug for the free URosary), but Bible-wise the Douay-Rheims may be the only free option, and it is a much harder read than the NLT.

If you’d like the best of both worlds: a Bible that reads like the NLT you’re used to, and has an imprimatur, you should track down a copy of the Good News Bible-Catholic Edition (GNB-CE). You’ll be glad you did!
 
My understanding - the NLT is a “thought for thought” translation, so there may be accuracy issues (since it relies on the translators being correct about what the original thoughts were).

But basically, to see if it’s a Catholic Bible, check for “nihil obstat” and “imprimatur” on the title/copyright page. If they are missing, then it is probably not a Catholic bible, so you may have to take the footnotes with a grain of salt and (because of the thought for thought thing) the actual text as well.

To find a version that is Catholic, you can generally just search for “Catholic Bible”.

In addition to the versions that the second poster suggested, there is also the NABRE, and the Douay Rheims (if you prefer the “Wherein you shall greatly rejoice, if now you must be for a little time made sorrowful in divers temptations:” style).

EDIT: looks like I was slow. What the guy above me said.
 
Costner said:
I have been reading the bible for about a year now and the only bible version i have read was the NLT on my iphone. Is this a good bible to read for a catholic like me? i have only began taken my catholic faith seriously just recently and i don’t know which bibles i should read and which a bibles i should avoid
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The NLT is a protestant bible, which is incomplete. It lacks the Deuterocanonical books of the Old Testament. As well, all protestant bibles will have some degree of anti-Catholic bias, nuance or whatever, in their translation.

For you, I would recommend the Revised Standard Version - Second Catholic Edition, also known as the Ignatius bible. I have several Catholic bibles, but the one I love most (Confraternity, or CCD) has been out of print for some time. You cannot go wrong with a Douay-Rheims, Confraternity, Knox, Jerusalem, or any Catholic bible, really. I list these in the order of antiquity. A lot of us are very lukewarm on the NAB or NAB-RE (even though they are approved for the liturgy) as they are seen as squishy translations, with modernistic inclusive language, and some of the notes can be horrible.

If you have a local Catholic bookstore, go and page through a few of different bibles. Or, you can go on Amazon and click on different versions, opening up a sample page - just be sure to specify “Catholic” in your search. You will probably be more comfortable with the translation style one particular version, and if that causes you to read it, great!
 
The suggestion I like is to read the Bible you will actually read. It is far better to read the NLT if you actually read it than the RVS-CE that sits on a shelf. That being said, since you are Catholic it would be better to use a Catholic Edition (if available) of whatever translation you pick.

As well, most people find as they read it more they have a desire to go to a more formal equivalence for a more accurate rendering of the original texts.

Good luck and keep up the reading!
 
Personal review follows, please season accordingly. 🙂
The Living Translation is wholly paraphrased. Unfortunately, that means that the translators used their personal views as a lens for translating. Many verses are expounded upon to increase detail well beyond the originals while others actually have details omitted. It is a translation with Protestant commentary inserted into the text.
The Douay-Rheims translation is public domain, so there are probably a few apps that include it.

Ignatius Press has the RSV-2CE in e-book format (there are probably scores of e-book readers for iPhone).

Some others might come up from this forum search.

If you prefer a print Bible, the better alternatives are the RSV-2CE (Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition) for study or Jerusalem Bible for a more literary experience.
 
tektonik said:
Is the English Standard Version ok?
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It still lacks 7 Old Testament books. In just one of those missing books (2 Maccabees), you can read of the liberation of Israel from the oppressive Selucid Kings, who had imposed the death penalty for the pactice of Judaism. You can read about the restoration of the Temple and the practice of observing the Mosaic Law - the Jewish Holy Days of Hannukah. You can read about the restoration of the Law to Israel in the time immediately preceeding Jesus’ birth - Jesus, who had to be born under the Law in order to fulfill it (see Galatians 4:4-5). You can read about prayers offered for the dead, so that they might be loosed from their sins. You will read about the resurrection and about eternal life in a book that was written less than 200 years before, and in anticipation of Christ!

It is very important to have a complete bible that was not winnowed down by rebellious man’s desires. If there is an ESV with the Deuterocanonical books, it would be fine, but I do not know of one. The Ignatius bible (RSV-2CE) would be a fine replacement, and probably similar in language.
 
I recommend the Douay Rheims, or more accurately called the Douay Challoner Version. The language may be a bit more, archaic, however, that is precisley what makes it more beautiful. The words are poetic. Just as if the KJV would have been Catholic from the start, I would definetly and only read the KJV because the language is so beautiful, however, Since I love my Faith, I want to read a Catholic ONLY Bible, with almost the exact same language, the Douay Rheims is definetly the way to go.

Charity is to be preferred before all gifts.
[1] If I speak with the tongues of men, and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. [2] And if I should have prophecy and should know all mysteries, and all knowledge, and if I should have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. [3] And if I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I should deliver my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. [4] Charity is patient, is kind: charity envieth not, dealeth not perversely; is not puffed up; [5] Is not ambitious, seeketh not her own, is not provoked to anger, thinketh no evil;

drbo.org/chapter/53013.htm

The Beauty of the English Languaged captured with the Very WORD of GOD. What better could You ask for??
 
po18guy said:
It still lacks 7 Old Testament books. In just one of those missing books (2 Maccabees), you can read of the liberation of Israel from the oppressive Selucid Kings, who had imposed the death penalty for the pactice of Judaism. You can read about the restoration of the Temple and the practice of observing the Mosaic Law - the Jewish Holy Days of Hannukah. You can read about the restoration of the Law to Israel in the time immediately preceeding Jesus’ birth - Jesus, who had to be born under the Law in order to fulfill it (see Galatians 4:4-5). You can read about prayers offered for the dead, so that they might be loosed from their sins. You will read about the resurrection and about eternal life in a book that was written less than 200 years before, and in anticipation of Christ!

It is very important to have a complete bible that was not winnowed down by rebellious man’s desires. If there is an ESV with the Deuterocanonical books, it would be fine, but I do not know of one. The Ignatius bible (RSV-2CE) would be a fine replacement, and probably similar in language.
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Thanks very much, I am diving into the texts I haven’t read yet. There’s too many bibles to choose from I had no idea. And yes, I like the very simple language, it makes everything easy to follow.
 
po18guy said:
It still lacks 7 Old Testament books. In just one of those missing books (2 Maccabees), you can read of the liberation of Israel from the oppressive Selucid Kings, who had imposed the death penalty for the pactice of Judaism. You can read about the restoration of the Temple and the practice of observing the Mosaic Law - the Jewish Holy Days of Hannukah. You can read about the restoration of the Law to Israel in the time immediately preceeding Jesus’ birth - Jesus, who had to be born under the Law in order to fulfill it (see Galatians 4:4-5). You can read about prayers offered for the dead, so that they might be loosed from their sins. You will read about the resurrection and about eternal life in a book that was written less than 200 years before, and in anticipation of Christ!

It is very important to have a complete bible that was not winnowed down by rebellious man’s desires. If there is an ESV with the Deuterocanonical books, it would be fine, but I do not know of one. The Ignatius bible (RSV-2CE) would be a fine replacement, and probably similar in language.
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Oxford publishes an ESV Bible with the deutro-canonical/apocryphal books available at Amazon and other places.
 
CalCatholic said:
Oxford publishes an ESV Bible with the deutro-canonical/apocryphal books available at Amazon and other places.
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That is good news. I have not checked, but have heard that the protestant “apocrypha” are slightly different from the Deuterocanon.
 
tektonik said:
Thanks very much, I am diving into the texts I haven’t read yet. There’s too many bibles to choose from I had no idea. And yes, I like the very simple language, it makes everything easy to follow.
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Go onto Amazon and search “Ignatius bible”. Once it comes up, you can click on the picture and look at a random page, then compare it side-by-side to your ESV. I do not think you will be disappointed.
 
Hi! The New Testament of the Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition (RSV-CE) is also available for free download on the iPhone (and other platforms) as the Truth and Life Dramatized Audio Bible. The download includes the complete New Testament complete text and FREE audio of the Gospel of Mark (audio for other books are available for purchase). There is also a Foreword by Pope Benedict XVI (it is endorsed by the Vatican with Imprimatur). I hope you will find it helpful.

Here is the link:
truthandlifebible.com/
 
ChurchSoldier said:
Yes. It is an update of the RSV.

Also you can look at alot of translations at www.biblegateway.com
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SonCatcher said:
The ESV does not show on the list of approved translations. Though, as a revision of the RSV that might be only for lack of a formal evaluation. I would stick with the straight RSV (or NRSV) to be more sure.
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As well, the ESV, in most versions, lacks the Deuterocanon books that are used in the liturgy. As CalCatholic kindly pointed out, an edition that includes the Deuterocanon is available from Oxford Press.
 
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