What Bible shouldn't we read as Catholics

  • Thread starter Thread starter 0104
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
0

0104

Guest
There are many bibles and at one time I thought it wasn’t that big of a deal a Bible is a Bible right, ( wrong ). In the time of Saint Jerome about 374 AD he was studying and translating scripture from the Septuagint and Hebrew Bible from the Greek to the Latin because many Greek speaking Jews were going to Latin because it was becoming the new language of the Mediterranean.

Even though Protestants go by the Hebrew Canon and not the Catholic Canon that has seven more books that are inspired by God! These deuterocanonical books; Tobit, Judith, wisdom, Ecclesiasticus,(Sirach), Baruch, 1st and 2nd Maccabees, chapters 10-16 of Esther, Daniel 13 ( the story of Susannah), and Daniel 14(Bel & the Dagon. Saint Jerome did interpret the Hebrew Canon with help from the scribes at that time. He made the old Hebrew Canon better.

We shouldn’t argue to much with Protestants on translations ( Greek or Hebrew), Jerome himself used the Hebrew scriptures but he knew that that deuterocanonical books were inspired scripture.

Catholics should get these kinds of Bibles there are the only ones that have the seven Old Testament books that are left out.
  1. Douay Rheims
  2. Ignatius
  3. St. Joseph
  4. New American
    5)RSVCE
Bibles you should ( NEVER ) get, they will guide you down the wrong road.j
Jehovah’s Witness
  1. The new world translation or the ( nwt )
    Mormon
  2. the book of Mormon
    These books are not divinely inspired, they undermine the Catholic Church and all her teachings.
 
Personally, I don’t like The Message… it’s way too informal for my taste… my mom, on the other hand, loves it… it’s honestly just a matter of taste
 
I am in no way being ugly are facetious that is not my intention. My intention is to show that when I was living my life as a ( sometime Sunday ) Catholic. I didn’t know that there were different Bibles and different translations and some translations were Bad. I know I will get some bad feedback. I am no expert by any means but I try to let people know what is out there.
 
I didn’t interpret it that way- just someone trying to get a biblical translations thread restarted. you’re fine.
 
I personally won’t read any Protestant Bible but the KJV and that’s only because I inherited one as a family heirloom.

In a world where you can easily pull up the Douay-Rheims, or the NAB, for free on your mobile phone or tablet, there is really no reason to be reading a Protestant Bible. I’ll admit I almost bought an NIV once before I did some research and found out what it was. No thanks!
 
Hi @0104 I like the list you posted ,do you know about the Knox Bible by Msgr. Knox,i use it at time’s to compare verses with the Douay Rheims which is very refreshing and a complement to the DRB

http://www.knoxbible.com/

The Knox Bible is the ideal translation for those looking to deepen their understanding of the Holy Scriptures. The unique features of the Knox Bible are:

Translated from the Latin Vulgate and compared with the Greek and Hebrew texts single handedly by Ronald Knox over nine years.

Uses timeless English, which is both sacral and reverent.
Set in a single-column format with verse references placed at the side of the text in order to provide a clear and easily readable Bible.

Was hailed as the finest translation of the 20th century, was approved for liturgical use and was endorsed by Pope Pius XII, Archbishop Fulton Sheen and many more.
The full Bible is now available again for the first time in over 50 years, in an edition from Baronius Press, beautifully bound in leather with gilt edges.

Included with this new edition is a paperback edition of On Englishing the Bible (5.5" x 8", 72 pages) in which Msgr. Knox describes his account of the ordeal, which manages to be both illuminating and full of his wit. Anyone wishing to know more about Knox’s translation – and the problems involved in rendering the sacred Scriptures into the vernacular – will be fascinated to hear from the translator himself how he tackled this mammoth project.
 
Last edited:
I don’t like the NAB but I have one that was a gift from a very important person (it was their confirmation Bible) so I usually end up reading that one.

I wouldn’t normally read the KJV but I have noticed that their translation of Psalm 23 is the most poetic. Maybe the Catholic Bible’s are more accurate (?) but definitely not as aesthetically pleasing.
 
Last edited:
Any of the 1941-1969 Confraternity bibles. IMO, the NT is the best English translation, and the OT was pure Douay, transitioning to a fresh version when it was killed off by the NAB. A shame. Any edition within that time frame is well worth having at hand. The introductions and footnotes are solid and confidence-inspiring.

For casual reading, I rather like the Revised English Bible w/Deuterocanon (“Apocrypha”). Translated in conjunction with the Catholic hierarchy in the UK. Not as British as the Knox, but very affordable in excellent used condition and a good read.

I also generally like the brand new Catholic NLT (New Living Translation) from, of all folks, Tyndale. Yeah, I know, but it does have the Imprimatur and Nihil Obstat.

The Catholic Living Bible is really loose, although the Deuterocanon books are pretty good, as they were provided to Tyndale by Our Sunday Visitor.
 
I had one theology teacher who recommended I read The Message for “Entertainment purposes”.
 
While I primarily use the NABRE and RSVCE (original and 2), I grew up on the KJV. I found the ESV to be a lovely and easy-to-read translation, despite missing the 7 books.
 
Are there Bible translations that Catholics shouldn’t read, other than the ones the OP listed, along with a few other obscure translations? IMO, no . . .

The “approved” translations are the ones permitted for use in the Liturgy.

While I grew up with and currently own the Douay-Rheims and Confraternity translations, I rarely read them. I own other translations and nowadays prefer the NKJV, followed by the RSV-CE and ESV.
 
Of note from the USCCB website:
In addition to the translations listed below, any translation of the Sacred
Scriptures that has received proper ecclesiastical approval ‒ namely, by the
Apostolic See or a local ordinary prior to 1983, or by the Apostolic See or an
episcopal conference following 1983 ‒ may be used by the Catholic faithful for
private prayer and study.
Click to expand...
I have not found a Protestant bible which casts as many doubts on the faith as do some of the notes and introductions in the NAB and NAB/RE.

“Some” of the notes, I said. Not all.
 
Last edited:
Hello,

Not only do I not feel you’re being ugly, but I think Catholics are way too accommodating when it comes to using the true Bible as a defense of our Catholic faith. The true Bible is a 73 book compilation while a 66 book bible is false. To claim a 66 book compilation is the true Bible is wrong. It rankles the feathers of many Catholics as most tell me, “it’s not false, just incomplete”. Here’s why it’s not just incomplete:

If I were to say to you that the year ends on November 30 you might courteously tell me that I’ve forgotten the month of December and that my response was “incomplete” by leaving out that month. But, if I were to reject your helpfulness and rather assert that the truth is that the year ends in November you would no longer think that my response is simply incomplete, but rather wrong because I’m now taking a stand for truth and what I’m saying is false. It is the same for those who believe in a 66 book bible. They are taking a stand on what is the truth and they are wrong as a 66 book bible is not only incomplete, but a false bible as well.

We give this truth away too easily. And since one of those books (2 Mach) is a direct defense of Purgatory we are harming our ability to preach the fullness of faith effectively. I’d go so far as to say that one of the key reasons why we have so many denominations today is because of a 66 book bible. It’s that big of a deal. If you don’t think it is ask yourself, how many times have I read Obadiah and what have I gotten out of it? Would your faith change at all if that book were eliminated? What would be the big deal if the Bible had one less book? Hopefully you see how wrong and dangerous that would be…and why removing 7 books is just as wrong and dangerous.

So, in the end to read a 73 book Bible is far better than any 66 book bible because one version is the truth while the other is both incomplete and most importantly false. Thanks for starting this topic.

-Ernie-
 
Maximilian75 said:
Personally, I don’t like The Message… it’s way too informal for my taste… my mom, on the other hand, loves it… it’s honestly just a matter of taste
Click to expand...
Ugghhh.
It idiomizes things to the point where meaning is lost. I don’t have it front of me so I can’t post examples. But good translation principles ought to lead to precision.

Idiomized American English is awful for precision, might be the worst language mis-mash in human history.
 
The New International Version or ( NIV ) is another book to stay away from. Mat. 1:23 says" The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel ( God with us). The NIV says that they will call him Immanuel ( God with us) notice the author is trying to put no emphasis ( that God IS with us ) in the baby Jesus. By calling him Immanuel instead of Emmanuel. But in the NAB it is used in the correct translation. Emmanuel ( God IS with us ) He is not a created being but the Creator!

" behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son and they shall name him Emmanuel, " which means: God is with us.

In John 1 of the JW ( nwt ) in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was a god.

Notice the Word had come down from heaven. But it was a created word small ( g) that’s why Catholics have to be on there guard. Watch out for false prophets. I am in no way and expert on this but I try to keep myself in line with the Catholic Church and the Church Father’s.
Hope this is helpful God bless
 
Yeah me too…but was a great starting point that contributed to my son joining the faith
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top