What's a good bible to use for Lectio Divina

[danielsisk619]

Hi what would be a good translation to use for Lectio Divina? I know the traditionalists will say the Douay-Rheims but Lectio Divina is a time of prayer and I don’t want to be translating old english into modern english when I should be praying the words of scripture.

Along with translation what format would be good? Would large print be better then small print or even regular print? Would no foot notes be better?

I’d love to know your thoughts and if you are pray the scriptures in Lectio Divina what bible do you use.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Traditional_Ang]

Hi what would be a good translation to use for Lectio Divina? I know the traditionalists will say the Douay-Rheims but Lectio Divina is a time of prayer and I don’t want to be translating old english into modern english when I should be praying the words of scripture.

Along with translation what format would be good? Would large print be better then small print or even regular print? Would no foot notes be better?

I’d love to know your thoughts and if you are pray the scriptures in Lectio Divina what bible do you use.

Thanks for the help.

Daniel Sisk 619:

Daniel, my daily reader is a Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edtion (has all of the books and some necessary revisions), which is what Ignatius Press sells, and many of the priests on EWTN use. The RSV-CE is known as a Formal Equivalence Translation which means that it’s pretty close to the Greek, Hebrew & other languages used by the original writers, & it’s a good modern translation.

Mother Mary Angelica likes the original Jerusalem Bible, and has used it since the 1970’s. It’s a good modern translation which is easy to read. The use of the Divine Name may be disconcerting.

The New American Bible is the one that’s read at Mass. It’s a fairly good modern translation that may not be as easy to read as the JB.

Both the JB & the NAB are borderline Formal Equivalence-Dynamic Equivalence translations which sometimes translate the “sense” the original languages instead of the actual words or sentences.

Before I left the Church & went on my 25 year “walkabout” in the 1980’s, I using the JB, NAB & RSV (the CE hadn’t come out yet).

Start with those and see how they work. I hope this helps.

Your Brother in Christ, Michael

PS: There are threads on this subject which I’ve postec on before - Search Traditional Ang & this topic and use the links in the threads for samples of various versions of the Bible. This will help you to look at various translations for free.

 

[porthos11]

If you like the RSV, try the Second Catholic Edition from Ignatius Press. Its print and font are well suited to reading, unlike the older editions. The newer Oxford editions are also good.

But for Lectio Divina, any approved Catholic Bible will do. You can use the NAB or JB or NJB as previously suggested. The NRSV might not be a good idea; the inclusive language grates.

 

[Traditional_Ang]

If you like the RSV, try the Second Catholic Edition from Ignatius Press. Its print and font are well suited reading, unlike the older editions. The newer Oxford editions are also good.

But for Lectio Divina, any approved Catholic Bible will do. You can use the NAB or JB or NJB as previously suggested. The NRSV might not be a good idea; the inclusive language grates.

Porthos:

That’s why I didn’t suggest the NRSV - I made the mistake of buying one when I came back to the LORD. I’ve been sorely tempted to bring back BOOK-BURNING!

The NJB is OK, but I didn’t suggest it. It has some of the same inclusive language problems as the NRSV, although it doesn’t have nearly as many problems as the NRSV.

Unlike the NSRV, I could add it to the list if someone wanted a JB but wasn’t able to find one.

Here’s a link to a partial one:

kofc.duq.edu/scripture/

Your Brother in Christ, Michael

 

[puzzleannie]

the best bible to use for private devotion is the approved translation that is most comfortable to use and most readable to use, the one you actually prefer. You can choose, among others, from the NAB, Jerusalem Bible, or RSV-CE. Even the GNT is approved and has in imprimatur, and while it would not be a good choice for a serious bible study, for devotional use it would be acceptable, especially for someone who has English as a second language.