Whats your preferred translation of Sacred Scriptures?

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I often joke that I have more translations of the Bible than the Almighty, :rolleyes: but my personal favorite is the RSV-CE 2nd though my DRB and Confraternity Bibles run a very close 2nd.
 
Douay-Rhelims

The one I have has footnotes explaining the proper Catholic translation /interpretation of controversial passages, especially those that Protestants use to claim that Mary was not forever a Virgin, etc, etc.
 
I like the New American Bible the best! But not the Revised Version, the original one!
 
We used the NAB in OCI class. I have the big blue Catholic study Bible at home. I also have an ERV that I got before I converted.
 
I prefer the DR for few reasons, one is because its traditionally Catholic and was not done with direct or indirect help from non-Catholics, as the NAB prides itself with having Protestants on the committee. Nor did it come from a critical text that was influenced by Protestantism as all the modern versions do. I like the literal translation from the Vulgate and I trust it as a version that you just cannot go wrong with.
 
RSV-2CE best for all around and study, NAB/RE for RCIA and Bible study classes at church and Confraternity - Douay Bible for prayerful reading at home.👍
 
The Latin Vulgate is definitely best. But, not many of us can speak Latin. So, I’ll vote Douay-Rheims, the second-best. 👍
 
The Protestant ESV and NASB remain my favorite. But I haven’t had any experience as of yet with most of the Catholic Bible’s other than the NAB, because I don’t have money right now to constantly be buying bibles.
 
I voted “other” only because it really does depend on my mood. Today, other would be correct as I’d answer Confraternity NT, Douay OT, New Latin Psalter (1951 Catholic Book Publishing Co.). Yesterday I was very much in a Knox mood. Tomorrow’s answer may be RSV. Those 3 plus DR and Jerusalem are all possible answers, depending on day and mood.
 
Confraternity New Testament–Douay Rheims Challoner Old Testament–a New English Translation of the New Latin Psalms–the best translation of these Psalms I believe is from the Light of the World Edition copyright 1954–this bible also has the first eight books of the bible retranslated.

The Confraternity Psalms really went downhill in 1955 when they started saying “Happy is the man” instead of “Blessed is the man”.

All RSV bibles get 2 Corinthians 2:10 wrong when they use “In the presence of Christ” instead of “In the person of Christ”–this verse shows the PROTESTANT bias of the RSV.

NRSV has a bunch of inclusive language.

RSV2CE while not the best is the best Catholic polished Protestant translation of the scriptures.

Jerusalem and New Jerusalem bibles aren’t literal enough.

NAB has horrendous notes.

Much of the Knox is good but sometimes Knox worries so much about style that he goes off the deep end.

Douay Rheims is improved upon by the Confraternity/Douay Rheims Challoner.
 
(An)other vote for the Confraternity bible, in generally any of its 1953 and earlier versions. Being Vulgate-based and purely Catholic, the NT is simply outstanding. In the OT, you get either the pure Douay Challoner revision, or various introductions of the Confraternity OT translation.

I have 1953 Confraternity editions by different publishers which use different Psalm translations. Psalm 1 begins, for instance:

“Blessed” - Catholic Book Publishing Company (Pontifical Bible Institute 1945 Psalms).
“Happy” - Goodwill Publishers/Belmont Abbey (Confraternity Psalms).

In Psalm 1, I note that the NAB uses “Happy” while, to its credit, the NAB/RE reverts back to “Blessed”

The Jerusalem Bible (1966) uses “Happy”
The New Jerusalem Bible (1985) words it “How blessed”
The RSV-2CE uses “Blessed” as do most protestant translations.

A point that seems lost to modern translators: All of the Confraternity bibles have the prayer to the Holy Spirit preceding the scriptures. That prayer is nowhere to be found in the NAB, /RE or other translations.
 
Jerry-Jet said:
Confraternity New Testament–Douay Rheims Challoner Old Testament–a New English Translation of the New Latin Psalms–the best translation of these Psalms I believe is from the Light of the World Edition copyright 1954–this bible also has the first eight books of the bible retranslated.

The Confraternity Psalms really went downhill in 1955 when they started saying “Happy is the man” instead of “Blessed is the man”.

All RSV bibles get 2 Corinthians 2:10 wrong when they use “In the presence of Christ” instead of “In the person of Christ”–this verse shows the PROTESTANT bias of the RSV.

NRSV has a bunch of inclusive language.

RSV2CE while not the best is the best Catholic polished Protestant translation of the scriptures.

Jerusalem and New Jerusalem bibles aren’t literal enough.

NAB has horrendous notes.

Much of the Knox is good but sometimes Knox worries so much about style that he goes off the deep end.

Douay Rheims is improved upon by the Confraternity/Douay Rheims Challoner.
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The OP was asking your preferred translation, not which ones you want to gripe about/critique all the time. Back to being a hermit as far as this place is concerned. I come back and check a few threads and it’s the usual b****ing.

My preferred translation:
Whichever one I’m reading or praying.
 
HillbillyHermit said:
The OP was asking your preferred translation, not which ones you want to gripe about/critique all the time. Back to being a hermit as far as this place is concerned. I come back and check a few threads and it’s the usual b****ing.

My preferred translation:
Whichever one I’m reading or praying.
Click to expand...
:ehh:
 
CountrySteve said:
Just as the title says
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Part A of the question.
Jerry-Jet said:
Confraternity New Testament–Douay Rheims Challoner Old Testament–a New English Translation of the New Latin Psalms–the best translation of these Psalms I believe is from the Light of the World Edition copyright 1954–this bible also has the first eight books of the bible retranslated.
Click to expand...
This answers part A of OP’s question.
CountrySteve said:
and is there a reason? God bless!
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Part B of the question.
Jerry-Jet said:
The Confraternity Psalms really went downhill in 1955 when they started saying “Happy is the man” instead of “Blessed is the man”.

All RSV bibles get 2 Corinthians 2:10 wrong when they use “In the presence of Christ” instead of “In the person of Christ”–this verse shows the PROTESTANT bias of the RSV.

NRSV has a bunch of inclusive language.

RSV2CE while not the best is the best Catholic polished Protestant translation of the scriptures.

Jerusalem and New Jerusalem bibles aren’t literal enough.

NAB has horrendous notes.

Much of the Knox is good but sometimes Knox worries so much about style that he goes off the deep end.

Douay Rheims is improved upon by the Confraternity/Douay Rheims Challoner.
Click to expand...
This answers part B of the question.
Originally Posted by HillbillyHermit
The OP was asking your preferred translation, not which ones you want to gripe about/critique all the time. Back to being a hermit as far as this place is concerned. I come back and check a few threads and it’s the usual b****ing.
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My preferred translation:
Whichever one I’m reading or praying.
Click to expand...
We are still waiting to hear your favorite translation and the reasons. If none, why respond to this thread? 🤷
 
po18guy said:
Part A of the question.

This answers part A of OP’s question.

Part B of the question.

This answers part B of the question.
We are still waiting to hear your favorite translation and the reasons. If none, why respond to this thread? 🤷
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I don’t know why. Don’t even know why I come here. Especially when I come back to check the place out and, instead of posting an answer of the preferred translation and why, there’s a critique of other translations. It seems like that’s all this place is, along with encyclical quoters and Catechism copy and pasters.

Preferred translation:
The one I’m reading right now, which is The Jerusalem Bible. I like the translation and it’s the study edition, which is a big help.
 
HillbillyHermit said:
I don’t know why. Don’t even know why I come here. Especially when I come back to check the place out and, instead of posting an answer of the preferred translation and why, there’s a critique of other translations.
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Well, the OP did ask for reasons…
HillbillyHermit said:
It seems like that’s all this place is, along with encyclical quoters and Catechism copy and pasters.
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I must admit that I need to read more of both documents.
HillbillyHermit said:
Preferred translation:
The one I’m reading right now, which is The Jerusalem Bible. I like the translation and it’s the study edition, which is a big help.
Click to expand...
Perfect! Had mine out just a couple of days ago.
 
There SHOULD always be a critique of substandard translations.

No translation is perfect but some are more imperfect than others.

I am of the opinion that ANY translation of the bible that does not say “A virgin will conceive” in Isaiah 7:14–“Hail Full of Grace” in Luke 1:28 and “in the person of Christ” in 2 Corinthians 2:10–and “Blessed is the man” in Psalms 1 is not FIT to be a Catholic’s preferred bible translation.

I think it IRKS many with modern translation advocacy agendas that I point out these things.

And yes you can buy a Light of the world Edition Bible from 1954 that will pass ALL of these tests with the added benefit of what I think is the most poetical version of the New Latin Psalms in English–with ALSO the added benefit of the first 8 books of the bible being retranslated which removes Moses from coming down from Mt. Sinai with “horns” while also NOT having the deficit of the 1970 NAB’s version of Genesis which says "In the beginning “When” instead of the BETTER “In the beginning God”.

No other Catholic bible does as many things well.
 
Voted Other.
My current preferred translation is the NRSV. Reads really good. Only defect is the inclusive language.
Overall, Greek Old Testament and New Testament is best!
 
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