Which bible do you use?

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Okay - I too am looking for the “Ideal Catholic Study Bible.” . . . Enter confusion . . . When I went through RCIA I was given a NAB translation and NAB is used during liturgy, etc. But then I hear people make claims that the NAB printing has some heretical statements. If that is so -why does the Church use this translation during Mass? I would like to get a wonderful and helpful study translation and up to this point I was going to get the New Catholic Answer Bible (NAB), now I am not sure and am leaning towards the RSV-CE. Help! :confused:
 
Other:
I have multiple Bible translations, including three “study” Bibles. I usually pick up the NASB when I just want to read. I like the DRV, but think the KJV is more poetic. As far as studying goes, it’s not the Bible so much as the workbook or reference I study with. For that, I prefer the Navarre series. I have to say, I’ve always liked the NIV, though I ignore the footnotes (unless they explain underlying Greek or Hebrew).
nianka
 
Does anyone else use the New Jerusalem Bible? It is 100% Catholic translation, very popular along with the Good News Bible in second-level Catholic schools in Ireland. I find it very clear and easy to understand!
 
I currently own a NAB (St. Joseph’s) and a NRSV. I’ve been wanting a DR-Haydock Bible for a while, but they’re pretty expensive. I don’t really like the idea of having to save my money for a while to buy a Bible, but I guess that’s the way it goes. The Haydock Bible is old enough that copyright shouldn’t apply to it anymore – anybody know of an online edition?
 
Use many Bibles. The reason for that is that much of translation of ancient texts is guesswork (read Catholic translator Bruce Vawter’s book On Genesis and you’ll see what I mean, and Bruce is good). If you consult different Bibles, old and new, you get the benefit of different guesses.

Also, do not neglect to consult the King James Bible or other Protestant Bibles just because they are Protestant. Our Protestant brothers foolishly threw out 7 inspired books and some other material, but the King James Bible, especially, is extremely valuable to Catholic Bible analysts because it was so literal in its translation yet so elegant.

I noted, once, that even the translators of the official Catholic Bible consulted the King James Bible. Here is the proof: In the Psalms, many of the verses are numbered one verse different in the King James Bible.

That’s because the King Jame’s translators omitted the cantor’s notes at the beginning of many Psalms, as uninspired debris, whereas the Catholic translators decided that they were intended by the Holy Spirit to be part of the inspired text. (In fact, many of those cantor’s notes seem to contain number types, evidence that they are in fact inspired!)

In any event, this changes the verse enumeration for every single verse in that Psalm, when the cantor’s notes are omitted. The first verse of the Psalm becomes Verse 1 in the King James Bible, whereas in the Catholic Bible it is properly enumerated Verse 2, and so on. 3 becomes 2. 4 becomes 3. 5 becomes 4, etc.

Well, if you look at the chain reference notes at the bottom of your modern Catholic Bible, they refer to the enumerations in the King James Bible, not the Bible you are holding in your hand!

So, don’t avoid opening the KJV like doing so is “sinful.” Just don’t make it your main Bible. They threw out about 10% of the Bible text.
 
I actually voted the wrong answer! What is the difference between the NAB and the NAB St. Joseph edition? All of our Bibles, except for the Navarre study Bibles, are the St. Joseph edition.

Thank you. God bless.
 
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MEP:
The Haydock Bible is old enough that copyright shouldn’t apply to it anymore – anybody know of an online edition?
The New Testament portion of the Haydock Bible commentary is online:

Haydock New Testament
 
So if I understand the poll correctly 32.5 percent of those polled us the New American bible, either St. Josephs edition or study bible?

The second most used bible, of those polled, would be the Igantius bible at 24%.

Then the Douy Rhiems bible.
 
Since posting above, I dug out my nonagenarian Douay & started reading it…I liked it so much, I now have the Baronius Press Douay Rheims. It is a beautiful Bible, beautifully made & printed, I mean.

I find it to be a very readable translation. Despite being older than the KJV that I grew up on, it is much easier to read than that. It was apparently revised in the 18th century, by Bishop Challoner. Well, the KJV was revised then, too, but the good bishop seems to have made a better job of it, because I find it has fast become my favorite, along with the Jerusalem Bible, which for some reason I never mentioned here.
It is word for word from the Vulgate, the best I can see, and a lady in my church who is a classicist says that it is the closest to the Septuaagint that she has ever seen…
 
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Bat-Ami:
When I was a Catholic . . .
JMJ + OBT​
Dear Bat-Ami,

In addition to reading the Bible during your spiritual journey from Christianity to Judaism, did you ever take a look at any of the following books?

Completed Jew by Andrew Sholl

Salvation is from the Jews by Roy H. Schoeman

Before the Dawn by Rabbi Israel Zolli

The Nazarene by Rabbi Israel Zolli

Just curious. May Our Lord bless you and keep you.

In the Hearts of Yeshua and Miriam.

IC XC NIKA
 
I use The Jerusalem Bible. I do read the New Jerusalem as well. I use the NAB when helping with RCIA. I heard that there is a new revision of The Jerusalem Bible in the works. Does anyone have any info?
 
1.Haydock two volume Douay-Rheims (Traditional. Best Roman Catholic translation IMO) (Soft Cover)
2.Oxford Annotated RSV w/Deuterocanonicals (Most complete Bible to date. Includes the complete canon of the Orthodox Church, 3&4 Maccabees, etc…) (Leather).
3.Ignatius RSV-SCE (Deuterocanonicals placed in the OT properly, new revision of the RSV-CE, more modern style language used, over original RSV. Best modern Roman Catholic translation IMO) (Hard Cover) 👍
 
And possibly the up and coming :highprayer: Orthodox Study Bible:signofcross: (Complete canon of scripture, for both Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox (Coptic), and Roman Catholic Christians, version will be non-inclusive translation:angel1: ).

Versions I whole heartedly disapprove of.
NAB
NRSV
Good News
NJB

All liberal:dancing: :clapping: translations I wouldn’t give :twocents: for.
 
And possibly the up and coming :highprayer: Orthodox Study Bible:signofcross: (Complete canon of scripture, for both Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox (Coptic), and Roman Catholic Christians, version will be non-inclusive translation:angel1: ).
When will it be available?
 
Here’s what I’ve noticed:
  1. Solid Catholic Scripture study groups may use a wide variety of translations, but you won’t have any problems with the NAB (I use the St. Joseph’s we had to use back in high school), as it is the one used in the Lectionary in America.
  2. The RSV-2CE is widely endorsed by most apologists and would also be widely acceptable in any good Catholic Scripture study group. (I use this one in theology classes, as it is widely considered the modern English translation closest to the original languages.) The leader of my parish’s Scripture study class is a long-time theology professor who reads Greek fluently, and he like this translation.
  3. Many like and use the Jerusalem Bible, which is also well reputed. I believe that Mother Angelica used this version in her broadcasts.
  4. Many scholars also like the DR version and find it quite good, as well.
To the best of my understanding, any of these will work well for you. Good luck to you…
 
The more I read the New Jerusalem Bible, the more I like it. Although there are a few quirks, like in all translations, the language is fresh and accurate. Probably the best quality of the NJB is the study notes, cross-references, page lay-out, and other study helps.

In addition, although there is some inclusive language, I think the NJB incorporates it the best…certainly far better than the NAB and the NRSV. Just compare Galatians 4:1-11.

(This might of course change whenever the Ignatius Study Bible is complete and in one volume…which should be sometime around 2015!)
 
I love the Douay, the Ignatius RSV Study bibles, the Navarre Study bibles, etc., for deep study.
For private daily reading,
I like, in general, the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition, though I admit sometimes the inclusive language gets on my nerves.

Jaypeeto3 (aka Jaypeeto4)
 
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