Thanks but i have read all that before. What i am trying to do is decide which one. The 2 that stand out are;4.4 Modified NAB with Revised Psalms and Revised New Testament (2000-2002). This title is of my own invention. It does not refer to any currently available Bible, but to the NAB with Revised Psalms and Revised NT, as modified by a committee of the Holy See and the Bishops for use in the liturgy. It is the text found in all current Lectionaries in the U.S… The Holy See accepted some use of inclusive language, where the speaker/author intended a mixed audience (e.g. “brothers and sisters”, instead of the older “brethren”), but rejected it in references to God or Christ, and man, where the word has anthropological and theological significance (e.g. Psalm 1:1, with reference to Adam and Christ). Whether a Bible will be made available having these modified NAB texts is not known at this time. Since they do not extend to the entire Bible, it is possible that none will be, as that would require further editing of the underlying NAB text.
- Jerusalem Bible (1966). A translation based on the French edition of the Dominicans of the Ecole Biblique in Jerusalem, who translated it from the original languages. This Bible is the one used by Mother Angelica on the air. The full version has copious footnotes but is hard to find, as it has not been recently republished. A Reader’s Edition, without the full footnoting, is available through EWTN’s Religious Catalogue.
- New Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition (1989). An adaptation for Catholic use of the NRSV of the National Council of the Churches of Christ. Although used in the American edition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it was rejected for liturgical use by the Holy See owing to inclusive language in some unacceptable places. With this exception, like the predecessor RSV, it is a good formal equivalent translation (i.e. literal, but literary).
- New Jerusalem Bible (1990). A revision of the Jerusalem Bible directly from the original languages. It contains inclusive language, similar to that rejected in the revised NAB by the Holy See for use in the liturgy, but is considered a very literary text, and comparable in quality to the NRSV in scholarship.
- Today’s’ English Version - Catholic (1992). This is the Catholic edition of the popular Good News Bible by the American Bible Society. Translated according to the principle of dynamic equivalence for readability. The same principle was used by ICEL to translate the Mass texts. Would be better to call a paraphrase than a translation.
If you do not like the archaic language of the Douay-Rheims, then I recommend the Knox Bible, written in beautiful and clear English.Thanks but i have read all that before. What i am trying to do is decide which one. The 2 that stand out are;
amazon.co.uk/Catholic-Bible-Anglicized-Revised-Standard/dp/0007414897/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356974268&sr=8-1
amazon.co.uk/Catholic-Bible-RSV-Ignatius-Press/dp/0898709369/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1357071345&sr=1-1-spell
Still confused. Priest told me to by the NRSV CE version but I am not sure. DR is a nice one but again, no idea. The CTS version is widely recommended too!If you do not like the archaic language of the Douay-Rheims, then I recommend the Knox Bible, written in beautiful and clear English.
Job 13:1-12 (Knox Bible):
Eyes nor ears nor wits are wanting to me, and I know all this as well as you, but I am still a match for you. Or rather, it is to God, the omnipotent, I will speak; with him I remonstrate; but first I would prove you what you are, unskilful plasterers all of you, that follow false rules of your craft. Would you but hold your tongues once for all! It were your best wisdom. Listen while I refute you; mark well what are my pleadings. Do you think God stands in need of your shifts, your lying advocacy? Are you God’s hired partisans, resolved to acquit him? Why then, beware of his own infallible scrutiny; think you he will be blinded, as men are blinded, by your sophistries? Nay, he himself will be the first to blame you for wrongful attachment to his cause; your turn, then, to fear every movement of his, to cower before his terrors! Your wise memories will vanish into dust, your pride will prove to be a thing of clay.
Click here to compare with the other two translations you linked to. See also 1 Corinthians 13:12.
I like the look of the CTS it’s just my priest said the NRSV CE is the one to get as that is going to be used soon in the UK. It’s confusing! Maybe I should get the one he suggests for now?I have the compact CTS Bible. I find it excellent: it makes the poetry and the use of quotations and references much easier to see than many other Bibles I’ve used, and it is easily-readable in modern English while being written in poetic language for reading aloud. It is not formatted in columns, but as whole pages with poetic sections formatted as poems.
If you live in a country that uses the Jerusalem Bible in the Lectionary, then I’d say that this is pretty much an ideal first Bible. I find it draws me in when I browse, so that I end up reading more of it. And it encourages me to learn and remember passages, because it is poetic and because it matches not only the readings but the antiphons and acclamations used in Mass.
But you need to decide what suits you.
If you’re wanting the comparison, here is Job 13:1-12 from this Bible. I have tried to represent the formatting: Job is one of the places this Bible makes a clear formatting difference between the prose sections and the poetic sections.
I have seen all this with my own eyes,
heard with my own ears, and understood.
Whatever you know, I know too;
I am no way inferior to you.
But my words are intended for Shaddai;
I mean to remonstrate with God.
As for you, you are only charlatans,
physicians in your own estimation.
I wish someone would teach you to be quiet
–the only wisdom that becomes you!
Kindly listen to my accusation,
pay attention to the pleading of my lips.
Will you plead God’s defence with prevarication,
his case in terms that ring false?
Will you be partial in his favour,
and act as his advocates?
For you to meet his scrutiny, would this be well?
Can he be duped as men are duped?
Harsh rebuke you would receive from him
for your covert partiality.
Does his majesty not affright you,
dread of him not fall on you?
Your old maxims are proverbs of ash,
your retorts, retorts of clay.
I don’t think NRSV-CE is even a confirmed thing for the future, yet, with talks still going on and so on. If you want an NRSV-CE, go for it, but I wouldn’t personally expect it to be used in the liturgy any time soon. I could, of course, be completely wrong. Pick the one you’ll be happy with and read!I like the look of the CTS it’s just my priest said the NRSV CE is the one to get as that is going to be used soon in the UK. It’s confusing! Maybe I should get the one he suggests for now?
The Bibles recommended in this thread are all orthodox (though I’m not sure about the commentaries). So you should just select one that you enjoy to read. Compare different translations of your favorite Psalms, for example, or one of St. Paul’s letters (which have always been difficult to translate), and see which translation you find most absorbing and clear.Still confused. Priest told me to by the NRSV CE version but I am not sure. DR is a nice one but again, no idea. The CTS version is widely recommended too!
Orthodox means conforming to (our) religious doctrine.What do you mean ‘orthodox’?
This review doesn’t recommend the CTS Bible. From the review:Another priest(A Canon actually) i contacted today also stated the NRSV would be the one to choose. Cant see why they wouldnt recommend the CTS one?
Many thanks indeed for your help. Is this the one you would recommend:Orthodox means conforming to (our) religious doctrine.
This review doesn’t recommend the CTS Bible. From the review:
“Often, the editor (or commentator, or whatever you wish to call him) dates books by assuming their prophecies were always made after the fact. Especially annoying is his continual insistence that the historical basis of the Bible may be unreliable in the most basic sense. In the introduction to the books of Samuel he suggests Saul might have been an “important innovator” whose reputation was blackened by David. Later, he accuses the Chronicler of blatantly re-writing and misrepresenting history, offering little or no thought to justify his accusations or relate them to Christian tradition.”
It concludes:
“The CTS Bible has almost nothing to offer people wanting to learn more about Christ and Catholicism. I cannot see it being useful in the field of evangelism or apologetics. If the Catholic Truth Society was trying to make a Bible for the everyday believer, they failed.”
So your priest is right in not recommending the CTS Bible, since the footnotes, at least, are not orthodox.
I think the NRSV is also problematic, because it uses gender-inclusive language (people of Israel instead of sons of Israel, for example). According to Wikipedia this was one of the reasons why the Holy See rejected the NRSV for liturgical use. So if you like the NRSV, go for the RSV-CE instead since it doesn’t use gender-inclusive language and seems to be much the same text.
Yes, that’s the one, but your link is the edition published by Saint Benedict Press, which doesn’t have cross-reverences. Click here for the second edition by Ignatius Press with cross-reverences and updated language (thee, thou, etc. are removed).Many thanks indeed for your help. Is this the one you would recommend:
amazon.co.uk/Catholic-Bible-RSV-Saint-Benedict-Press/dp/1935302094/ref=sr_1_14?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1357167014&sr=1-14
Not bothered about cross reference as i want to use it to digest the bible and pray using it. It also has a 3 year reading calendar for the church which is nice and letters of christ in red. It was published after the Ignatius one by 3 years. Also, i like thee and thou words.Yes, that’s the one, but your link is the edition published by Saint Benedict Press, which doesn’t have cross-reverences. Click here for the second edition by Ignatius Press with cross-reverences and updated language (thee, thou, etc. are removed).
Of the 2, which would you say is the right one to buy:NRSV and RSV both CE versions are the same?
No, they’re different, but they’re not very different. I hope you get a lot of reading from your RSV-CE, and that your prayer and study goes well.NRSV and RSV both CE versions are the same?
Ordered both but not sure which to keep!!No, they’re different, but they’re not very different. I hope you get a lot of reading from your RSV-CE, and that your prayer and study goes well.
Well then, see which one you read most! Or, if you’re asking because you intend to cancel one of the orders, it really doesn’t matter that much. NRSV is more “up to date” in terms of scholarship, and the RSV tends to be liked more by the sort of people who think “liberal” is an all-purpose insult and “conservative” an inherently positive thing. Neither of these really matter to me, but they might to you. The main changes that might matter are that the RSV bizarrely adds “thee” and “thou” when people address God (not reflecting the different forms of the second person in the original languages), and the NRSV apparently uses gender neutral language in places where the original languages use gendered terms.Ordered both but not sure which to keep!!
Thanks. I will be sending one back I know. Just not sure which one yet!Well then, see which one you read most! Or, if you’re asking because you intend to cancel one of the orders, it really doesn’t matter that much. NRSV is more “up to date” in terms of scholarship, and the RSV tends to be liked more by the sort of people who think “liberal” is an all-purpose insult and “conservative” an inherently positive thing. Neither of these really matter to me, but they might to you. The main changes that might matter are that the RSV bizarrely adds “thee” and “thou” when people address God (not reflecting the different forms of the second person in the original languages), and the NRSV apparently uses gender neutral language in places where the original languages use gendered terms.
I don’t think it will make that much difference to you. RSV-2CE has the advantage that the Vatican uses it in the English translation of the Catechism, as I recall, which mattered to me when I was going through the same thing as you.