Which Bible Should I Read????

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landon13

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Hi y’all,

As many of you know on here, I am a former Southern Baptist so that means I was very well versed in my Bible and had read it so many times through. But, since my conversion to Catholicism, I have not again re-read through the entire Bible.

If you could give me a good plan or your recommendation for Bible translations, that would be wonderful! I am used to the NIV translation but I wanted to change it up for a Catholic read through.

Blessings!

Landon
 
landon13 said:
Hi y’all,
As many of you know on here, I am a former Southern Baptist so that means I was very well versed in my Bible and had read it so many times through. But, since my conversion to Catholicism, I have not again re-read through the entire Bible.
If you could give me a good plan or your recommendation for Bible translations, that would be wonderful! I am used to the NIV translation but I wanted to change it up for a Catholic read through.
Blessings!
Landon
Click to expand...
My main reading bible is the RSV-CE (CE is for Catholic Edition). I use the Douay Rheims and NAB for reference.

The Ignatius Press sells a nice study bible version of the RSVCE with Dr Scott Hahn’s notes. He is excellent and has high quality insights.

ignatius.com/IProducts/30008/new-testament.aspx

I think you are going to be wonderfully surprised when you start re-reading it as a Catholic. Things will start popping out and making more sense with the light of tradition. Welcome home!
 
NOT the NRSV-CE. What you want (and it’s a similar idea) is the RSV-2CE by Ignatius Press. Both are effectively revised versions of the RSV-CE, but the RSV-2CE is better.

EDIT: Also, if you want a reading plan, here’s one I made for someone on a different thread. The inspiration is the Horner Plan, a Protestant plan that splits the Bible into 10 lists. You read 1 chapter from each list per day, restarting lists as necessary. This is a modified version I made to include Deuterocanon.

List 1 (117 days)– Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts
List 2 (211 days)– Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua
List 3 (78 days)– Romans, 1/2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philemon, Colossians, Hebrews
List 4 (65 days)– 1/2 Thessalonians, 1/2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, James, 1/2 Peter, 1/2/3 John, Jude, Revelation
List 5 (76 days)– Tobit, Job, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs
List 6 (150 days)– Psalms
List 7 (101 days)– Proverbs, Wisdom, Sirach
List 8 (192 days)– Judges, Ruth, 1/2 Samuel, 1/2 Kings, 1/2 Chronicles
List 9 (258 days)– Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Baruch, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi
List 10 (66 days)– Ezra, Nehemiah, Judith, Esther, 1/2 Maccabees
 
landon13 said:
Hi y’all,

As many of you know on here, I am a former Southern Baptist so that means I was very well versed in my Bible and had read it so many times through. But, since my conversion to Catholicism, I have not again re-read through the entire Bible.

If you could give me a good plan or your recommendation for Bible translations, that would be wonderful! I am used to the NIV translation but I wanted to change it up for a Catholic read through.

Blessings!

Landon
Click to expand...
The Catholic Bible that is closest to the NIV is the NAB. But the footnotes are often disconnected from Catholic tradition, and they may frustrate you if you’re trying to read the Bible from a Catholic perspective. The RSV-CE is my go-to Bible, and it lines up with the RSV which is the standard Bible used in Protestant seminaries, which makes it kinda ecumenical and useful in defending your faith based on a text that everyone can agree on. So if you like to get an English version of what the original manuscripts actually said, I recommend going with that one. The Douay-Rheims is comparable to the KJV, and a lot of former Baptists like that style, which is fine, but it doesn’t sound like you’re one of them so just keep that in mind. And welcome to the Church! 👍
 
dmar198 said:
The Catholic Bible that is closest to the NIV is the NAB. But the footnotes are often disconnected from Catholic tradition, and they may frustrate you if you’re trying to read the Bible from a Catholic perspective.
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This. The NAB is the closest to the NIV.

However, since you already have a good fundamental scriptural knowledge - I don’t think you’d have problems with any of the RSV’s - CE or 2CE. They are both very readable and very literal at the same time - a really good translation. I do, however, enjoy using the NABRE (2011) for my devotions, I don’t get into the footnotes but yes on the cross-references.
 
Razanir said:
NOT the NRSV-CE. What you want (and it’s a similar idea) is the RSV-2CE by Ignatius Press. Both are effectively revised versions of the RSV-CE, but the RSV-2CE is better.

EDIT: Also, if you want a reading plan, here’s one I made for someone on a different thread. The inspiration is the Horner Plan, a Protestant plan that splits the Bible into 10 lists. You read 1 chapter from each list per day, restarting lists as necessary. This is a modified version I made to include Deuterocanon.

List 1 (117 days)– Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts
List 2 (211 days)– Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua
List 3 (78 days)– Romans, 1/2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philemon, Colossians, Hebrews
List 4 (65 days)– 1/2 Thessalonians, 1/2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, James, 1/2 Peter, 1/2/3 John, Jude, Revelation
List 5 (76 days)– Tobit, Job, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs
List 6 (150 days)– Psalms
List 7 (101 days)– Proverbs, Wisdom, Sirach
List 8 (192 days)– Judges, Ruth, 1/2 Samuel, 1/2 Kings, 1/2 Chronicles
List 9 (258 days)– Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Baruch, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi
List 10 (66 days)– Ezra, Nehemiah, Judith, Esther, 1/2 Maccabees
Click to expand...
Thank you for this version of the Horner system! I love that reading plan.
 
I started reading the Bible every night before I turn out the light – I read “The One Year Bible - Catholic Edition” the Bible goes by the day of the year and every day readings from the Old testament are included – then readings from the New testament – and Psalms. I figure that if I read it for an entire year I have covered the entire Bible. I trulyenjoy reading the Bible – it makes my day!!!
 
Razanir said:
NOT the NRSV-CE. What you want (and it’s a similar idea) is the RSV-2CE by Ignatius Press. Both are effectively revised versions of the RSV-CE, but the RSV-2CE is better.

EDIT: Also, if you want a reading plan, here’s one I made for someone on a different thread. The inspiration is the Horner Plan, a Protestant plan that splits the Bible into 10 lists. You read 1 chapter from each list per day, restarting lists as necessary. This is a modified version I made to include Deuterocanon.

List 1 (117 days)– Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts
List 2 (211 days)– Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua
List 3 (78 days)– Romans, 1/2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philemon, Colossians, Hebrews
List 4 (65 days)– 1/2 Thessalonians, 1/2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, James, 1/2 Peter, 1/2/3 John, Jude, Revelation
List 5 (76 days)– Tobit, Job, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs
List 6 (150 days)– Psalms
List 7 (101 days)– Proverbs, Wisdom, Sirach
List 8 (192 days)– Judges, Ruth, 1/2 Samuel, 1/2 Kings, 1/2 Chronicles
List 9 (258 days)– Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Baruch, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi
List 10 (66 days)– Ezra, Nehemiah, Judith, Esther, 1/2 Maccabees
Click to expand...
Thanks again so much for that. It has truly been a blessing. I actually am trying to make the bookmarks that the original plan has as well. Up North Gal, I’ve tried using both lists and this one actually seems to flow better than even the original.
Also, to stay on topic, I voted NABRE. It’s readable and the translation, from what I know, is good. Most people, if they have a problem, have it with the footnotes.
 
OK, so I made the bookmarks. They can be found here. I tried to get it on to one page and then I just gave up. But print it and laminate it (or put tape over it as I saw one had done on YouTube), and you have bookmarks for the lists to use in your bible.
Yes, the bookmarks are very simple. But now they’re there so that if you don’t want to have to make them, but want to have them, you can! 😃
 
buzzoff1031 said:
OK, so I made the bookmarks. They can be found here. I tried to get it on to one page and then I just gave up. But print it and laminate it (or put tape over it as I saw one had done on YouTube), and you have bookmarks for the lists to use in your bible.
Yes, the bookmarks are very simple. But now they’re there so that if you don’t want to have to make them, but want to have them, you can! 😃
Click to expand...
Thank You very much!
 
buzzoff1031 said:
OK, so I made the bookmarks. They can be found here. I tried to get it on to one page and then I just gave up. But print it and laminate it (or put tape over it as I saw one had done on YouTube), and you have bookmarks for the lists to use in your bible.
Yes, the bookmarks are very simple. But now they’re there so that if you don’t want to have to make them, but want to have them, you can! 😃
Click to expand...
Gratias tibi valde!
 
My favourite Bible translation is the Knox Translation. It’s traditional, easy to understand, and the language is beautiful. I definitely recommend the edition produced by Baronius Press (available from their website).
 
Up north gal and Isaiah. You’re very welcome. They’re not very well done, but at least it keeps you from having to do it. I actually almost forgot the book of Acts, but the list creator, or, well…modifyer, saw that and brought it to my attention. (Thanks again for that by the way.)
 
NOT King James Version
Not New American Standard Version (Not to be confused with the New American Bible).
 
There’s an old saying that the best Bible is the one you’ll read. I’d add that as long as it’s Catholic you should be good. I personally like the RSV-CE, The Jerusalem Bible, and the Douay Rheims Challoner.
 
I think the best bible for you to read is a combination bible from 1954 that has the Confraternity New Testament–the Douay Rheims Challoner Old Testament–with a new translation of the first eight books of the bible–and a New English translation of the New Latin Psalms approved by Pope Pius XII.

I think the best Psalms in any Catholic bible are in the Light of the World edition of this bible published in 1954.

This bible may not be perfect but I think it is the least inaccurate. It has “A virgin will conceive” and “Hail Full of grace”.

It has deuterocanonical books that haven’t been cut down in length like you see in many Protestant translations of the deuterocanonical books.

It has “I forgive in the PERSON of Christ” in 2 Corinthians 2:10.

It has the angel stirring the water at the pool of Bethsaida.

It even has the Johannine Comma but says the Catholic Church has the right of deciding whether it is authenic or not.

Since the first eight books have been translated in the Old Testament–Moses doesn’t have horns! But it does have in Gen 1:1 “In the beginning God” and not “In the beginning WHEN” which is what you get in the NAB of 1970 where they retranslated Genesis again anew.

This combination bible is what I call a REAL Catholic bible–the Confraternity New
Testament is superior to ANY New Testament in my opinion.

Try out these combination bibles but just know that the Psalms start getting messed up in 1955 saying “Happy is the man” instead of “Blessed is the man”.

The first eight books are retranslated into what would one day be the NAB first eight books except for Genesis which is really different in the NAB.

These bibles are easy to find on the internet or on ebay or Amazon. Just remember that any of them between 1945 and 1954 may have the New English Psalms–don’t get the ones that say Confraternity Psalms–they aren’t as good and the Light of the World Edition in 1954 has the greatest Psalms of all.
 
WOW! Jerry-Jet. I want to grow up to know the Bible like you do! Your post makes my head spin…

:ballspin:
✝️ Today is the beginning of the rest of Eternity. ✝️
❤️ The only option I allow my self from here is up! ❤️
 
The New American Bible is excellent. Reading the intro to each book is very helpful.
Martin Luther dropped books from the King James Bible making it incomplete.
He dropped the books from the O.T. Because they contradicted his beliefs.👍
You can count 5 missing:confused:
 
Vegasdee1 said:
The New American Bible is excellent. Reading the intro to each book is very helpful.
Martin Luther dropped books from the King James Bible making it incomplete.
He dropped the books from the O.T. Because they contradicted his beliefs.👍
You can count 5 missing:confused:
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  1. Luther didn’t quite drop them… He didn’t think they were divinely inspired, but he still thought them worth reading. It was only later reformers who actually stopped publishing them.
  2. There’s 7 books missing… Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, 1/2 Maccabees, and parts of Esther and Daniel. 'Tis a real shame, though. Tobit and the Song of the Three Children (Daniel 3) are two of my favorite parts of the Bible.
 
Jerry-Jet said:
I think the best bible for you to read is a combination bible from 1954 that has the Confraternity New Testament–the Douay Rheims Challoner Old Testament–with a new translation of the first eight books of the bible–and a New English translation of the New Latin Psalms approved by Pope Pius XII.

I think the best Psalms in any Catholic bible are in the Light of the World edition of this bible published in 1954.

This bible may not be perfect but I think it is the least inaccurate. It has “A virgin will conceive” and “Hail Full of grace”.

It has deuterocanonical books that haven’t been cut down in length like you see in many Protestant translations of the deuterocanonical books.

It has “I forgive in the PERSON of Christ” in 2 Corinthians 2:10.

It has the angel stirring the water at the pool of Bethsaida.

It even has the Johannine Comma but says the Catholic Church has the right of deciding whether it is authenic or not.

Since the first eight books have been translated in the Old Testament–Moses doesn’t have horns! But it does have in Gen 1:1 “In the beginning God” and not “In the beginning WHEN” which is what you get in the NAB of 1970 where they retranslated Genesis again anew.

This combination bible is what I call a REAL Catholic bible–the Confraternity New
Testament is superior to ANY New Testament in my opinion.

Try out these combination bibles but just know that the Psalms start getting messed up in 1955 saying “Happy is the man” instead of “Blessed is the man”.

The first eight books are retranslated into what would one day be the NAB first eight books except for Genesis which is really different in the NAB.

These bibles are easy to find on the internet or on ebay or Amazon. Just remember that any of them between 1945 and 1954 may have the New English Psalms–don’t get the ones that say Confraternity Psalms–they aren’t as good and the Light of the World Edition in 1954 has the greatest Psalms of all.
Click to expand...
Another vote for any of the early Confraternity Bibles.

Note: the 1953 Belmont Abbey “Catholic Action Edition” Confraternity bible has “Happy” in Psalm 1, while the 1953 Catholic Book Publishing Company (CBPC) edition retains “Blessed”. The 1952 and earlier versions begin with “Blessed”, as evidenced by the 1949 CBPC edition and the 1952 Benziger Brothers edition.

This is (along with the Knox Translation) my favorite Catholic bible by quite a measure. The Confraternity NT, in particular, is difficult to fault. The earlier Confraternity bibles (1941-1952), with the pure Douay-Rheims Old Testament, and acceptable Psalms, strike me as an interesting blend, as they feature the antiquarian D-R English in the OT, combined with 20th century English in the NT. One knows instinctively from the language being used which testament they are in.

As well, the Confraternity NT retains enough of the thees and thous that it maintains the discourse on a higher level than the NAB or NIV, which sound to me like speaking with a neighbor. The clincher, as you point out, is that these bibles, in excellent condition, can be had in thrift stores or on eBay for less than $10. Absolute bargains.

Did I mention that the notes and book introductions are solid and confidence inspiring, rather than confusing and doubtful, as seen in the NAB? The Confraternity Bible is the best-kept secret in sacred scripture.
 
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