Which bible to use

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Which bible is the best bible to use? I have folks telling me that the KJV is the most popular bible in the world and others saying to avoid it because the translations are all made to conform to King James. Can someone help me out.
 
The Brenton Septuagent, clearly. 😛

In all seriousness the only bad parts about the KJV is that it is in Late-Middle English, so it is even harder to make sense of, and it has a fanatical following that you have to watch out for.
It’s not a very scholarly translation (none of the translations from that era are), but it does the job of a bible.

While many might disagree with me, for daily reading you should go with one you feel comfortable with, but whenever you hit something that doesn’t quite make sense crosscheck it with other translations and try to figure out why. There are a few translations you should completely avoid, like the New World translation, which has been “translated” to fit an agenda.
 
*“At Catholic Answers we are often asked which Bible version a person should choose. This is an important question about which Catholics need to be informed. Some have been given very little help about how to pick a Bible translation, but keeping in mind a few tips will make the decision much easier…” “So, which Bible is the best? Perhaps the best answer is this: The one you’ll read.” catholic.com/library/Bible_Translations_Guide.asp
*
 
+Mother Angelica of worldwide EWTN fame loved and used the . . . **1966 Jerusalem Bible ** (a paraphrase not a word for word translation) . . . in her teaching . . . but frequently sounded serious warnings about the . . . loss of Sacred Truth (Holy Thoughts of God) . . . via the unholy use of . . . “inclusive language” . . . incorporated into ALL this Bible’s versions thereafter . . .

:bible1: The Holy Bible (Douay Rheims Version [Douai-Rheims], Revised by Bishop Richard Challoner) is a wonderful translation . . . it was first translated . . . word for word . . . from the Latin Vulgate, the Catholic Church’s Official Bible. Bishop Challoner’s edition phrases it to make it more reader-friendly. It was the only English Catholic Bible for over 300 years and has been greatly blessed of God as such. The original Latin translation is largely the result of the **Holy Spirit’s **inspiration and annointing of the labors of the blessed St. Jerome . . . and some of the manuscripts **St. Jerome **used are no longer in existence.

Pope Pius XII stated that the
Holy :bible1: Bible
Latin Vulgate Translation
was **
“free from any error whatsoever in matters of faith and morals.”**
With **St. Jerome **. . . **who as well as being a SAINT is a HOLY DOCTOR of the Catholic Church . . . and . . . ** the Vicar of Christ’s declaration of support . . . vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xii/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xii_enc_30091943_divino-afflante-spiritu_en.html . . . you can’t go wrong with this Bible . . .

Below are comments from the **Eternal Word Television Network’s ** ewtn.com website . . . which also contain some examples of the Holy See’s gravely serious definitive and corrective point of view on some Biblical translations on the market today.

:bible1: Douai-Rheims [Douay-Rheims]. The original Catholic Bible in English, pre-dating the King James Version (1611). It was translated from the Latin Vulgate, the Church’s official Scripture text, by English Catholics in exile on the continent. The NT [New Testament] was completed and published in 1582 when the English College (the seminary for English Catholics) was located at Rheims. The Old Testament was published in 1610 when the College was located at Douai.​

**The renown teaching priest Father John Corapi ** endorses and highly recommends the **ORIGINAL Revised Standard Version-Catholic Edition ** of Sacred :bible1: Scripture as his favored modern English translation . . . please note that this is the ORIGINAL RSV-CE.

:bible1: Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition (RSV-CE).Considered the best combination of literal (formal equivalence translation) and literary by many orthodox Catholic scholars. Published today by Ignatius Press (Ignatius Bible) and Scepter Press …**​

The enemy of souls most unholy spirit has used the grave and disordered error of “inclusive language” (stripping God the Holy Spirit’s designated use of masculine and feminine words from text re God and mankind and neutering them) to make serious inroads in corrupting that which the **God the Holy Spirit **has entrusted to Christ’s Most Holy Apostolic Roman Catholic Church . . . when/if purchasing a Revised Standard Version-Catholic Edition be very careful not to request the NEW RSV-CE . . . which is being heavily promoted nowadays and contains real errors . . . the NAB version has a similar problem . . .

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 … ******​

**NAB with Revised Psalms and Revised New Testament (1991) [also a paraphrase not a word for word translation]. It was **due to the use of vertical inclusive language **(re: God and Christ) and some uses of horizontal inclusive language (re: human beings), that the Holy See rejected this text as the basis of a revised Lectionary for the United States. This is the version of the NAB currently on sale in the United States. ******
​
. . . all for Jesus+
St. Jerome please pray for us+
thank You Lord for Thy Wonderful Holy Word+​
 
I truly like the NRSV Oxford Study Bible w/Dueterocanical/Apocrypha Expanded Edition.

This is a good translation which is very readable. It was originally published in the '70’s under the title “Common Bible”. It has since been updated and expanded to include those books of the OT that the Orthodox include in their Bibles which the Catholics do not…and the Catholic books which the majority of Protestants do not. It was intended in the '70’s to be an ecumenical Bible for all three branches of Christianity…most of the fundamentalists called such a Bible “satan’s bible”…

It uses the NRSV text which had Orthodox, Catholics and Protestant scholars translating it.

The Oxford format is easy to read with book introductions and some history as to how the Bible was compiled.
 
I personally like the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition. Don’t get a protestant Bible like the King James. Get an unabridged Catholic bible with all the books. 😃 It really just depends on your tastes. Get a accurate translation that you enjoy reading.
 
thereseozi said:
Hi -

If you click on the link in my initial post, it will take you to the article which discusses the NIV Bible. 🙂

Therese
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that was a good read, thanks. I want a bible that is easier on the brain then the older editions.

Reading that I was looking at the NIV and NAS. They seem ok, but is it better to use something like the RSV? I think it mentioned it was a little harder to read, but you get a better translation. If anyone has any experience with any of these please inform me on what you would prefer. Thanks
 
Nine_Two said:
In all seriousness the only bad parts about the KJV is that it is in Late-Middle English, so it is even harder to make sense of, and it has a fanatical following that you have to watch out for.
It’s not a very scholarly translation (none of the translations from that era are), but it does the job of a bible.
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Agreed. I would also add that most modern editions are missing the deuterocanonical books, so Catholic (and Orthodox) readers using a KJV would probably be missing some books of the Bible.
Nine_Two said:
While many might disagree with me, for daily reading you should go with one you feel comfortable with, but whenever you hit something that doesn’t quite make sense crosscheck it with other translations and try to figure out why. There are a few translations you should completely avoid, like the New World translation, which has been “translated” to fit an agenda.
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Overall, I agree.

My personal favorites include the 1966 Jerusalem Bible, the Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition published by Ignatius, and the English Standard Version (still waiting for a Catholic edition). But these don’t suit every reader. Young children and people who speak English as a second language may have an easier time with the Contemporary English Version (Catholic edition) or the New American Bible.

All translations have strengths and weaknesses. When studying a particular passage in depth, it’s very helpful to compare translations.
Roblox84 said:
what about this NIV bible. Is that good?
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It’s very readable, and has some fine points, but it also has some significant drawbacks. From a Catholic (and Orthodox) perspective, it’s missing some books. It also has some very sectarian translation choices that even some Protestant reviewers have criticized, for example, rendering paradosis (tradition) as “teaching” (only when paradosis is commended) and sarx (flesh) as “sin nature.”
 
aspirant said:
My personal favorites include the 1966 Jerusalem Bible, the Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition published by Ignatius, and the English Standard Version (still waiting for a Catholic edition). But these don’t suit every reader. Young children and people who speak English as a second language may have an easier time with the Contemporary English Version (Catholic edition) or the New American Bible…"
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Well english is my second language. I definately want something easier so maybe the New American Bible or the CEV might be sufficient. I guess as long as the translations are on point and aren’t dissputed by some people
 
Perhaps it would be best to first list which Bibles are OFFICIALLY approved for devotional reading by the Catholic Church. The following list is from EWTN:

**
Bible Versions and Commentaries

Liturgical Use in United States**

There is only one English text currently approved by the Church for use in the United States. This text is the one contained in the Lectionaries approved for Sundays & Feasts and for Weekdays by the USCCB and recognized by the Holy See. These Lectionaries have their American and Roman approval documents in the front. The text is that of the New American Bible with revised Psalms and New Testament (1988, 1991), with some changes mandated by the Holy See where the NAB text used so-called vertical inclusive language (e.g. avoiding male pronouns for God). Since these Lectionaries have been fully promulgated, the permission to use the Jerusalem Bible and the RSV-Catholic at Mass has been withdrawn. [See note on inclusive language]

Devotional Reading

A bewildering array of Catholic Bibles are available for personal use. They all have imprimaturs, but not all avoid the use of inclusive language. That use is indicated in the summary. The order is generally chronological.

1. Douai-Rheims. The original Catholic Bible in English, pre-dating the King James Version (1611). It was translated from the Latin Vulgate, the Church’s official Scripture text, by English Catholics in exile on the continent. The NT was completed and published in 1582 when the English College (the seminary for English Catholics) was located at Rheims. The Old Testament was published in 1610 when the College was located at Douai. Bishop Challoner’s 1750 edition, and subsequent revisions by others up to the 20th century, is the most common edition. Retains some archaic English. The 1899 edition is available from TAN Books. The text is widely available on line, including EWTN’s library.
**
2. Confraternity Edition.** Begun in 1936 by the American bishops’ Confraternity for Christian Doctrine as a translation from the Clementine Vulgate. The publication of Pius XII’s encyclical Divino afflante spiritu (1943) caused the translation committee to switch to the original Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek texts. Not all books were completed by the time of Vatican II (1962-1965). Those that were finished were used in the liturgy in the 1950s and 60s. Published in a dignified American idiom. Though hard to find, this edition of the Scriptures is worth possessing.

**3. Revised Standard Version (RSV) - Catholic Edition. **Translated for an American audience from the original languages in the 1940s and 1950s by the National Council of the Churches of Christ, and adapted for Catholic use by the Catholic Biblical Association (1966). Considered the best combination of literal (formal equivalence translation) and literary by many orthodox Catholic scholars. Published today by Ignatius Press (Ignatius Bible) and Scepter Press, and available through EWTN’s Religious Catalogue.

4.1 New American Bible or NAB (1970). Translated from the original languages by the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine according to the principles of Vatican II for use in the liturgy. It was the basis of the American Lectionary from the 1970s until 2002. A good translation, but it was criticized for its changing of some traditional and familiar expressions, such as “full of grace”.
**
4.2 NAB with Revised New Testament (1986).** A restoration of some traditional familiar phraseology. Unfortunately, it also included some mild inclusive language. No longer widely available, owing to the publication of the revised Psalms (see next entry).

4.3 NAB with Revised Psalms and Revised New Testament (1991). It was due to the use of vertical inclusive language (re: God and Christ) and some uses of horizontal inclusive language (re: human beings), that the Holy See rejected this text as the basis of a revised Lectionary for the United States. This is the version of the NAB currently on sale in the United States.
**
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.

continued…
 
5. 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.

6. 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).
**
7. 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.

**8. 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.

Catholic versus Protestant Bibles

Bible translations developed for Catholic use are complete Bibles. This means that they contain the entire canonical text identified by Pope Damasus and the Synod of Rome (382) and the local Councils of Hippo (393) and Carthage (397), contained in St. Jerome’s Latin Vulgate translation (420), and decreed infallibly by the Ecumenical Council of Trent (1570). This canonical text contains the same 27 NT Testament books which Protestant versions contain, but 46 Old Testament books, instead of 39. These 7 books, and parts of 2 others, are called Deuterocanonical by Catholics (2nd canon) and Apocrypha (false writings) by Protestants, who dropped them at the time of the Reformation. The Deuterocanonical texts are Tobias (Tobit), Judith, Baruch, Ecclesiasticus (Sirach), Wisdom, First and Second Maccabees and parts of Esther and Daniel. Some Protestant Bibles include the “Apocrypha” as pious reading.

Let me also add that Protestant Bibles will tend to translate certain important passages from a Protestant viewpoint. For example, Luke 1:28 will often be translated “Hail, o highly favored one” instead of “Hail, full of grace”. Although an acceptable translation, it is not the best translations, and most Catholic Bibles will keep “full of grace” because it lends support to the Immaculate Conception. That said, there are even Catholic Bibles that use this phrase (but usually with “full of grace” at LEAST in a footnote. You will also have to be wary of Protestant footnotes and commentary in any non-approved Bible. Not ALL will have this, but some will.
 
Let me also add that I believe EWTN left the old Knox Bible off of the list. It’s still a valid translation, but I don’t think its currently published by anyone. I may be wrong on this.
 
Now, if you’d like a good STUDY Bible - one that contains good solid Catholic footnotes and commentary - here’s an article I put together a while back:

If you’re looking for a good study Bible with commentary, there are three that I would recommend: The Ignatius Study Bible, the Navarre Bible, and the Douay-Rheims with Haydock Commentary.

So, which study Bible to get? Well, it depends on what you want. Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch are working on the Ignatius Study Bible. I have several volumes, and I think they’re great. The notes are very clear, there are ample maps, and there are occasional mini-essays dedicated to important passages for Catholics, or particularly important Greek words that are difficult to translate. The introductory essays are also very good. The main problem with this version is that it is a work-in-progress. It is being released book-by-book; the New Testament has JUST been completed, and the Old Testament is now well underway, although no books have actually been released yet. A single version of the complete New Testament is going to be released around May, so you might want to wait for that. Once totally complete, many people think that this will become the new standard in Catholic study Bibles. This is the version to get if you’re looking for a good, orthodox, in-depth study of the background and interpretation of the Bible.

Here’s a link to the 13-volume paperback New Testament set:
catholiccompany.com/catholic-books/1001916/Ignatius-Catholic-Study-Bible-Complete-Set/

(and one Amazon.com link to the volume on the Gospel of Luke so you can see inside: )
amazon.com/Gospel-Luke-Ignatius-Study-Catholic/dp/0898708192/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1246342183&sr=8-3

And here is a link where you can pre-order the brand-new single volume New Testament on Amazon.com. It’s going to be right around $20, and it comes out on April 1, 2010:
amazon.com/Ignatius-Catholic-Study-Bible-Testament/dp/1586172506/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249897269&sr=1-10

continued…
 
As far as the Navarre Bible, it is also outstanding. It has several distinctive features. First, it’s complete. Second, it’s available in four versions: a 10-volume hardbound set, a 12-volume paperback New Testament, an abridged single-volume New Testament, and a brand new expanded single-volume hardcover New Testament. The longer versions contain the text of the Bible, the commentary, and the entire Nova Vulgata, along with long introductory essays. The abridged volume drops the Nova Vulgata and shortens the introductory essays. The hardbound version is almost of heirloom quality; it is very well made. The Navarre is printed by Scepter Press, the publishing arm of Opus Dei, so you KNOW it’s going to be orthodox. The Navarre tends to be more of a devotional Bible than a rigorous scholarly study Bible. The great thing is that both Bibles present something completely different. You could read both and learn totally different things. I included links to where you can order them direct from Scepter Publishers, and also Amazon.com. I included Amazon.com links when the page included the option to search inside the book so you can get an idea of the layout.

Here is where you can get the various versions:

The brand-new one-volume expanded New Testament:
scepterpublishers.org/product/index.php?FULL=526

The one-volume abridged New Testament:
amazon.com/Navarre-Bible-New-Testament-Compact/dp/1889334596/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1246340393&sr=8-5

The original ten-volume hardcover series:
New Testament:
scepterpublishers.org/product/index.php?FULL=618
Old Testament:
scepterpublishers.org/product/index.php?FULL=514
(and one Amazon.com link of the first volume so you can see inside: )
amazon.com/Navarre-Bible-Pentateuch-Old-Testament/dp/1889334219/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1246340393&sr=8-2

The twelve-volume paperback New Testament set:
scepterpublishers.org/product/index.php?FULL=125
(and one Amazon.com link of the first volume so you can see inside: )
amazon.com/Navarre-Bible-Acts-Apostles/dp/1851829040/ref=sr_1_23?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1246340775&sr=8-23

I might also recommend the Douay-Rheims Bible with Haydock Commentary. This was a Bible commentary written by a Father Haydock in the mid-nineteenth century. It’s very orthodox also, and is known for utilizing a tremendous number of quotes from the Early Church Fathers themselves. If you want to know what the great theologians had to say about various passages, all in one place, than this is also a great resource. Not all Douay-Rheims Bibles have the Haydock Commentary, so search carefully. There is only one readily available version with the commentary, and it runs around $125. I should also point out that it’s available online for free viewing here:

haydock1859.tripod.com/index.html

Here’s a link to the leather-bound hardcover Haydock Douay-Rheims Bible:
loretopubs.org/index.php?target=products&product_id=60

(And here’s a link to a sample interior page: )
catholictreasures.com/pictures/Sample%20Douay.pdf

As a couple of added thoughts:

From EWTN:
The most widely used Catholic commentary is probably the Jerome Biblical Commentary, now in a 2nd edition. There is also a summary version of it. This commentary is the work of well-known Catholic Biblical scholars and is filled with articles on historical, archaeological, linguistic and other subjects useful for understanding the background of the Scriptures. The JBC is, therefore, a valuable resource for those seeking such information. However, the textual commentaries use primarily the historical-critical method, and thus must be read with discernment. The Church approves of the use of this method for the purpose of understanding the historical and literary foundations of the text (see Vatican II, Dei Verbum 11-13), but finds it an incomplete method apart from the Tradition. Scripture must be interpreted according to the analogy of faith, that is, in accordance with what God has revealed in toto, as taught by the Magisterium.

Here is the New Jerome Biblical Commentary at Amazon.com:
amazon.com/Jerome-Biblical-Commentary-Raymond-Brown/dp/0225668033/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1246340021&sr=8-1

There is also the brand new “Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture” that is in the works, although only four books have currently been released. What’s out, however, is really good, and written for more of an average audience. Here are links to the what’s available:
The Gospel of Mark
amazon.com/Gospel-Catholic-Commentary-Sacred-Scripture/dp/0801035864/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252704824&sr=8-1

First and Second Timothy, Titus
(This one lets you look inside at some of the pages)
amazon.com/Second-Timothy-Catholic-Commentary-Scripture/dp/0801035813/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252704824&sr=8-3

Ephesians
amazon.com/Ephesians-Catholic-Commentary-Sacred-Scripture/dp/0801035848/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252704824&sr=8-2

Second Corinthians
amazon.com/Second-Corinthians-Catholic-Commentary-Scripture/dp/080103583X/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252704824&sr=8-4
 
Roblox84 said:
what about this NIV bible. Is that good?
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The KJV and the NIV are the two most popular English language Protestant Bibles. The KJV is a classic translation and one of the most eloquent renderings into English ever, but neither version is sanctioned for use by the Catholic Church.
 
Roblox84 said:
what about this NIV bible. Is that good?
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I must first of all declare that I am a septuagenarian cradle Catholic.

My understanding is that the NIV is about the same as the KJV. If I am correct it only has the same books as the KJV. The Catholic bibles have more.

I have had and used the 1966 Jerusalem “Thin paper edition” which has a built in commentary/footnotes that have been quite useful to me, However, we also have and use the DR, RSV, NAB, and others. (Catholic of course)

It has been out of print since the revised version came out. I don’t know if you can find a used copy or not.

If I may, I would like to pass on a bit of advice I got from a priest some years ago, “Read the passage, think about what you have read, and what it means to you, and, then find out what the Church has to say about the passage.” When he finished saying this, he reached over and laid his hand on a biblical commentary (with “Imprimatur” — i. e., permission of the Church to publish it, and “Nihil Obstat,” – "free from doctrinal error.)

I don’t mean to come on strong or offend with this but this advice has meant a lot to me over the 30-35 years or so The Church reserves unto itself (The Magisterium) the right of final judgment on the interpretation of Scripture. After all, the Church has had almost two thousand years to read. ponder and otherwise explore and discover the rich treasure(s) Scripture contains.

God bless…and help you in selecting a bible.

Bussi
 
Rolltide said:
There is only one English text currently approved by the Church for [liturgical] use in the United States. This text is the one contained in the Lectionaries approved for Sundays & Feasts and for Weekdays by the USCCB and recognized by the Holy See… The text is that of the New American Bible with revised Psalms and New Testament (1988, 1991), with some changes mandated by the Holy See
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There is another approved translation for children’s Masses. The Lectionary for Masses with Children, approved by the United States bishops and confirmed by the Holy See, uses the Contemporary English Version of the Bible, translated by the American Bible Society.
 
Roblox84 said:
what about this NIV bible. Is that good?
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The NIV is a nice simple translation the is easy to understand. The problem with this is that the bible isn’t always easy to understand and you can’t always accurately translate passages to make them “easy”.

Because of this the translation leaves a lot to be desired, but for quick reference it’s fine (NIV is one of the versions I use for cross checking).

As others have pointed out though, the NIV isn’t published with the deutero-canon, so it’s up to you if you want a bible which lacks some of the books accepted by your church.
 
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