Which Version of the Bible is Your Preference?

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I am curious to hear the community’s preferred editions of the Bible. In the past I have only read from the New American Bible, and recently I have discovered that there are many more Catholic editions out there! For example, I read the creation story out of the Knox version, and was taken aback by how beautifully it was worded, it took my breath away. Upon more research of Bibles, I am thinking of purchasing the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament, which is a Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition, so that I may study the Bible more deeply 🙂 I had a Youth Study Bible, but I want to move on to the more advanced studying 👍

That’s enough about me, though! I don’t really have a preference at this point in time since, as I stated above, I haven’t read many Bibles, but I’m sure many of you out there have your favorite and your reasons for the favoritism! So I ask of you, what is your favorite version, and why?
 
The New Jerusalem Bible & The Revised Standard Version.

Lectio Divina.

Peace
 
I have five favorites, each for a different reason/use:

When I am studying in depth, I choose the original 1966 Jerusalem Bible.

For prayerful reading, I turn to the Douay-Rheims.

For talking turkey with those of a Protestant persuasion, I use the RSV-2nd Ed.

When I need some inspiration or just want sheer beauty, I turn to Knox.

And when I’m traveling or in the mood for some thees/thys/thous but not heavy, I use a personal-sized Confraternity Bible from 1951.

However, for John 18, I will always read in the NABRE rendering to whatever translation I’m using… Jesus said, “I AM!” (The Divine Name as revealed to Moses).

So, i’m sure your search is now clear as mud with that answer. 😉
 
Personal favorite is the Knox Bible. I like that it maintains a poetic sense while using modern enough spellings and word choices that I don’t have to puzzle out what is being said. Doesn’t hurt that my copy from Baronius Press is so much better made then most other Catholic Bibles I’ve owned. I do like the Douay-Rheims, but some of the phrases can occasionally be a little awkward to read.
 
I like and use three translations; the NABRE, RSV-2CE and the Jerusalem Bible. Which one do I like the most? The one that I am using at the time!
 
The message and new living translations
They are easy for people with learning disabilities
Like myself to understand yes it Protestant version
But those versions are in easy read English
 
Every day I read “The One Year Bible - Catholic Edition” – it usually contains readings from the Old Testament – Psalms or Epistles – then a Gospel reading for the day – I assume that for one year I’m reading all of the Old Testament, Epistles and Gospels
 
Usige said:
Personal favorite is the Knox Bible. I like that it maintains a poetic sense while using modern enough spellings and word choices that I don’t have to puzzle out what is being said. Doesn’t hurt that my copy from Baronius Press is so much better made then most other Catholic Bibles I’ve owned. I do like the Douay-Rheims, but some of the phrases can occasionally be a little awkward to read.
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I’m beginning to like the Knox Bible myself, though I’m not really fond of English translations in general. There are some interesting commentaries over on New Advent as well.

newadvent.org/bible/gen001.htm
 
i know, its surprising but i like to read the

1611 king james version
 
New revised Standard version and the New King James version. Those two are my favorites.
 
My favourite translation is the RSV2CE. I use four or five different translations for text comparison etc but my everyday Bible is the RSV2CE published by ignatius press.
 
As for my favorite translation (as distinct from the formats it’s usually available in), it would be the Douay-Rheims. I also love the RSV-CE, the RSV-2CE (especially the Ignatius Study Bible), the KJV (since it is the translation I grew up on), and the “Biblia de Navarra” (which I just recently came across. It’s a one-volume edition of the Navarre Bible, albeit in Spanish).

Sadly, I have not been able to appreciate the Knox translation as so many others have (no doubt the problem is with me, and all the more surprising since in general I have loved the work of Fr. Knox…Perhaps it’s something that if I read it more often, it will grow on me, as others have stated above? I hope so.)
 
I use RSV-CE2, Confraternity Bible, 1966 Jerusalem Bible, Challoner Douay Rheims, and the Knox Bible (which I only purchased recently). Both the Confraternity and the Knox Bible are new to me, but so far the Confraternity version is really growing on me. I used to love the Jerusalem Bible but it has fallen out of favor for me. It is very beautiful to read, for the most part, but I guess I’m drifting away from the dynamic equivalent in favor of more accuracy.

I highly recommend the Ignatius Study Bible. Truly exceptional!
 
I joke sometimes that I have more translations of the Bible than the Almighty, but I have a few that I especially like and use.

I have both the 1st & 2nd editions RSV-CE, Douay-Rheims, Confraternity Bible, (Which is actually very good!) the NAB, the Jerusalem Bible (I also like!) These are the ones I use, the rest rarely even get dusted off unless I need something translation specific to them.

The RSV-CEs get most of the use and then a Confraternity New Testament that I just recently bought after Pope Francis said that we should all have and carry a small one and read it during the day.
 
Prayer_Warrior said:
I use RSV-CE2, Confraternity Bible, 1966 Jerusalem Bible, Challoner Douay Rheims, and the Knox Bible (which I only purchased recently). Both the Confraternity and the Knox Bible are new to me, but so far the Confraternity version is really growing on me. I used to love the Jerusalem Bible but it has fallen out of favor for me. It is very beautiful to read, for the most part, but I guess I’m drifting away from the dynamic equivalent in favor of more accuracy.

I highly recommend the Ignatius Study Bible. Truly exceptional!
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Kindred spirts, we are. I love the Confraternity, but the completed edition was never sold under a single cover. I would guess that the USCCB owns the copyright. Why not license its printing? I suspect the reason, but that is for another discussion. I have a pocket NT from 1952 and it is superb. The notes and introductions are rock solid and confidence-inspiring.

The Knox Translation was the bible that Bishop Fulton Sheen quoted in most of his books. Since he and Monsignor Knox were contemporaries, I would bet that they had a warm friendship. After acclimating to the Anglicisms, it is also a wonderful read, and the notes are very thought-provoking.

For some odd reason, I have taken a liking to the The Apocrypha and the New Testament, one of the books in Jaroslav Pelikan’s “Sacred Writings” series on the world’s major religions. It is basically the Revised English Bible (REB). Why does it draw my interest? Well, it contains the Deuterocanon (“Apocrypha”) in conjunction with the NT. Pelikan was a Lutheran when he compiled this book (later converting to Orthodoxy!), yet he saw the direct connection between the Deuterocanonical (anticipatory) books and Christ.

As an aside, I like the REB at least as much as the NAB/RE - I believe it is a stronger translation.
 
po18guy said:
Kindred spirts, we are. I love the Confraternity, but the completed edition was never sold under a single cover. I would guess that the USCCB owns the copyright. Why not license its printing? I suspect the reason, but that is for another discussion. I have a pocket NT from 1952 and it is superb. The notes and introductions are rock solid and confidence-inspiring.

The Knox Translation was the bible that Bishop Fulton Sheen quoted in most of his books. Since he and Monsignor Knox were contemporaries, I would bet that they had a warm friendship. After acclimating to the Anglicisms, it is also a wonderful read, and the notes are very thought-provoking.

For some odd reason, I have taken a liking to the The Apocrypha and the New Testament, one of the books in Jaroslav Pelikan’s “Sacred Writings” series on the world’s major religions. It is basically the Revised English Bible (REB). Why does it draw my interest? Well, it contains the Deuterocanon (“Apocrypha”) in conjunction with the NT. Pelikan was a Lutheran when he compiled this book (later converting to Orthodoxy!), yet he saw the direct connection between the Deuterocanonical (anticipatory) books and Christ.

As an aside, I like the REB at least as much as the NAB/RE - I believe it is a stronger translation.
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Ha ha, I think it was actually one of your posts that piqued my interest about the confraternity version, so I went out and bought a few different ones off eBay. The only thing I’m not happy with is the word “happy” for “blessed” in the Psalms. That is one my pet peeves. Someone one the forum told me that the versions from the early 50’s say “blessed” so I ended up buying three different confraternity Bibles and all of them had “happy” 🤷. I purchased a beautiful "papal’ Bible which was supposed to be from 1951, but when it arrived I could see in the publishing info it was from 1954. At any rate, it was only $20 and is in mint condition. But alas, it also says “happy”. Funny you mentioned that the full confraternity version was never published in one volume; I just bought the two volume completed confraternity Bible with annotations by Joseph Grispino. Pretty soon my Bible collection will rival Michael’s (Church Militant) 😃

I like the Knox version too, for a change of pace. Unfortunately, I’m not crazy about the format of the one I bought from Baronius Press.

I’ll have to check out the other one you mention. I have always seen the connection of the deuterocanonocals with the NT. I’m sure there are many connections I have missed.
 
My two favorites are the NRSV-CE and the KJV.

Started listening to the audio of the RSV-2CE and love it, though I don’t own a physical copy.
 
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