Issue: What Bible translations are best for Catholics? How do I go about choosing one for personal use?

Response:

When choosing a Bible, a person should select a translation that is both faithful and helps him to learn Scripture. A person might also consider whether he needs a Bible primarily for devotional use or Scripture study. CUF particularly recommends the NAB (1970 edition), the RSV-CE, or the Jerusalem Bible.

Discussion:

Aside from the question of the canon (Protestants do not recognize all the books in the Catholic canon), there are differences in the versions of the Bible that are available. With the exception of some ancient texts, most Bibles are translations. While some translations are better than others, no single translation can capture all that the original languages convey .

Translating original documents into another language necessarily involves some level of interpretation. Bible translators vary in how closely they interpret the original language and why they choose a particular interpretation. There are two general philosophies of translation: formal equivalence (also known as literal or formal correspondence) and dynamic equivalence. Translators who favor formal equivalence attempt to correspond as closely as possible to the exact words and phrasing of the original texts, yet still make sense in the translated language. Translators who favor dynamic equivalence use more modern wording to try to convey the meaning of the original. They seek to translate the words, idioms, and grammatical constructions of the original language into precise equivalents in the translation. The former can become difficult to read; the latter can reflect the translator’s theology more than the meaning of the text itself.

One trend in some current Biblical translation is the use of inclusive language. In Scripture translation, inclusive language refers to the translator’s decision to render masculine pronouns as gender-neutral, thereby including both males and females in the signification. Inclusive language falls into two categories: horizontal and vertical. Horizontal inclusive language is gender-neutral when speaking about people (e.g., "brothers and sisters"). Vertical inclusive language is gender-neutral when speaking about God and Christ (e.g., avoiding male pronouns for God). Inclusive language is not limited to one philosophy of translation, but depends on the translator himself. It is not intrinsically bad, but can be problematic in Scripture translation. Not only can inclusive language make the resulting translation awkward, but it can alter the meaning of a passage (particularly in the case of vertical inclusive language). Using inclusive language can also prioritize politics or ideology above theology.

It is important to select a translation that is both faithful and helps a person learn Scripture. There are five main Catholic translations of the Bible into English:

Douay-Rheims

The Douay-Rheims translation, published in 1609, is the original Catholic Bible in English. It pre-dates the King James Version, which was published in 1611. The Douay-Rheims is translated directly from the Latin Vulgate of St. Jerome.

The edition in use today is technically called the "Douay-Challoner" version because it is a revision of the Douay-Rheims done in the mid-eighteenth century by Bishop Richard Challoner. In revising the Douay-Rheims, Challoner consulted early Greek and Hebrew manuscripts. His goal was to produce a translation for the every-day Catholic: one that was moderate in size and price, presented in readable English, and containing notes more suitable to the time.

The Douay-Rheims is sometimes preferred for devotional reading by converts who were comfortable with the KJV. The Douay-Rheims is a more literal translation of the Scriptures, though to the contemporary reader some of the language will seem archaic.

Jerusalem Bible

and New Jerusalem Bible (NJB)

The Jerusalem Bible is the English equivalent of the French La Bible de Jérusalem . The English translators used the introduction and notes directly from the French text. However, they turned to the original ancient manuscripts for the Scripture translation itself, comparing with the French translation on questions of variant reading or interpretation. The Jerusalem Bible was used in the liturgy until being gradually replaced by the New American Bible.

The New Jerusalem Bible is a revision of the Jerusalem Bible. It includes inclusive language similar to that rejected in the revised NAB for use in the liturgy (see below).

The Jerusalem Bible and NJB are dynamic translations: they seek to preserve the style and images of the original, but translate the Scriptures into contemporary English.

New American Bible (NAB)

The Confraternity of Christian Doctrine translated the NAB from the original languages according to the principles of Vatican II for use in the liturgy. The translators’ objective was to produce a translation suitable for liturgical use, private reading, and Scripture study. The 1970 edition was the basis of the American Lectionary from the 1970s until 2002.

The 1986 NAB with Revised New Testament restored some traditional, familiar phraseology that the 1970 edition had changed. It also used some inclusive language, including a few passages where the masculine pronoun should have been retained for maximum fidelity to the original text. The 1991 edition of the NAB has a revised Book of Psalms that is extremely problematic. It uses vertical inclusive language and some horizontal inclusive language. Because of this, the Holy See rejected the 1991 text as the basis of a revised Lectionary for the United States. The 1991 text is the version of the NAB currently on sale in the United States.

The NAB falls between literal and dynamic. It is literal in the sense that it aims to convey, as directly as possible, the thought and individual style of the inspired writers. It is dynamic in the sense that the translators use more modern words and phrasing when necessary for the sake of clarity or readability.

Revised Standard Version: Catholic Edition (RSV-CE)

and New Revised Standard Version: Catholic Edition (NRSV-CE)

The Catholic Bible Association released the RSV-CE in 1966 as a Catholic adaptation of the RSV. The RSV was translated from the original languages in the 1940s and 50s by the National Council of the Churches of Christ. The RSV-CE is slightly less literal than the Douay-Rheims, but more literal than the NAB. Many orthodox Catholic scholars consider the RSV-CE to be the best combination of literal (true to the original texts) and literary (clear and readable). The RSV-CE is a good translation to use for careful study of the Scriptures.

The NRSV-CE (1989) is a Catholic adaptation of the NRSV. Like the predecessor RSV, it is a good formal equivalence translation (i.e. literal, but literary). However, the Holy See rejected the NRSV-CE for liturgical use due to inclusive language in some unacceptable places.

The RSV-CE and the NRSV-CE are the translations used in the American Catechism of the Catholic Church .

Good News Bible/Today’s English Version: Catholic (GNB/TEV-C)

The GNB/TEV-C is the Catholic edition of the Good News Bible published by the American Bible Society. It seeks to convey the meaning of the original texts in standard, everyday English. The GNB is a very dynamic translation, enough so that some think it more accurate to call the GNB a paraphrase rather than a translation. A paraphrase is not so concerned about using the exact words of the original as it is with providing a "thought for thought" correspondence.

Many other translations are produced under either ecumenical or non-Catholic auspices (such as the New International Version, the New English Bible, the New American Standard, and the English Standard Version). Though they have some flaws, as do all translations, they are generally accepted as fair representations of the original Greek and Hebrew.

While some translations are better for devotional reading, others might be better for study. For study of the Scripture, it is most advisable to use several translations in order to compare passages and obtain the fullest sense of the passage itself. CUF particularly recommends the 1970 or 1986 NAB, the RSV-CE, or the Jerusalem Bible.

Most importantly, Scripture must be read in the light of faith, which means " within ‘the living Tradition of the whole Church’ " ( Catechism of the Catholic Church , no. 113, original emphasis). Scripture is the "very soul of sacred theology" and is to be venerated as the Body of the Lord is venerated (cf. Dei Verbum , nos. 24, 21).

© 2005 Catholics United for the Faith

Reprinted with permission of www.cuf.org .

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