#Best bible to read and understand full
#Best bible to read and understand free

The best way to tell if a translation has been approved or not is to look for the words ‘Catholic Edition’ on the cover. The New Revised Standard Version is used for the Mass in Canada, and the Jerusalem Bible for the Mass in the UK and Ireland. “The New American Bible has been chosen for the official texts of the readings for Mass in the United States. “The Catholic Church does not prefer one over the other, but allows for all of them to be read for different reasons,” Binz said. Read more: Where did the Bible come from? The first three of these uses a kind of translation called ‘formal equivalence’ and the last three use a more informal style called ‘dynamic equivalence.’ I always recommend the first three for Catholic Bible study because they translate from the original languages in a way that is more word-for-word from the original languages, however the others sometimes makes for smoother reading. “Among these are the New American Bible, the Revised Standard Version, the New Revised Standard Version, the New Jerusalem Bible, the Contemporary English Bible, and the Good News Bible.

#Best bible to read and understand free

“Of those many contemporary translations of the Bible into English, only a few are officially approved by the Catholic Church to be free from inaccuracy and excessive bias,” Binz said. Translators always come to their project with their own limitations and preconceived understandings.”īecause there are two main ways biblical translation is done, Binz suggests it may be a good idea to have more than one Bible in one’s possession: one that was translated more literally, for use in bible study, and one that is not strictly word for word, providing perhaps a “smoother” reading experience.

#Best bible to read and understand full

Whenever we translate from the original languages to another, the full subtlety of meaning or significance is lost. “The phrase ‘lost in translation’ is as true of the Bible as in any form of communication.

“ There are dozens of translations of the Bible into English, none of which are perfect,” said biblical scholar and author Stephen J.

The New American Bible was first published in 1970 and is the basis for the readings at Mass. “My personal favorite version is the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE).” Reminiscent of the Douay-Rheims bible, which was the standard Catholic version for many years, the RSV has “a kind of flowery language, even poetic ring to some of the phrases that were just kind of whitewashed out of the New American Bible,” he said. “It depends on what you want to accomplish with your reading of the Bible,” said John Martignoni, director of evangelization at the Diocese of Birmingham, Alabama, and founder of the Bible Christian Society. Often, it depends on the individual, his background in Bible reading and study, and the way he wishes to use the Good Book. Read more: The Word on Fire Bible: an evangelization strategy animated by beautyĪccording to some Catholic scholars and teachers, there is no one “best” Bible for Catholics, but several versions are suitable. If the Bible might be considered a guide to life, one might actually need a roadmap to find the version most suitable for the average pilgrim. At Barnes and Noble’s website, a search for “Bible,” narrowed down to hardcover versions, yields over 4,700 results. “Does it matter which one I buy? Which one is best for a Catholic like myself? This one looks good, but is it worth it to pay more for it?”

”I didn’t know there were so many different versions,” you might think to yourself. You take a trip to the local Barnes and Noble or a Catholic bookstore, and the clerk directs you to the Bible section. Perhaps you have an old family Bible in the house, but you feel like you need a fresh copy, a better translation, something you can read and understand. So, you’ve decided to make an extra effort and finally read the Bible. There are dozens of translations of the Bible into English, none of which are perfect.