Favorite Bible Translation?

[Jonathan Aquino]

What translation of the scriptures do people use?

I quite like the original Jerusalem Bible (not to be confused with the New Jerusalem Bible). One of the cool things about the JB is that J. R. R. Tolkien was one of the translators.

The translation sounds so good to my ears. Compare Psalm 51 from the JB:

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness,
in your great tenderness wipe away my faults;

to the same from the NAB:

Have mercy on me, God, in your goodness;
in your abundant compassion blot out my offense

I love the JB's language - it's plain, direct, punchy, and pleasing to the ear.

[Johan Cyprich]

When I was a Protestant (2 years in university), my preferred translation was the American Standard Bible. When I came back to the Catholic Church, I used the New American Bible initially but later used the New Jerusalem Bible most of the time. I also like reading the Revised Standard Version due to its high level of English.

But ultimately, the best translation is no translation. Read the text in the original Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic. The translations aren't really translations, they're interpretations. You lose a great deal of the meaning from the original text. The "translators" take what they believe the text means and then use their own words in the modern text.

An example of this is John 1:14 - "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us ...". The literal translation is that Word pitched a tent (or tabernacle) among us. The interpreters of the text didn't use the original words because that would then require footnotes which no one reads to describe what's actually going on. To avoid lots of footnotes which would increase the size of the bible and also productions costs, the text is interpreted in the meanings that they are trying to convey.

[Jonathan Aquino]

Good points, Johan.

[Allen Choong]

I agree that the best literal is the original language. However, we don't know those language. Therefore, I personally like to read several types of translation, and including the comments. So that I can understand the literal in different perspective.

Because I am a Chinese, I prefer Studium Biblicum.

Besides that, in my country, during the mass, the reading we listen are using Jerusalem Bible translation, And for Chinese, it is Studium Biblicum. So, I think both are good translation. And besides that, I think NAB is used in other countries.

[christopher]

actually I've had a lot of success applying my skills in computers to this particular problem. There are web pages that have the old and new testiment in greek and hebrew. When I'm really intrested in taking the extra time to understand a passage. I will look up the original language. Then I will will find a dictionary and look up the meanig of each word in the sentence and reconstruct the meaning from those definitions and the context of the passage.

[Peter Nelson]

It was my understanding that Tolkien only worked on parts of Jonah, not the Psalms, though I'd love to be wrong about that. Agreed, however, that the Psalm passage you found is better than the NAB. Myself, I usually read the RSVCE (Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition).

The Navarre series of Bible books uses the RSV and adds some great commentary -- about 50% from St. Jose Escriva (which isn't really my style), and the other 50% from the ancient fathers of the Church (which is invaluable).

Psalm 51:1 (RSVCE)
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to thy steadfast love;
according to thy abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.

[Jonathan Aquino]

Neat to hear that the RSV has a CE. I used to have an RSV and remember liking it a lot.

[Jonathan Aquino]

Universalis.com has Jerusalem Bible daily mass readings and liturgy of the hours in a variety of formats (HTML, RSS, email, PC/Mac, WAP, AvantGo).

[Jonathan Aquino]

I'm now using the Douay-Rheims translation, which can be downloaded from Project Gutenberg. I split the text file into three – Old Testament, Gospels, and New Testament After Gospels – and alternate between reading them on my mobile device. Its availability in text-file format means I can read it anywhere on my PDA, which is convenient for me. Plus it is a good translation, charmingly archaic. Here's our Psalm 51:

Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy great mercy.
And according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my iniquity.

[Ambrose Little]

Hi. I really like the translation in the liturgy of the hours. I also have a Jerusalem and like it. Lately, I've also been reading ESV, even tho it's not officially Catholic. I was raised on the KJV, which was good for memorization. I've got the big Douay-Rheims with patrisric commentary, but it's not the easiest to read, on a few levels.

I think the liturgy of the hours one is a form of the NAB, but I think it sounds better than the NAB.

I disagree reading the original is better. How can you be sure your translation is better? You also have to interpret when you translate; further, most translations are the work of teams of bible scholars. Why would I de facto trust my own, individual translation and interpretation over theirs? Sounds pretty Protestant to me. :p

[Jonathan Aquino]

I've heard good things about the ESV translation - I wish they would put out a Catholic version!

[Sue Widemark]

I recently dug out my Jerusalem Bible and it and me didn't quite jell... but don't like the NAB that much, however, I guess it's my favorite one. Sometimes though, the KJV says it most poetically. Maybe because as a convert, that's what I grew up with.

PS: looking for "friends"... I just joined and would love to chat with other programmers! :)

[Jonathan Aquino]

Great to hear from you Sue! Yes, the KJV does say it well.

Sigh, I've changed favorite bible translations *again* - I'm now using the RSV 2 Catholic Edition (aka the RSV2CE or Ignatius Bible). Some consider the RSV to be the proper heir to the KJV.

Wish mine had more space to write in the margins.