What version of the Bible do Roman Catholics read?

Question

I kind of want to get a Bible but I don't know what kind to get! Are their multiple different versions and how do they differ. I have heard of the "King James" Bible, what is that? Was it made during the reing of King James or something? Anyways, what version do the Roman Catholics use and where can you get it?

Answer 1

Your answer lies in any one of the 18 answers above mine, but you should just save your money and not get a bible at all. You can go to places online and read the bible for free.

Answer 2

The King James Bible is used by Protestants. Catholics read either the Douay-Rheims or the Jerusalem Bible. If they can read Latin, they might read the Vulgate, which was a translation made by Jerome, and is considered official. The Douay-Rheims is preferred by Catholics who are more traditional or orthodox, and the Jerusalem Bible is preferred as a version easier to understand by people who speak modern English. I can't tell you if the Jerusalem Bible is considered to have more translation errors than the Douay-Rheims, though. All I know is that my traditional Catholic friends prefer the latter. (I have copies of both, but have never made any comparisons.) You can probably get a copy of either on any online Catholic store, and Amazon.com also sells copies, and I imagine Borders and Barnes & Noble would as well.

The Protestant Bibles don't have the Apocrypha, but the Catholic Bibles do. Well, Luther translated the Apocrypha and I have them in my Luther Bible (in German), but they have since been omitted from the more recent versions of his translation. In fact, my Luther Bible has some Apocrypha Catholics no longer use.

As a Lutheran, when I discuss doctrine with my Catholic friends, and want to refer to the Bible, I use the Douay-Rheims.

There is an online searchable Douay-Rheims on the Biola University web site. Link below.

Answer 3

He was a king that had it translated into english.


"King James did not literally translate the Bible but it was his advance authorization that was legally necessary for the Church of England to translate, publish and distribute the Bible in England. James and the Bishop of London wrote the brief that guided the translation, such as prohibiting the marginal notes found in the Geneva Bible and ensuring the position of the Church of England was recognised on various points. While the new Bible did replace the Bishops' Bible in the Church of England, there is no extant documentation to suggest that the completed book was ever formally 'authorized'. However, from 1662, the Epistle and Gospel texts in the Book of Common Prayer were taken from this Bible; and as such were 'authorized' by Act of Parliament."

Answer 4

Most of the above answers were faulty, in whole or in part (though there was some good info given on the King James Version).

First, one way that you can tell if a bible has been approved for use by Roman Catholics is that it will have an imprimatur. Note that this is a local approval - the Roman Catholic Church (RCC), in general, does not approve of the use of specific bibles for the entire membership (probably because members speak so many different languages and dialects).

In the United States, the New American Bible has been approved for use in church service. However, there have been problems in the past. Read the version history and criticism here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_American_Bible#Second_version

The "classic" English RC bible (on par with the King James Version (KJV) for "traditional" English bible) is the Rheims-Douay (RD) version of 1609. This was a translation of a French translation of the Vulgate. Like the Oxford Revision of 1769 for the KJV, the RD has the Challoner revision of 1764 (RDCR). This is what you are most likely to find if you purchase an RD or view it online. The original RD, like the original KJV, is uncommon and can be tricky to locate.

Other bibles with an imprimatur:
New Jerusalem Bible (approved for use in service in the U.K.)
Jerusalem Bible
Good News Bible
Transparent English Bible http://ambassadorwatch.blogspot.com/2007/09/transparent-english-bible.html
Contemporary English Version (difficult to find a "complete" version in print http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FHoly-Bible-Deuterocanonicals-Apocrypha-Contemporary%2Fdp%2F1585160210%3Fie%3DUTF8%26qid%3D1187556958%26sr%3D11-1&tag=wwwjimpettico-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325 but available as an e-book http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FHoly-Bible%2Fdp%2F1585160059%3Fie%3DUTF8%26qid%3D1187556881%26sr%3D11-1&tag=wwwjimpettico-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325 )
New Revised Standard Version
"Ignatius Bible" (Revised Standard Version), or any Revised Standard Version which includes the deutero-canonicals. There is a reportedly excellent Oxford Annotated RSV Expanded Edition which I have not had the opportunity to examine.

Note that some of these have "Catholic" versions, but in general any of these listed above which includes "the apocrypha" or "deutero-canonicals" is one approved by the RCC.

My advice is that you get the New Jerusalem Bible, Regular Edition (review http://www.jimpettis.com/bibles/njb.htm ). This is, in my opinion, the best scholarly translation available today, Catholic or otherwise. My second choice: Oxford Annotated Augmented 3rd Edition NRSV, which has a poorer translation (overly gender inclusive) but study notes which are at least equal, if not superior, to the NJB, and more books are included than is normal in RC bibles (3 & 4 Maccabees and Psalm 151). The Oxford Annotated RSV Expanded Edition mentioned above also includes these additional books. It does not suffer from over-zealous gender inclusiveness, but does suffer from age (a roughly 50-year-old translation).

You can read more about some of these here - if you are really motivated about learning more about the different versions
http://www.bible-researcher.com/romcath.html

Jim, http://www.jimpettis.com/wheel/

Answer 5

Any Catholic Bible has the whole Old Testament including Tobit,1&2 Maccabees,Judith,Wisdom,Ecclesiasticus(S... Bel and the Dragon and the "God"parts of Esther . There are many Catholic Bibles in English. I use the New American Bible, the Catholic Revised Standard/Ignatius,the Douai-Reims/Challoner, the Jerusalem and others. RCIAs are different in different parishes. Call the RCIA director in your parish to find out what they "give out' and what the director suggests you pick up. I suggest the New American Bible,The Catechism of the Catholic Chruch, a Daily and Sunday Missal and the Compendium of the Catechism.

Answer 6

Any of the Roman Catholic Bibles (versions) approved by the Vatican All other Bibles and Religions separated from the Catholic Church for one reason or another.

EDIT.....Catholics don't really need a Bible. They are too confusing.The Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Gospel readings from the Catholic Sunday Missal are all that is needed.We already know how God want's us to live.We understand Mary's roll on Earth and in Heaven.We pray the way God wants us to . We accept the Trinity .We know that Jesus is God. We understand Mary's Immaculate Conception. Most other Christians do not agree with the above,or they can't understand it.They even disagree among themselves.

Answer 7

Really, any version of the Bible is fine. Make sure it has the Apocrypha just in case. King James Bible doesn't have the Aprocrypha which Roman Catholics sometimes reference. It's also one of the shaky Bibles considering while King James had a team of translators, he had the final say in what was translated (like how in Exodus, the word "witch" was used because he feared the witches).

Answer 8

The following Bible translations are approved by the Catholic Chruch for personal use:
+ Douai-Rheims http://www.drbo.org/
+ Confraternity Edition
+ Revised Standard Version (RSV) - Catholic Edition
+ New American Bible (NAB) http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/bible/
+ Jerusalem Bible
+ New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)- Catholic Edition
+ New Jerusalem Bible (NJB) http://www.catholic.org/bible/
+ Today's English Version - Catholic Edition

I recommend the New American Bible (NAB) which is the version used during Mass and other liturgies in the U.S. and many other English speaking countries.

Here is a NAB website: http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/bible/

http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/bible_versions.htm

With love in Christ.

Answer 9

Yes, most Catholics use the King James version. The other most common version is called the Douay version, which is used more by Protestants. The King James version was translated and accepted as correct by order of King James. This was before the split between the Catholic church and the Church of England (Episcopal Church)

Answer 10

A Christian Bookstore will most likely have a Catholic Bible. The Catholics slung a couple more books into their Bible than everybody else did, so it's a little heavier.

Answer 11

The Douay Rhea-ms version is the original 3rd century translation used by the Catholic Church. The King James version is a "reformation" bible which was rewritten and used by the various Protestant's who broke off from the Catholic church. Any good traditional Catholic bookstore would carry the Douay Rhea ms version alone. Keep up your faith! And remember only the Catholic church holds the fullness of Christianity both historically and spiritually. All of these other break off facets of Christianity and their myriads of Bibles are an attempt to validate modernism & Liberalism which was condemed by the Catholic church century's ago.