Along with questions about discerning a religious vocation and requests for my fried chicken recipe, the most frequently asked question from HA readers is: "Father, can you recommend a good translation of the Bible?"
My usual answer is: "Yes, the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, RSV." (And you cannot beat the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The New Testament for excellent footnotes, short essays, and references to the CCC!)
Now, I can add: The Knox Bible.* Translated in the 1950's by Msgr. Ronald Knox, an English priest of astonishing intellect and faith, this translation is his attempt to "English the Bible." You just have to read what he's done in order to understand the gift he's given us. The Knox Bible includes a booklet of essays written by Fr. Knox, describing the translation process.
Here's my favorite Pauline quote, 1 Cor 13.4-13:
Charity is patient, is
kind; charity feels no envy; charity is never perverse or proud,
never insolent; does not claim its rights, cannot be provoked, does
not brood over an injury; takes no pleasure in wrong-doing, but
rejoices at the victory of truth; sustains, believes, hopes, endures,
to the last. The time will come when we shall outgrow prophecy, when
speaking with tongues will come to an end, when knowledge will be
swept away; we shall never have finished with charity. Our knowledge,
our prophecy, are only glimpses of the truth; and these glimpses will
be swept away when the time of fulfilment comes. (Just so, when I was
a child, I talked like a child, I had the intelligence, the thoughts
of a child; since I became a man, I have outgrown childish ways.) At
present, we are looking at a confused reflection in a mirror; then,
we shall see face to face; now, I have only glimpses of knowledge;
then, I shall recognize God as he has recognized me. Meanwhile,
faith, hope and charity persist, all three; but the greatest of them
all is charity.
You really can't ask for better clarity!
* Thanks to a generous Book Benefactor (you know who you are).
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Thanks Father! Now ordered from Barronius Press:
ReplyDeletehttp://knoxbible.com/
Father,
ReplyDeletePerhaps you're already aware, but for those readers who may not be, the Bible Gateway web site provides an on-line version of the Know Bible here:
http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/Knox-Bible/
This web site allows interactive passage look-up via key words in a number of different Protestant and some Catholic translations. Unfortunately, the Catholic NABRE and the New Jerusalem Bible are not included. :-( But the Duaoy-Rheims, RSVCE and NRSVCE are included. :-) And hooray, the Biblia Sacra Vulgata is included as well:
http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/index.php?action=getVersionInfo&vid=4
Thanks for the link! I use BibleGateway all the time. . .however, it doesn't have that New Book Smell, ya know?
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