Catholic Bibles include the New American Bible (not to be confused with the New American Standard Bible), The New Jerusalem Bible, and the older Douay Rheims.
The only translation that is accepted for liturgies in the United States is the New American translation. The Contemporary English Version is approved for children’s liturgies.
Imprimatur (from Latin, “let it be printed”) is found in Catholic Bibles and indicates that it is published with ecclesiastical permission. This indicates assurance that the text has been approved by a Catholic bishop and that the edition contains the seven deuterocanonical books.
A Brief Description of the Translations Most Commonly Used by Catholics:
Contemporary English Version (CEV)
This youth-oriented edition has simple language and avoids difficult vocabulary and sentence structure. It meets the needs of a variety of readers.Douay-Rheims (DR)
This translation of the Latin Vulgate (St. Jerome translation into Latin from the Greek and Hebrew) is the closest translation to the King James Bible. This translation was used before the NAB. Customers might ask for this Bible that was used in school before 1970.Jerusalem Bible (JB)
The Jerusalem Bible is translated from the French Bible de Jerusalem. It is known for its exquisite literary style that is used across denominational lines. Used for Mass and liturgies in many European countries, this translation can be recommended for use in prayers and devotions. (In 1999, Doubleday reprinted it.)Living Bible (LI)
Kenneth Taylor’s paraphrase of the American Standard Version in everyday language so that anyone, including children, could understand it. It was originally called The Way with its previous New Testament, Reach Out. Written at an eighth grade level, some consider it too interpretive.New American Bible (NAB)
This translation is most familiar to Catholics from the readings at Mass. It is the first English Bible from the Catholic Church translated from the original texts. It is at the eleventh grade reading level and is direct in style. Completed in 1970, the New Testament was revised in 1986 and the Psalms were revised in 1992. A complete revision of the NAB is expected in 2003.New International New Testament (NIV)
Catholic Book Publishing has the only Catholic edition of the NIV New Testament. It is a reliable and readable translation outselling the King James Version. A Catholic edition of the NIV Old Testament is not available.New Jerusalem Bible (NJB)
This is the update of the 1966 Jerusalem Bible based on the 1973 French Edition with revised footnotes, updated text, and inclusive language. A recent standard edition from Doubleday has a four-column format, making it lightweight and portable.New Revised Standard (NRS)
This updated Revised Standard translation includes changes from archaeological and textual discoveries made in recent decades. It eliminates male-oriented language. The NRS was used in English editions of The Catechism of the Catholic Church. It is used for liturgies in parts of Canada.Revised English (RE)
The Revised English Bible is an extensive revision of the New English Bible featuring a contemporary text that uses inclusive language.Revised Standard (RS)
Some say this is the best English translation for Bible study because it closely follows the Hebrew and Greek originals. It is a revision of the English Bible in the King James tradition. It is written at a tenth grade level.Today’s English Version (TEV)
Known as the Good News translation, it is written in modern English, in a simple style that was chosen for the elementary age reading level. This is the translation used in the Precious Moments Bibles from Nelson. Because of its use of paraphrasing, it is not recommended as a study Bible.