Breaking news from the USCCB website:
Revised Edition of New American Bible Approved for Publication, Will Be Available in Variety of Formats March 9
"WASHINGTON (January 6, 2011)—The New American Bible, revised edition (NABRE), the first major update to the New American Bible (NAB) translation in 20 years, has been approved for publication. Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, then president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), signed the canonical rescript approving publication on September 30, 2010. The NABRE will be available in a variety of print, audio and electronic formats on March 9, Ash Wednesday.
The new translation takes into account advances in linguistics of the biblical languages, as well as changes in vocabulary and the cultural background of English, in order to ensure a more accurate translation. This issue is addressed in the apostolic exhortation of Pope Benedict XVI, Verbum Domini, in which the pope says, “The inculturation of God’s word is an integral part of the Church’s mission in the world, and a decisive moment in this process is the diffusion of the Bible through the precious work of translation into different languages.
The new translation also takes into account the discovery of new and better ancient manuscripts so that the best possible textual tradition is followed.The NABRE includes the first revised translation of the Old Testament since 1970 and a complete revision of the Psalter. It retains the 1986 edition of the New Testament. Work on most books of the Old Testament began in 1994 and was completed in 2001. The 1991 revision of the Psalter was further revised between 2009 and 2010.
The revision aimed at making use of the best manuscript traditions available, translating as accurately as possible, and rendering the result in good contemporary English. In many ways it is a more literal translation than the original New American Bible and has attempted to be more consistent in rendering Hebrew (or Greek) words and idioms, especially in technical contexts, such as regulations for sacrifices. In translating the Psalter special effort was made to provide a smooth, rhythmic translation for easy singing or recitation and to retain the concrete imagery of the Hebrew.
The NABRE is approved for private use and study. It will not be used for the Mass, which uses an earlier, modified version of the NAB translation.”
The long wait is almost over. Comments to come shortly, so stay tuned.
In the meantime, you can submit questions about the NABRE on its new Facebook site here.
15 comments:
I'll get things started: We are inviting your questions about the NABRE here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-American-Bible-Revised-Edition/191003707580538?v=app_2344061033#!/event.php?eid=124448427622719&index=1
I don't understand why the revised New Testament approved for Mass isn't going to be published as part of the NABRE. It is a newer and better translation than the 1986 revision. I just don't understand.
No Facebook account here so let me ask if anyone knows or has heard if the INTRODUCTIONS and FOOTNOTES to BOTH the OT and NT have been revised, updated or in anyway improved in content?
The OT has but not sure on the NT. I could propose that question for you on the site.
Timothy - that would be much appreciated. If the NT has revised notes I would definitely buy a copy.
Someone please ask why the NABRE is using the 25 year old revision of the New Testament, and not the more recent Liturgical revision.
So the 1970 O.T. will continue to be used in the Mass along with the new Revised Grail Psalms. That means I will have to continue to use my current NAB for RCIA and Bible study classes, since we work with the Lectionary. It sounds like it might wind up available for the Kindle.
Still won't be a good as either the RSVCE or Douay Rheims. The NAB is a flop. This traditional Roman Catholic finds it worthless. Not even the Eastern Orthodox Churches would look at it. I wonder why it can't be used in the Mass?. Hmmm!.
What version do you recommend using for my blog http://biblethings.blogspot.com/?
I am studying the Bible and its effects on society. I'm an atheist, but the Bible is a really beautiful book and is a huge part of history.
The King James Version is pretty--do you know where to find the Tyndale version or is there one?
Robert,
I wouldn't go as far as to say it has been a flop, but I do feel it has been a disappointment. While the Traditional Roman Catholic finds it worthless, I would imagine they find quite a few other things worthless as well. I just think it has two major problems that keep it from being fully embraced: 1) The commentary/notes have a few real stinkers. 2) The current NAB is really uneven from Testament to Testament, not even mentioning the pretty terrible '91 Psalms. Perhaps the revision will smooth this out and make #2 less of an issue.
DG,
Thanks for stopping by. In your case, I would recommend either the RSV or NRSV. Both are widely read versions, which are used both academically and in liturgical (Church) settings by various Christian churches.
Tim you forgot "inclusive language" as a major problem as well. Like it was mentioned already on SubTuum, a Cistercian brother's blog. We need to put the NAB to sleep for good. The RSVCE is perfectly fine for most Catholics. And should be used in the OF Mass. In the EF Mass we don't have this problem. We use the Douay Rheims. The same one, not modified, that you can purchase online.
I think this (NABRE) is a huge waste of time and resources. They should be spending that time and money to put the RSVCE into the OF Mass liturgical texts.
Here is my question, which I sincerely hope will be answered:
How has the royalty dispute (mentioned here, for instance) with the CBA been resolved? Where are the royalties on sales of the NABRE going?
Theophrastus,
I was told that the publication of the NABRE wasn't necessarily related to the dispute. That was as far as the person was willing to comment.
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