It is time for another spot check of this coming weekend's second reading, which comes from St. Paul's first letter to the Corinthians. Your choices are the RSV-CE, NABRE, and the NJB. Which one is which? Which one do you prefer?
"If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast, for an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it! If I do so willingly, I have a recompense, but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship. What then is my recompense? That, when I preach, I offer the gospel free of charge so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. Although I am free in regard to all, I have made myself a slave to all so as to win over as many as possible. To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak. I have become all things to all, to save at least some. All this I do for the sake of the gospel, so that I too may have a share in it."
"In fact, preaching the gospel gives me nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion and I should be in trouble if I failed to do it. If I did it on my own initiative I would deserve a reward; but if I do it under compulsion I am simply accepting a task entrusted to me. What reward do I have, then? That in my preaching I offer the gospel free of charge to avoid using the rights which the gospel allows me. So though I was not a slave to any human being, I put myself in slavery to all people, to win as many as I could. To the weak, I made myself weak, to win the weak. I accommodated myself to people in all kinds of different situations, so that by all possible means I might bring some to salvation. All this I do for the sake of the gospel, that I may share its benefits with others."
"For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission. What then is my reward? Just this: that in my preaching I may make the gospel free of charge, not making full use of my right in the gospel. For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings."
The first is NABRE and the last is RSV-CE. That leaves the middle as NJB. I was a bit surprised I preferred the NABRE translation. Is the "For..." starting off sentences common in the NT of the RSV? It reads a bit annoying to me. The NJB flowed well but seemed looser in translating than the other two.
ReplyDeleteThird is best, first is a close second, second is a distant third.
ReplyDeleteNABRE
ReplyDeleteNJB
RSV-CE
I like the first one the best, followed by the third one. The second translation (NJB) is too dynamic for me (especially with Paul's Letters).
I know that is was not one of the choices listed, but I think the NRSV is gives a more lucid english rendition here.
ReplyDeleteI got a pocket NRSV w/Psalms second hand recently, and I am suprised to see how often the grammer and word choices are smoothed out from the RSV 1971 to make it more understandable.
Agreed, NABRE, NJB, RSV-CE. I don't like the NABRE here.
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