Revised New Jerusalem Bible

I spotted this on the very fine Facebook group, Catholic Bible Fans, via Llywellyn, the DLT (out of the U.K.) will be publishing a revised NJB New Testament and Psalms this November.  No word on whether there it will be published in the US at this time.  I'll look around.

Description:

Presenting the world’s first modern English Bible in a new light.

In 1966, Darton, Longman and Todd published the Jerusalem Bible, the first full translation of the Bible into modern English, with an acclaimed set of study notes. In 1985, it released the New Jerusalem Bible, an update of the Bible text for a fast-changing world. Now, after more than thirty years, DLT is preparing to publish the Revised New Jerusalem Bible – a substantial revision of the JB and NJB texts, and one which applies formal equivalence translation for a more accurate rendering of the original scriptures, sensitivity to readable speech patterns and more inclusive language. The RNJB is accompanied by a new, comprehensive set of study notes and book introductions enabling the Bible to be read with the insight, wisdom and understanding of the most up-to-date biblical scholarship.

The New Testament and Psalms will be published in November 2017, and the Full Bible will be published in the late spring of 2018. Both editions will contain the comprehensive study notes and book introductions.

The RNJB has been translated, and the notes and introductions written, by Dom Henry Wansbrough OSB, a monk of Ampleforth Abbey and one of the foremost biblical scholars of our day. Fr Henry was the translator and general editor of the NJB.

Dom Henry Wansbrough OSB is a monk of Ampleforth Abbey and one of the foremost biblical scholars of our day. Fr Henry was the translator and general editor of the NJB.

He Lives: The Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus

This new audio set is by Fr. Henry Wansbrough, editor of the New Jerusalem Bible, is now available.  It is presented by Now You Know Media.  It is available in both CD and MP3 formats.  Seems like it would be a great resource for Lent.

Details:

No narrative is more beautiful than the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now, you can gain a deeper understanding of these powerful events with Fr. Henry Wansbrough, one of the world’s leading biblical scholars.

Although the story of Jesus’ Passion, Death, and Resurrection forms the core of Christian belief, the full depth of its meaning is often not immediately understandable to twenty-first century readers. Occurring some two thousand years ago, these events were narrated with the language and symbols of contemporaries in a civilization and culture considerably different from ours.

In He Lives: The Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus, you will delve into the world of the biblical authors in order to understand the religious message of these events. As you do so, you will gain a deeper understanding of not only the historical context but also the profound theology expressed in these accounts.

You will journey through the gospel accounts of the Last Supper, the Agony in the Garden, Jesus’ interrogation, and His ultimate condemnation by Pontius Pilate, gaining deep insights into the theological and salvific nature of these events. After looking at the powerful themes of forgiveness in the Cross, you will consider what the Resurrection means for the mission of the Church and your own spirituality. Finally, you will explore the glorification and transcendence of the Risen Christ.

Embark on this journey of forgiveness, hope, and glory today.

Anybody have this NJB from DLT?

It is the NJB Standard Edition Leather from Darton, Longman, and Todd in the UK.  Is it hardcover leather, like many of Bibles produced by Baronius?

Description:

The New Jerusalem Bible is recognised as one of today’s most accurate, clear and modern translations, the fruit of long collaboration between leading biblical scholars.

This Standard Edition - bound in black leather on board, golden gilt page edges, head/tail bands with two ribbons and presented in a sturdy protective slipcase - presents the New Jerusalem Bible with comprehensive material designed for serious study of the scriptures.

It contains the full Bible, with special features for in-depth study:

• Extensive Footnotes to the text, plus a table of major footnotes

• Side-margin Cross-reference system

• Full-colour Maps and Diagrams, with index

• 20-page Chronological Table, detailing the historical context of biblical events

• An Index of Persons, with verse references

• Major scholarly Introductions to all the main groupings of books

Aleteia Article on Dom Henry Wansbrough, OSB

Fr. Wansbrough is the main editor of the New Jerusalem Bible and member of the Pontifical Biblical Commission.  The article discusses a bit about his life as well as his work on the NJB.

What does a world-famous scripture scholar do after returning from a biblical conference in South Africa? Are there texts to revisit, linguistic dictionaries to consult, or rare books to return to their home in the monastery library? Not exactly.

Last week, Dom Henry Wansbrough, OSB, was pushing a lawn mower on the grounds of Ampleforth Abbey in England after a long plane trip.  He regularly runs four or five miles. Decades ago, as captain of the rugby team at Ampleforth College, Fr. Henry commanded players on the nearby field. The football coach was Basil Hume, later Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster. Now nearly 80, he continues to be intellectually, physically, and spiritually sound, writing copiously and teaching both university and high school.

Continue here...

Longenecker on Bible Translation

Fr. Dwight Longenecker, whose book Catholicism Pure and Simple I recommended recently, penned at short essay back in 2003 entitled "How to Choose a Bible" for the UK charismatic magazine Goodnews.  In it, he recommends the NJB:

Recently so many further updates and revisions have come out that it is difficult to keep track of them all. The New Jerusalem Bible is the most up to date, scholarly Catholic version. Other new versions or updates are The New Revised Standard, The New King James Version and the New American Standard Version. Many of the newest 'translations' attempt to 'correct' gender-biased mistakes in the Bible and are therefore biased in their own way as they attempt to be politically correct. Other new translations like the Ignatius Study Bible try to correct the 'liberal' slant with their own more conservative stance. This one as yet has only produced individual books of the bible and not the whole thing, although this will be the final goal.There are still more versions that offer varied presentations of the older translations. These are often abridged or adapted versions to make the Bible more attractive to a particular set of readers or have notes for young people or some particular category. One very accessible down to earth bible that has become popular in recent years, which a fellow parishoner drew my attention to, is the Community Bible which comes out of the lived experience of the basic Christian communities in Latin America. As might be expected while not of the highest scholarship it has very useful pastorally oriented footnotes.

I can hear you thinking, why doesn't he cut through all that and simply recommend a Bible version? Okay. Go for The New Jerusalem Bible. Get as good a one as you can, and by 'good' I don't mean fancy leather covers or giltedged pages. Invest in a solid, hardback edition with lots of study notes. It may cost thirty pounds or so, but it will be a treasure trove forever. It will be readable and clear, and the study notes will keep you awake looking up fascinating details and digging out interesting tidbits from the cross references.

Of course, this was written for a British audience almost ten years ago.  I wonder if he feels the same about the NJB today?  I also enjoy his advise about getting a solid hardback edition.  Something to consider!

My Top 5 Catholic Bibles #4

The New Jerusalem Bible: A Great Place to Start

"Because it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith; not by anything of your own, but by a gift from God; not by anything that you have done, so that nobody can claim the credit. We are God's work of art, created in Christ Jesus for the good works which God has already designated to make up our way of life." -Ephesians 2:8-10 (NJB)

If someone was new to the Bible and asked me for a recommendation, in most cases I would point them to the New Jerusalem Bible. I would also suggest that they get the full hardbound edition, with the single column layout and the copious notes. This dynamic, more literary translation, combined with some solid study tools, make the NJB a wonderful all-around Bible.

Translation Philosophy 3/5
The NJB, as a successor to the original Jerusalem Bible, is known for its more dynamic, yet literary quality. As Henry Wansbrough points out in his book The Story of the Bible: "The English Jerusalem Bible, having no basis in traditional English versions, has the freshness of freedom from traditional biblical language." In many ways, the NJB retains that same quality. While the original Jerusalem Bible closely followed the French Bible de Jérusalem, the NJB was translated directly from the original languages. The NJB is slightly more literal than the original. In particular, as the intro to the NJB states: "Key terms in the originals, especially those theological key concepts on which there is a majot theological note, have been rendered throughout (with very few exceptions) by the same English word, instead of by a variety of words used in the first edition (v)." One other unique quality to the NJB, like its predecessor, is the use of Yahweh instead of the LORD. The use of the Divine Name does give reading the Bible, particularly in the Psalms, a different tone, but one has to measure this with the recent request from the Vatican in 2008.

Another important note about the NJB translation is its use of inclusive language. It is the first major Bible translation to consistently use inclusive language throughout. In many ways, I find that the NJB has done the best out of all the recent translations. Henry Wansbrough notes: "It was the first complete Bible to make consistent use of inclusive language wherever possible, though without the extreme rigour of the later NRSV."

Readability 3/5
The NJB builds on the already, highly readable JB. Translation philosophy, including use of inclusive language, is constant throughout the OT and NT. I find that if I am in the mood to read long passages or an entire book in one sitting, the NJB does the job best. In addition, since it is not held to using traditional Biblical language, new insights can be gained. In many ways, the NJB makes for a great second Bible, along side a more formal one. It is still a fresh translation, twenty five years later.

Available Formats 3/5
While it is true that the NJB is available in only a limited number of formats, most notably the large hardbound study edition and other text only ones, the beauty of the hardbound edition makes up for it. Personally, I am still waiting for a true single-column edition for the more formal Catholic Bible translations that match the NJB. The single column NJB provides plenty of space for personal note taking, and plentiful cross-references, while also being easy on the eyes. If you look around the Internet, particularly on European book seller sites, you will find some additional editions of the NJB, including ones with leather covers.

Miscellaneous 1/5
With all that has been said about the NJB, one wonders if it will remain in use into the future. It is not the basis for any English language Lectionary and the École Biblique is working on a completely new project called The Bible in Its Traditions. It also does not have many scholarly works keyed to it, nor are there any supplemental texts, like a concordance, that uses the NJB.

Conclusion 10/20
When I was studying in Rome in 2000, not for theology but Roman History, I had the beginning of my conversion back to the Church. I was never in another church or anything, but just wasn't a practicing Catholic in many ways. While in Rome, I stopped into a bookstore by the Vatican that sold books in English and purchased a compact NJB. It was in leather too! I still have it today, and it serves as a reminder as to how far I have come since then. All by the grace of God, of course, along with a little help from my pocket NJB.

Guest Post: Theophrastus

Thank you to Theophrastus for the following information:

Amazon often has major sales on Catholic Bibles. A few months ago, I
pointed out that the excellent Oxford Catholic Comparative New
Testament was on sale for under $10.

Well, here is another fantastic bargain: Amazon is selling the New
Jerusalem Bible in the Standard Edition for $10 (list price $25) and the Full Edition for $20 (list price $50).

There is controversy over the NJB -- some people object to its use of
the English spelling of the tetragrammaton (now discouraged by the
Vatican) and it does have moderately inclusive language in parts.
Nonetheless, the NJB is a major translation and the extensive study
helps in the Full Edition will be useful to a broad variety of
Catholics. Personally, I ordered 2 copies of the Standard
Edition and 4 copies of the Full Edition.-- paying just
$100 for $250 worth of Bibles.

I notice that Amazon currently states that there are only 12 more
copies of the Full Edition in stock, so if this is something
you think you may be interested in, you may want to place an order
soon. (However, I've found that Amazon is sometimes able to get
additional bargain book stock in place.)

2011 seems to be the year of Catholic Bibles (the new NABRE edition is
coming out Wednesday, Harvard University Press is releasing a
scholarly new edition of the Douay-Rheims, a number of 400th
anniversary editions of the KJV featuring the Catholic
Deuterocanonical are coming out, the Common English Bible which
included Catholic participation is coming out, and the Ignatius
Catholic Study Bible New Testament is still warm off the press). But
I doubt you'll see a better Bible bargain than this soon.

Website for "The Bible in It's Traditions" Project

The Bible in It's Traditions is the new project of the École Biblique et Archéologique Française de Jérusalem, the creators of the Jerusalem Bible. The site contains some sample pages in English for your viewing, so check it out!

Upcoming Bible Releases

It's summer, which is a very good thing here in Michigan! The weather has been great, with lots of sunny days but without the oppressive heat and humidity. Major automotive companies have emerged out of bankruptcy and the Tigers are in first place. So it must be time to just sit back and relax?

Well, if you are as twisted as I am, now is the perfect time to look at some upcoming Bible releases! I hear dozens of people shouting "hooray" in the background. Or was that just me?

So, what is there to look forward to for the second half of the year in regards to Catholic Bible releases? (Please note that I include any Bible that contains the Catholic canon to fit into that category). The answer to that question varies, depending on what translation you prefer.

If you like the NAB or NJB, then there won't be much coming out that you need. Both translations are in a state of flux, not surprisingly. The NAB revised OT, including re-revised Psalms, is set to come out late this or early next year. Of course that all depends on when the re-revised Psalms are completed and approved by the USCCB. Stay tuned! As for the NJB, there is that "Bible in its Traditions" project that is underway, but when that will be completed, in an English edition, is unknown.

Lovers of the Douay-Rheims will rejoice that a new edition, mentioned recently on this blog, will be coming out in August. Although I do not use the Douay-Rheims on a regular basis, it is nice to see that Tan/Saint Benedict Press will be issuing the venerable old translation in a genuine leather edition. This new edition will also come with some new maps, as well as possibly a new type-setting. It would be nice to see the Douay-Rheims in a type-setting that might be attractive to someone in the 21st century.

As for the RSV-CE, Ignatius Press has recently published the Letters of St. John and the Book of Revelation in their final volume of the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament. There are rumors that a possible one-volume edition of the complete New Testament is coming soon, possibly by the end of the year.

Last, but certainly not least, is the NRSV. Of all the Bible translations mentioned, the NRSV continues to be the one that has the greatest potential of a continued stream of new releases that interest Catholic readers. This has everything to do with HarperCollins, who continues to promote their NRSV in a wide-range of editions. For the most part, HarperCollins has succeeded in bringing greater awareness of the NRSV translation. Now if they would only publish an edition of the NRSV with cross-references and maps, then I will be a very happy man indeed!

Here is a list of upcoming NRSV releases:

NRSV Life with God Bible with Deuterocanonicals

The Go-Anywhere Compact NRSV Thinline Bible with Apocrypha

NRSV Catholic Faith and Family Bible

Saint Mary's Press Personal Journey Bible NRSV NT and Psalms (This is a youth Bible released earlier this year)

New Jerusalem Bible Review

"Still, I am telling you the truth: it is for your own good that I am going, because unless I go, the Paraclete will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you." - Jn 16:7 NJB

In my opinion, the New Jerusalem Bible is the best beginner Bible for someone who is new to the Catholic faith or has had a re-conversion back to the faith. Now, when I say that it is a great beginner Bible, I do not mean to suggest that the NJB translation is itself simplistic or easy to read like the Good News Translation for example. My point is that this one Bible has the best collection of Bible study tools and page lay-out in any one volume Catholic Bible currently available. The fact that it was published over 20 years ago is a sad indictment of the poor quality of Catholic Bibles on the market. Before looking at some specifics, let me just say one thing: If you are going to get the NJB, make sure it is the large hardcover edition shown here. Do not waste your time with the other editions that are out there, since those do not include all the study helps that the regular edition does.

Details:
The NJB contains the complete text of the ancient canon of scripture, along with up-to-date (as of 1985) and extensive introductions and notes. Eight pages of color maps and indexes, including biblical themes, personal names, and major footnotes.

The NJB is a translation directly from the Hebrew and Greek, unlike, at times its predecessor which did consult the original French edition of the JB. The NJB made use of the Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece 25th edition and Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia with close reference to the LXX. The NJB is a mediating translation, which leans towards functional equivalence. An informative essay by the NJB's chief editor, Dom Henry Wansbrough, can be found here. In it, he states that the five main principles to his work were:

1) To improve the accuracy of translation, introductions and notes. I was acutely aware that the rationale of the NJB was somewhat different from that of the JB. Alexander Jones had conceived the translation primarily as an underlay to the introduction and notes, that is, as a study Bible. But whereas in 1966 there was no modern translation of the whole Bible into English by 1985 several were available. The study aspect had therefore become all the more important.

2) To remove elements which were narrowly Roman Catholic, such as references in the notes to passages used in the Roman Catholic liturgy.

3) Where possible to use the same English word throughout for the same Hebrew concepts. With some concepts I abandoned the attempt to find a modern English equivalent which would serve to translate all instances of a word, e.g. ‘flesh’.

4) In the synoptic gospels and other parallel sets of texts (e.g. the Books of Kings and of Chronicles) to show the differences between the text, in order to make possible a study of the redactional changes made by the authors.

5) Where possible to go some way towards using inclusive language. I did not estimate that this was necessary at all costs, as the NRSV subsequently did. However, Bruce Metzger was kind enough to write to me to say that NJB solutions had been most helpful to the Committee for the NRSV in the closing stages of their work.

The NJB, like its predecessor, is also the only Catholic translation that uses "Yahweh" instead of "LORD" consistently in the Old Testament. It will be interesting to see if it is used in future editions, particularly with Pope Benedict's recent comments about its use in liturgy.

Positive Features:

1) The NJB is a solid translation. It fits nicely right in the middle of the translation philosophy spectrum. I would generally place it close to the NIV/NAB, though leaning more towards dynamic equivalence. Where I find the NJB to excel is in its use of inclusive language. In many ways, I think the NJB is the model. It is used consistently throughout the Old and New Testament, unlike the NAB, yet it does not go overboard like the NRSV. The NJB retains the use of "sons" in important passages in Galatians 4, does not obscure "Son of Man" references in the OT, and doesn't use the plural "you" to make a passage inclusive.

2) The standard hardback edition is a wonderful study Bible. It has copious notes and lots of cross-references. The intros are also helpful, without forcing you to accept various modern theories as fact.

3) The page layout is single-column, which means it is a pleasure to read and there is plenty of room to make notes. It is a real shame that the NJB is the only Catholic Bible, that I am aware of, that has a single-column layout.

Negative Features:

1) There aren't many editions of the NJB available. I have seen some used leather editions of the standard NJB online, but it seems that they are not in print anymore. Therefore, if you like the NJB with all the study helps, you can only get it in hardcover.

2) With the rumors that a 3rd edition of the New Jerusalem Bible is in the works, I am not sure how much longer this edition will be needed.

3) There are no additional study/reference helps available in the NJB translation. One of the great reasons to use a translation like the NRSV is that you can get interlinears, concordances, dictionaries, and other tools that reference the NRSV. This is simply not the case with the NJB.

Another Year, Another Bible

So, last year, around New Years, I decided to give the NRSV-CE a good read through by using it as my primary Bible. I was faithful to this commitment, using the NRSV for personal devotions, work in ministry, as well as class work at the seminary. This lasted for more than six months, almost into August. For devotional reading, I utilized the NRSV-CE edition published by Oxford, while using the HarperCollins Study Bible for study.

I found the overall quality of the NRSV translation to be pretty high. In particular, I appreciated the nice mix between literal and dynamic renderings, certainly leaning more towards the literal end. And while the NRSV is not as literal as the original RSV, I found that to be a positive. In particular, I found reading through the OT to be very enjoyable. I think the text flows quite well, in both Testaments. Also, I appreciate the textual notes at the bottom of each page. They were very helpful. However, some of the excesses in inclusive language use bothered me at times. I am one who believes that it is appropriate to use some inclusive language, but I feel the NRSV is too much. (I think the NJB does a nice job overall.) In particular, the "Son of Man" renderings in the OT, by rendering them "mortals", obscures the messianic meanings behind them. Sure, I know that there may be some legitimate linguistic reasons for an inclusive rendering, but the fact that Jesus referred to himself as the "Son of Man" indicates that he read those OT inferences in that way. In addition, I am not sure changing a passage to the plural is always a good idea.

Also, while I mentioned above that I like the fact the NRSV provides many textual notes, the one thing I noticed is that many of them are simply the more literal Greek rendering. Oftentimes, those notes are the actual text in the RSV or even the NAB. There are a few other things that nag me, but I don't want to harp on the NRSV too much. Like I said, overall I think the NRSV is pretty good, but there are just some things about it that make me uncomfortable with it.

So, since on Sunday we begin a new liturgical year with the First Sunday of Advent, I have decided to do the same thing I did with the NRSV earlier in the year. But, what translation should I go with? Right now, I am seriously considering going with the new Emergent New Testament: The Voice! Actually no, I am just kidding. Truthfully, I am considering the NAB, which in all honesty, I have rarely used. (Of course I hear it every time I go to Holy Mass). I certainly own a few copies of the NAB, including the nicely made Fireside Librosario NAB and a leather 1990 edition of the Catholic Study Bible by Oxford. But, I am still considering which translation to go with. I am open for any of your thoughts! RSV-2CE?

In any case, I hope to blog about my experiences with whatever translation I decide to use. I would like to show, possibly on a weekly basis, how I have used it in study and ministry, along with insights from my daily devotional reading.

Update: I think I shall make the REB a candidate as well.

Update 2: Five additional translations I am considering are the RSV-2CE, NJB, NLT (Catholic Edition), Good News Translation, and the Christian Community Bible.

Update 3: Leaning towards the RSV-2CE.

Update 4: Now leaning nowhere!