Knox vs. The Message: The Epiphany (Matthew 2:1-12)

Happy Epiphany!  I am going to continue this series of comparing one of the Sunday readings from the lectionary, using the Knox Bible and The Message.  While done in different ways, I think both Knox and Peterson desired to make the Bible more accessible to the average reader.  Let's see if they were successful.  I have liked the discussion the past few weeks!

Knox:
Jesus was born at Bethlehem, in Juda, in the days of king Herod. And thereupon certain wise men came out of the east to Jerusalem, who asked, Where is he that has been born, the king of the Jews? We have seen his star out in the east, and we have come to worship him.  King Herod was troubled when he heard it, and all Jerusalem with him;  so that he assembled all the chief priests and learned men among the people, and enquired of them where it was that Christ would be born.  And they told him, At Bethlehem in Juda; so it has been written by the prophet:  And thou, Bethlehem, of the land of Juda, art far from the least among the princes of Juda, for out of thee will arise a leader who is to be the shepherd of my people Israel. Then, summoning the wise men in secret, Herod questioned them closely upon the time of the star’s appearing. And he sent them on their way to Bethlehem, saying to them, Go and enquire carefully for the child, and when you have found him, bring me back word, so that I too may come and worship him.  They obeyed the king, and went on their journey; and all at once the star which they had seen in the east was there going before them, till at last it stood still over the place where the child was.  They, when they saw the star, were glad beyond measure; and so, going into the dwelling, they found the child there, with his mother Mary, and fell down to worship him; and, opening their store of treasures, they offered him gifts, of gold and frankincense and myrrh.  Afterwards, because they had received a warning in a dream forbidding them to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by a different way.


The Message:

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem village, Judah territory— this was during Herod’s kingship—a band of scholars arrived in Jerusalem from the East. They asked around, “Where can we find and pay homage to the newborn King of the Jews? We observed a star in the eastern sky that signaled his birth. We’re on pilgrimage to worship him.”

When word of their inquiry got to Herod, he was terrified—and not Herod alone, but most of Jerusalem as well. Herod lost no time. He gathered all the high priests and religion scholars in the city together and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”

They told him, “Bethlehem, Judah territory. The prophet Micah wrote it plainly:

It’s you, Bethlehem, in Judah’s land,

no longer bringing up the rear.

From you will come the leader

who will shepherd-rule my people, my Israel.”

Herod then arranged a secret meeting with the scholars from the East. Pretending to be as devout as they were, he got them to tell him exactly when the birth-announcement star appeared. Then he told them the prophecy about Bethlehem, and said, “Go find this child. Leave no stone unturned. As soon as you find him, send word and I’ll join you at once in your worship.”

Instructed by the king, they set off. Then the star appeared again, the same star they had seen in the eastern skies. It led them on until it hovered over the place of the child. They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time!

They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother. Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him. Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh.

In a dream, they were warned not to report back to Herod. So they worked out another route, left the territory without being seen, and returned to their own country.

A Question from a Reader

Can you help me locate a diglot and Catholic version New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs. I want to recommend to an American Host Catholic family assisting a relocated African Catholic family. They might know a little more French to be able to read and locate some things. I used this technique with a non-English speaking migrant family. We both knew our Gospels and Psalms very well from Mass readings. It was a great common ground and a great way to start building a base vocabulary together. Thanks for your help. Blessings! 

"One Bible, One Year" for 2015

A few days back I decided to do commit to using one Bible edition for one year.  I provided a poll for you, my faithful readers, to help me in this process by choosing between three editions that I would be happy to use exclusively for 2015.  So, with your consultation, I have decided to follow your recommendation.  The winner of the poll, by one vote, is the 1991 New Oxford Annotated Bible NRSV.

This may be a crazy idea, but it is something that I have wanted to do for a long time.  I am quite comfortable with the NRSV, and as the years have gone by, and through my own personal prayer and teaching, I currently prefer it to the other translations.  It is by no means perfect, but it has a lot of advantages to it, which I will talk about at a later time.  I also believe that this NOAB (1991) is the high water mark of all the Oxford study Bibles.  It maintains the fine, concise annotations that are found in the RSV edition, with some slight additions and updates to it, while providing generous margins for personal annotations.  The type is also very clear and easy to read, which makes it helpful to teach from.  It is also not as heavy as the later NOAB's.

Now, I have added one, well maybe two (or three) caveats to this venture.  I pray the Liturgy of the Hours each day, so I can't get around using the translation provided in the official version.  Secondly, as you can see on the photo, I am going to use the HarperOne Compact Thinline NRSV w/ Apocrypha for times when I cannot bring the bigger NOAB with me.  This will not happen all the time, of course, but I can't see myself bringing the NOAB to a prayer group meeting.  So consider this a kind of tag-team effort, when necessary.  Finally, and this would be exceptional if it were to happen, if Allan's were to produce an amazing NRSV (Catholic or w/ Apocrypha) this year then I may have to suspend this experiment.  I am sorry, I am just a weak man.  However, I don't anticipate this so I doubt that this will be an issue.

With all that said, I want to assure you that I will still be doing Bible reviews in 2015.  I simply will not be using those Bibles for everyday use.

Last but not least, I know that a number of other people will be joining me in this Bible crusade.  Along with my occasional posts concerning my experiences, some have been willing to do guest posts as well.  If those people could simply, once more, comment below with which Bible they will be sticking with for 2015, I would be grateful.

Many blessing to all of you and Happy New Year!

What Catholic Bible Edition Would You Like to See in 2015?

I did this last year and received some interesting proposals/suggestions.  So this time, please feel free to comment on possible or scheduled for publication editions or just go ahead and dream big.  (Also, let's assume that the Didache Bible will actually be published in the first quarter of 2015.)  

If you choose to dream big, take a moment to look forward to 2015 and use a little bit of your own imagination.  Here is the proposal: If you could produce your own Catholic bible edition, using an already existing translation, what would it be?  Which translation would you use?  What would be the theme of this Bible?  What would be included in it?

Here is mine, which is the same as last year:

The Saint John's Bible: Visio Divina Edition (NRSV)

Product Information:

Format: Goatskin Leather (I'd be happy with a nice genuine leather too)

Dimensions:  9.75 X 6.75 X 1.5 (inches)

Vendor: HarperOne/Liturgical Press

Pages: 1800

ISBN#1234567890 (not really)

Price: $125.00

Product Description:

HarperOne and Liturgical Press have teamed up to produce the first ever personal Bible edition that combines the language of the New Revised Standard Version: Catholic Edition and the majestic illuminations of the Saint John's Bible.  The Visio Divina edition combines Scripture passages and sacred artwork from The Saint John's Bible in order to facilitate the powerful prayer process of visio divina. This process encourages participants to "listen and meditate on Scripture, see with eyes of faith as they gaze on illuminations, pray to God, contemplate the Spirit's movements, and reflect how they might further become Christ-like."  To enhance this process, the NRSV text is laid out in a very readable single-column setting, enhanced by textual notes and cross-references in the margins.  All 160 illuminations fromThe Saint John's Bible are reproduced on thin glossy paper and placed at the appropriate places near the biblical text.  On the back of each illumination page is a brief reflection, including scriptural cross-references, authored by Fr. Michael Patella, OSB, SSD, chair of the Committee on Illumination and Text for The Saint John's Bible and author of Word and Image: the Hermeneutics of The Saint John's Bible.   Also includes: Vatican II document Dei Verbum, 3-Year Cycle of Sunday and Holy Day Readings, 16 pages of full-color maps, two ribbon markers, and a concise concordance.

A Bible for "One Bible, One Year"

Which Bible Should I Use Exclusively in 2015?

Cambridge NRSV Reference Bible w/ Apocrypha

New Oxford Annotated Bible NRSV (2nd Edition)

The Catholic Study Bible NABRE

Poll Maker

So, I have decided to give this a try for 2015: One Bible, One Year. I have selected the three Bible editions that would fulfill my needs for prayer, study, and teaching. However, before I make a decision, I would like to consult you, my loyal readers, to see which Bible you think I should use for this year. Part of my desire to do this is simply to be consistent with one single Bible for once in my life. To be honest, I am tired of using multiple Bibles all the time. I have mentioned on this blog before that one of the most beautiful things I have seen is a Catholic who has a well loved, read, and marked up Bible. I am ready to move in that direction.

In addition, being completely honest with you, I have way too many Bibles.   Which reminds me, if you are looking for a particular Bible feel free to email me since I feel called to reduce the number of Bibles I currently have on my bookshelves.  I would be happy to work something out for those who need a Bible to read.

A couple of additional thoughts that may answer any possible questions that you may have:
1)The one major exception to this would be that I am currently praying the Liturgy of the Hours, which has a combination of the Grail Psalms and original NAB.  I can't really get around that.

2) Some may ask why there isn't an edition of the RSV-2CE that I am considering.  Well, the answer is that I don't particularly care for many of the formats of those published currently.  The standard Ignatius version I simply do not like to read from.  I have honestly tried a number of times over the years, and I simply can't warm up to it.  Of course, there is the impending release of the Didache Bible......but that is still not published.  (There is, of course, the NOAB RSV out there, but I would prefer to use a Bible without archaic English.)

3) Don't worry, I will still be doing Bible reviews.  As a matter of fact, I have a couple for January already in the works.

4) Why did I choose the three that I did?  I am comfortable with these three Bibles and each in their own way meet my needs in a variety of settings.  

5) Why not the Knox Bible?  While I have a deep affection for the Knox Bible, I simply cannot use it for study and teaching.  It is simply too different from the other translations my students will be using.

6) I plan to blog about my experiences doing this.  I will start by announcing which Bible I have decided to go with during the first few days of January.

7) Some have expressed an interest in joining me on this crusade.  If you are interested in doing so, please comment below and let me know if you would be willing to occasionally contribute a post, perhaps a total of 4 times during 2015, about your experiences.  We can then chat via email about particulars.

Knox vs. The Message: Feast of the Holy Family (Luke 2:22-40)

Happy Christmas!  I am going to continue this series of comparing one of the Sunday readings from the lectionary, using the Knox Bible and The Message.  While done in different ways, I think both Knox and Peterson desired to make the Bible more accessible to the average reader.  Let's see if they were successful.  I have liked the discussion the past few weeks!

Knox:
And when the time had come for purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem, to present him before the Lord there. It is written in God’s law, that whatever male offspring opens the womb is to be reckoned sacred to the Lord; and so they must offer in sacrifice for him, as God’s law commanded, a pair of turtle-doves, or two young pigeons. At this time there was a man named Simeon living in Jerusalem, an upright man of careful observance, who waited patiently for comfort to be brought to Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him; and by the Holy Spirit it had been revealed to him that he was not to meet death, until he had seen that Christ whom the Lord had anointed. He now came, led by the Spirit, into the temple; and when the child Jesus was brought in by his parents, to perform the custom which the law enjoined concerning him, Simeon too was able to take him in his arms. And he said, blessing God: Ruler of all, now dost thou let thy servant go in peace, according to thy word; for my own eyes have seen that saving power of thine which thou hast prepared in the sight of all nations.  This is the light which shall give revelation to the Gentiles, this is the glory of thy people Israel. The father and mother of the child were still wondering over all that was said of him, when Simeon blessed them, and said to his mother Mary, Behold, this child is destined to bring about the fall of many and the rise of many in Israel; to be a sign which men will refuse to acknowledge; and so the thoughts of many hearts shall be made manifest; as for thy own soul, it shall have a sword to pierce it. There was besides a prophetess named Anna, daughter to one Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser (a woman greatly advanced in age, since she had lived with a husband for seven years after her maidenhood, and had now been eighty-four years a widow) who abode continually in the temple night and day, serving God with fasting and prayer. he too, at that very hour, came near to give God thanks, and spoke of the child to all that patiently waited for the deliverance of Israel. And now, when all had been done that the law of the Lord required, they returned to Galilee, and to their own town of Nazareth.  And so the child grew and came to his strength, full of wisdom; and the grace of God rested upon him.


The Message:

When when the days stipulated by Moses for purification were complete, they took him up to Jerusalem to offer him to God as commanded in God’s Law: “Every male who opens the womb shall be a holy offering to God,” and also to sacrifice the “pair of doves or two young pigeons” prescribed in God’s Law.

In Jerusalem at the time, there was a man, Simeon by name, a good man, a man who lived in the prayerful expectancy of help for Israel. And the Holy Spirit was on him. The Holy Spirit had shown him that he would see the Messiah of God before he died. Led by the Spirit, he entered the Temple. As the parents of the child Jesus brought him in to carry out the rituals of the Law, Simeon took him into his arms and blessed God:

God, you can now release your servant;

release me in peace as you promised.

With my own eyes I’ve seen your salvation;

it’s now out in the open for everyone to see:

A God-revealing light to the non-Jewish nations,

and of glory for your people Israel.

Jesus’ father and mother were speechless with surprise at these words. Simeon went on to bless them, and said to Mary his mother,

This child marks both the failure and

the recovery of many in Israel,

A figure misunderstood and contradicted—

the pain of a sword-thrust through you—

But the rejection will force honesty,

as God reveals who they really are.

Anna the prophetess was also there, a daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher. She was by now a very old woman. She had been married seven years and a widow for eighty-four. She never left the Temple area, worshiping night and day with her fastings and prayers. At the very time Simeon was praying, she showed up, broke into an anthem of praise to God, and talked about the child to all who were waiting expectantly for the freeing of Jerusalem.

When they finished everything required by God in the Law, they returned to Galilee and their own town, Nazareth. There the child grew strong in body and wise in spirit. And the grace of God was on him.

One Bible, One Year

Any one willing to do this with me?  This is inspired by a recent post at His Excellent Word blog.  I'd be interesting hearing from some of you if this is something you might want to do and be willing to share your experiences.  I am seriously considering it and have a bible in mind.  Your thoughts?