Rev. James D. Conley, D.D., S.T.L. | Diocese of Lincoln website

Catholics seeking to read the Bible have several approved English translations to choose from, reflecting the Church’s long history of translating and transmitting sacred texts. The Catholic Bible consists of 73 books—46 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament—with original texts written mainly in Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic.

Historically, about two to three centuries before Christ, Jewish Scriptures were translated into Greek as the Septuagint. Later, St. Jerome produced a Latin translation known as the Vulgate around four centuries after Christ’s birth. The Vulgate remained influential through the Council of Trent and beyond.

In recent centuries, especially since Pope Leo XIII and Pope Pius XII, there has been encouragement for Catholics to study Scripture in their own languages. Translating biblical texts involves balancing formal equivalence (adhering closely to original wording) with dynamic equivalence (conveying meaning). These approaches exist on a spectrum rather than as strict categories.

Several translations are currently recognized for Catholic use:

- RSV2CE (Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition)

- NRSVCE (New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition), used in Canada

- ESV-CE (English Standard Version Catholic Edition), used in India, England, and Wales

- NAB/NABRE (New American Bible/New American Bible Revised Edition), used in the United States; copyright held by the USCCB

- RNJB (Revised New Jerusalem Bible), used in Scotland, Australia, and New Zealand

- CSV (Catholic Standard Version), a project underway by the Augustine Institute

To ensure a translation is approved for Catholic use, readers should look for magisterial approval indicated by an imprimatur from a bishop inside the cover. A complete Catholic Bible will include all 73 books; “CE” or “Catholic Edition” often appears in titles but not always.

“No translation is perfect, therefore I do not recommend any one of these as better than the rest,” states the article. Most approved versions are available online or at local Catholic bookstores.