Should I get the New Jerusalem Bible?

inquirer

I've already got the other Catholic Bible New American Bible. I've always thought it was a rather good translation, but unhappy at the verse order -- in Job some verses have been taken out completely and only used in the footnotes! This has really got me down, because it's not just in Job but they have taken this course in Isaiah, Habakkuk and many other "minor prophet" books. So what I want to know is does the New Jersualem Bible take out verses or rearrange them? Because if it does, then I won't buy it. :(

Cygnus

The NJB was my favorite for easy reading. It's one of the few I've hung on to over the years. I don't know how "accurate" a translation is, but when I'd read a tough passage in the NWT or RSV, I'd look it up in my NJB and ahhh that's what it's saying.

Buy one, you won't regret it.

Leolaia

I don't know about the NJB, but the older JB does rearrange verses in certain places. And usually for good reason because dislocations occurred in ancient texts (especially in the OT) which can often obscure the text. Sometimes the textual tradition indicates this (i.e. discrepencies between the LXX and the MT), sometimes not. Bear in mind that the verse numbering system is not part of the original text and was a late system imposed on the received text as it was at the time. Most translations, including the NWT, delete verses that textual criticism has shown were later accretions to the textual tradition as well.

Narkissos

The original Bible de Jérusalem in the 1950's did depart a lot from the Masoretic text, but further editions came back to a much more conservative policy -- consistent with the shift of focus in textual criticism from "the originals" to the ancient diversity of textual editions and families. As a result there is less textual criticism in the text and more in the footnotes. If the new English Jerusalem Bible somehow reflects the 1998 French edition, it is certainly worth buying -- especially for the footnotes.

RevFrank

Go ahead and purchase it. It's basically justas good as most I have many NWTHS, because it shows the errors every where.

The NWTHS, according to scholars and myself is the most corrupt ever. And according to Scripture, "knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation."(1 Peter 1:20)

So the watchtower has their own interpretation, which only they know of.

Navigator

I have used the Jerusalem Bible for years and like it very much. It is my "hands down" favorite. It is as accurate as any of them and I find the footnotes referencing the old testament verses found in the new testament very helpful.

rem

I have to say that the New Jerusalem Bible is one of my favorite translations, both for its accuracy and for its footnotes. I also like the fact that since its a Catholic translation you get some extra books and even extra verses, I believe, that don't exist in the protestant translations; for instance, the end of Daniel.

rem

the_classicist

I have to say that the New Jerusalem Bible is one of my favorite translations, both for its accuracy and for its footnotes. I also like the fact that since its a Catholic translation you get some extra books and even extra verses, I believe, that don't exist in the protestant translations; for instance, the end of Daniel.

If you like that, you should pick up a book edited by a person whose name has slipped my name called "The Other Bible." You should also look up "Secret Mark".

rem

the_classicist,

Yeah, actually I have that book... tons of Jewish pseudopiagraphica (sp?) and Gnostic writings. Really opened my mind at the time about what the Bible really was. That's really interesting stuff!

rem

inquirer

I think I won't get it actually if they change the verses. They did it with the NAB, and now I find out they did it with the JB and of course they'll follow suit and do it to the NJB.

I use to think it was very dynamic, but now I think it's too free in style to be a literal translation.

Maybe the footnotes are good, but that's my loss. There are so many Bibles out there, I don't have to stick to just one!

I went out today and tried to print out the World English Bible (I know you can buy it online, but you can only get Psalms + Probverbs and the New Testament -- I went out and today and tried to get it printed because you get the whole thing -- even though it's a draft!) and didn't do it because it cost me $130!!!! It's only 12 point you know!!! I might go back and do it in PDF... otherwise the print shop will cost me heaps more for converting to from Word format!

Thanks for youre help Leolaia, Narki, Rev., and all the others (I always forget people's names and you can never get all the posts one the one screen! -- sorry guys, but thanks for your help.)

Just because I say no now, doesn't mean I'll always think that way about it.

Should I get the New Jerusalem Bible?

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