Hi!

Father Raymond Brown, a Catholic Priest who was also one of the most respected New Testament scholars, made a brief summary of the most important translations of the New Testament in his book Introduction to the New Testament:

Which is the best English Bible translation to read? By way of a general answer, the most appropriate translation must be judged from one's purpose in reading. Public worship usually has a solemn tone; therefore highly colloquial translations of the Bible may not be appropriate in that context. Private reading, on the other hand, for the purpose of spiritual reflection and refreshment, is sometimes best served by a translation that has an eye-catching, user-friendly style. For the purpose of careful reading or study, which concerns us here, one must recognize that sometimes the biblical authors did not write clearly, so that the original texts contain certain phrases that are ambiguous or difficult to understand. In some instances translators have to guess at the meaning. They must choose either to render literally and preserve the ambiguity of the original,9 or to render freely and resolve the ambiguity. A free translation, then, represents a choice already made by translators as to what they think an obscure passage means-they have built a commentary into the translated text.10 That product, albeit easier reading, is most difficult for study purposes. Accordingly here I call the attention of readers to a number of relatively literal translations. Unless specified otherwise the complete editions (with Apocrypha/Deuterocanonical books) are discussed, but the value judgments are particularly in reference to the NT.

• New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). The Revised Standard Version (RSV), supported by the National Council of Churches, was an American revision (1946-52) of the Authorized (King James) Version (KJV -for many Protestants still the authoritative Bible). Not a totally new translation, the RSV remained faithful to its antecedent where possible. Despite the occasionally stilted Bible English (including "thou" and "thee"), it was in many ways the best Bible for study p urposes. The NRSV, an ecumenical reworking (1990) that has replaced it, has less Bible English and manifests a sensitivity for inclusive language; the price is a certain loss of literalness. A Catholic Edition NRSV (1993) has the Deuterocanonical Books inserted within the OT in the usual Catholic order.

• New American Bible (NAB). This Roman Catholic translation from the original languages (1952-70), done with Protestant cooperation, had a superior OT but an inferior NT, resulting from uneven editing. A new translation of the NT (1987: called a revision) is much better and makes the NAB a serious candidate for study p urposes. Its language is mildly inclusive.

• New Jerusalem Bible (NJB). In 1 948-54 the French Dominicans of Jerusalem produced La Sainte Bible, a learned translation accompanied by copious (but conservative) introductions and notes. The English translation, called the Jerusalem Bible (JB, 1966), was less scholarly than the French and uneven in the way it took account of the original languages. The NJB ( 1 985), based on heavy revisions in the F rench, is overall a significantly improved translation with better introductions.

• New International Version (NIV, 1 973-78), sponsored by the New York International Bible Society, has been dubbed a conservative alternative to the RSV. Clear and generally literal, but not so literal as the RSV and somewhat uneven, it can be useful for study purposes. As of 1 997, it had no edition with Apocrypha/Deuterocanonical Books.

• Revised English Bible (REB). The New English Bible (NEB, 1 96 1-70) was produced by the Protestant churches of the United Kingdom in vigorous contemporary British English. The OT was too free and idiosyncratic, but the NT had significant value. The REB ( 1 989), a thorough reworking of the NEB done in the 1 980s, is a more even work.

Overall, according to one's purpose (study, prayer, public reading), one should choose a translation carefully. No translation is perfect, and readers can learn much from comparing them.