A reader recently asked if I would consider making a list of my favorite Bible editions in each of the main translations approved for Catholic use. I’ve accepted the challenge as a fun way to narrow down the many Bibles I like (each one with its own character, strengths, and weaknesses). I think it could also spur interesting discussion on what is most important in a Bible, and I’d be interested to see how readers weigh the options differently than I do.
In thinking about how to narrow down the options and how to structure the list, three questions popped up:
- Should the list include study Bibles as well as regular Bibles?
- Should the list include both premium and non-premium editions?
- How many editions should I list for each translation?
I decided to limit myself to non-study Bibles in this list. To my mind, this makes the comparison fairer between the various translations, because some translations (NABRE, RSV-2CE) are available with multiple excellent study Bibles, while others have no Catholic study Bibles (ESV-CE, NLT-CE). I will include notetaking Bibles in consideration for this list. Where does that leave the Great Adventure Catholic Bible (GACB)? In my view, it straddles the line a bit, but the study materials are relatively minimal in the GACB, so I will include it in consideration. It can easily function as an everyday Bible.
Regarding the second question, I briefly considered structuring the list with a “top premium” and “top non-premium” option, but in my view that would be too restrictive. There are some translations were my top two are both non-premium editions, and others where my top two are both premium editions. I’ll try to include a top non-premium option if my top two are both premium.
Finally, I decided to limit myself to my top two favorite editions per translation (with an occasional honorable mention to include non-premium editions).
With those basic ground rules out of the way, let’s proceed to the list!
NABRE
#1: Fireside Catholic Companion Edition Librosario (ISBN: 9781556653131)
I haven’t reviewed this Bible on the blog yet, and in some ways it is an odd choice for my top NABRE Bible. It has a glued binding, relatively low-quality paper, and a page layout that is a bit cramped. Furthermore, it’s expensive for what it is (MSRP of $43.95). But I’ve owned this Bible for more than a year, and it is the NABRE I reach for most often to take with me outside my home. The imitation leather cover is excellent (feels very soft and flexible), and the size is just about perfect for a portable Bible that I can take anywhere (8.5 X 5.75 inches). It also comes in a sturdy cardboard slip case, which I regularly use when moving the Bible back and forth from my car or packing it in a carry-on bag when traveling. The cross-references are also laid out in a more readable fashion at the bottom of each page, rather than a wall of text which is difficult to decipher like in most NABRE editions. In short, this Bible will not win any awards for quality of materials, and it’s objectively too expensive compared to other similar editions, but it hits the perfect balance for me with a nice imitation leather cover, perfect size, protective slip case, and practical (albeit cramped) page layout which makes it ideal for taking anywhere.
#2: Large Print NABRE from Catholic Bible Press (ISBN: 9780785233923)
I reviewed this Bible when it was first released, and I continue to like it. It’s a good reader’s edition with footnotes and cross references at the end of each biblical book. The imitation leather cover is good quality, and it has a sewn binding. I’ve taken this Bible to parish Bible studies, and the size is reasonable for holding and reading. It’s a little large to put in a carry-on bag, so I’ve never traveled with it.
RSV-CE
#1: Schuyler Quentel RSV with Apocrypha (out of print)
This edition is technically the updated 1971 RSV, not the RSV-CE (which was copyrighted in 1966). As I understand it, the 1971 RSV included several of the changes that were made to the New Testament in the 1966 RSV-CE, and Cardinal Franz König of Vienna gave the 1971 edition an “endorsement for general use.” For more information on the history of the RSV, there is a helpful article here. Similar to the Schuyler Quentel ESV, this edition is exceptionally good. The typesetting is beautiful and readable, ghosting is minimal, and the goatskin leather cover is good quality. This edition is currently out of print, but Schuyler recently released a questionnaire regarding preferences for a new print run of the RSV, so they may be considering printing it again.
#2: ???
I don’t use the RSV-CE very often, so I’m not well-acquainted with other good options on the market. If anyone has recommendations, please leave them in the comments!
RSV-2CE
#1: Great Adventure Catholic Bible, Second Edition, in Premium Goatskin (ISBN: 9781954882751)
Fr. Jedidiah Tritle reviewed this Bible here on the blog in December of 2024. For full disclosure, I have not personally seen this edition in person, but based on my experience with the recent imitation leather version of the GACB, I feel confident in recommending this as the nicest edition of the RSV-2CE currently available. The imitation leather edition has excellent paper with minimal ghosting, a sewn binding, and excellent readable typesetting. The premium edition adds a goatskin cover and gold gilded page edges for a very reasonable price compared to many premium editions on the market (MSRP: $124.99).
#2. Ave Catholic Notetaking Bible in Blue Cloth Hardcover (ISBN: 9781646800780)
I reviewed this Bible here. The blue cloth hardcover, combined with shiny gold lettering on the spine and front cover, make this a beautiful Bible to behold in person. The page layout is simple (and formatted in single-column, which I enjoy). I don’t use the RSV-2CE as my primary translation, so I haven’t used this edition very much. But it warrants consideration as one of the nicest RSV-2CE Bibles around.
ESV-CE
#1: Schuyler Quentel ESV with Apocrypha (Limited print runs of various color options)
I reviewed this Bible here, and Matthew Kudija wrote a guest review as well. This is truly a beautiful edition. Technically, this is the ESV, not the ESV-CE, but based on the preface to the Apocrypha in this edition, the deuterocanonical books include updates that were approved by the translation committee in 2017 (including a translation of the longer version of the book of Tobit) after the translation was reviewed by Catholic scholars in preparation for the ESV-CE. Throughout the rest of the Bible, the differences between the ESV and the ESV-CE are quite minimal, as detailed in this comparison document which was posted on a Protestant discussion forum. When this Bible was first released, there were problems with faint printing on pages in the New Testament. I detailed the way it looked in my review. The problem was not significant enough in my copy to request a return, but one reader who purchased it found the faint printing unreadable in places. I have not heard any reports about whether this problem was fixed on subsequent printings, but I suspect it is no longer an issue.
#2: SPCK Hardcover ESV-CE (ISBN: 9780281085262)
I reviewed this Bible in comparison to the Augustine Institute ESV-CE here. This is a decent quality hardcover Bible at a very reasonable price. The binding is sewn, typesetting is readable, and ghosting is reasonably controlled. The cover design is a bit gaudy, but I don’t think that outweighs its value. I prefer this to the Augustine Institute’s paperback edition. The SPCK text block was also used by Cambridge in their Cornerstone ESV-CE Bible (which is available in both imitation leather and black cowhide leather). I have never seen those editions in person, and I’ve seen complaints in online reviews regarding the quality of the cowhide edition, so I have been reluctant about buying one. The SPCK edition is much cheaper and uses the same text block.
NRSV-CE
#1: Zondervan Premier NRSV Personal Size Large Print Bible with Apocrypha (ISBN: 9780310458678 — out of print)
This is currently my #1 favorite Bible. I’ve owned it for over a year, but I haven’t reviewed it on the blog. It is currently out of print and is not likely to be printed again, due to the phase-out of the NRSV in favor of the NRSVue. It is nearly a perfect size (8.5 X 5.375 inches) for me. The goatskin cover is flexible and good quality, the paper is opaque with minimal ghosting, and the print is large and comfortable to read. The page edges are decorated with speckled paint rather than gold gilding, and as a result, I don’t worry about scratching or damaging the gilding when I bring this Bible with me. I also favor reader’s editions with minimal notes, and this Bible has no introductions or notes except for the standard NRSV translator’s notes. It’s worth mentioning that this is technically not the NRSV-CE, but there are no differences in the text of the NRSV versus the NRSV-CE, except for the inclusion of the deuterocanonical books. Since this Bible includes all the Catholic books (as well as additional books from the Catholic apocrypha), it serves the purpose of a Catholic reader’s bible with no problem. The colors in this Bible are striking (deep purple goatskin cover with yellow speckled page edges). It wouldn’t be for everyone, but I think it’s a beautiful edition.
#2: Cambridge NRSV Reference Bible with Apocrypha in Burgundy Goatskin (ISBN: 9781108409940 — out of print)
This is also a beautiful edition in every way. The font is clear and easy to read. The goatskin has a more pronounced grain and texture than any other goatskin Bible I own. The binding feels exceptionally well-done (tight, but it still opens easily with no wrinkling of the pages). The gold gilding is among the best I’ve ever seen. This Bible has not been in print for a few years now, but it is one of the best NRSV editions with all the Catholic books which has ever been produced.
Honorable Mention (non premium): NRSV-CE Personal Size Bible from Catholic Bible Press (ISBN: 9780785230533)
I reviewed this Bible on the blog here. It has a similar-sized text block to the Zondervan Premier edition which is my #1 favorite. The imitation leather cover is good quality, and it has a sewn binding. The 9.5 point font is a nice size for reading. Compared to the Zondervan Premier edition, the paper in this bible is not as opaque, and there is noticeably more ghosting. But the ghosting is well-controlled compared to many other Bibles, and the text is line-matched to minimize ghosting. Overall, this is a good quality edition at a reasonable price (currently available for $24.12 at Amazon as of this writing). It is noticeably better in quality than the similar-sized “gift edition” from Catholic Bible Press. The gift edition’s imitation leather cover is lower in quality (feels like tacky rubber in comparison with the smooth, flexible imitation leather on the personal-size edition). The gold gilding is also inferior on the gift edition compared to the personal size edition.
New Catholic Bible (NCB)
#1 (with personal reservations): St. Joseph Edition New Catholic Bible Gift Edition – Personal Size (ISBN: 9781953152169)
I have mixed feelings about this Bible, as I mentioned in my review here. I prefer it to all the editions that have been featured on the blog so far (a search for “NCB” in the blog search box will turn up multiple reviews that either I or other guest reviewers have written). It’s an excellent size. The paper quality is exceptional (Truly, this is a standout feature of this edition. The paper is amazingly opaque.) The imitation leather is nice, and the binding is sewn. But it includes the abominable glossy insert pages which stick up and prevent the Bible from laying flat in an infuriating way. Even the hardcover Student Edition has a set of family records pages in the middle of the Bible which is on heavier-weight paper than the rest of the biblical text. It is less obtrusive than the multiple insert sections in the Personal Size Gift Edition, but it is still not ideal. This is also a red-letter edition (with the words of Christ printed in red), which is not my personal preference.
#2 (speculative): NCB Deluxe Gift Bible (World Catholic Press) (ISBN: 9781953152756)
I have never seen this edition in person, but it appears to be the only NCB edition that has no glossy color inserts in the middle of the biblical text. I was given a New American Bible from World Catholic Press which appears to be a similar design many years ago at my confirmation. If this NCB Deluxe Gift Bible is similar to my confirmation Bible, then I would characterize it as a simple, relatively no-frills edition. The cover on my NAB edition is acceptable, but not great quality. This is also a red-letter edition.
Revised New Jerusalem Bible (RNJB)
The number of RNJB editions is currently quite limited, but new editions will be published later this year. I would recommend waiting to see reviews of the upcoming editions before choosing a copy of the RNJB. For editions that are currently in print, I would only recommend one:
RNJB Study Edition published by Hodder and Stoughton (ISBN: 9780232533620)
As far as I know, this edition is substantially the same as the former study edition published by Darton, Longman, and Todd (and reviewed here). The copyright has been updated in the new edition published by Hodder and Stoughton. Overall, I like this edition. It’s a very chunky, thick book, but I like the single-column page layout. Readers and other online reviewers have noted that the footnotes in this edition do not always line up with the RNJB text, since they were originally composed for the CTS edition of the Jerusalem Bible, rather than the RNJB. In my experience, this is not a common problem when reading this Bible (I think it’s primarily an issue with isolated notes).
Jerusalem Bible (JB) and New Jerusalem Bible (NJB)
I am not an expert on the editions of the JB and NJB which have been published. The study edition of the NJB appears to be out of print. It was printed in both a deluxe edition (leather-wrapped hardcover with a slip case) and a blue hardcover edition. The blue hardcover edition (published by Doubleday in the United States) has a glued binding, but the paper is reasonably opaque and the study notes and cross-references are exceptional. I have never seen a copy of the deluxe edition, but I cannot recommend it. A reader purchased a copy of it several years ago and reported quality control problems.
The Jerusalem Bible has been printed in multiple good-quality editions over the years. One of the nicest I’ve seen is a personal-size sheepskin leather edition (reviewed by R. Grant Jones on YouTube here), which my dad has owned as long as I can remember. It does not contain the excellent study notes which the Jerusalem Bible is known for, but it is a nice single-column reader’s Bible. This edition turns up on eBay sometimes.
Revised English Bible (REB)
#1: Cambridge Revised English Bible with Apocrypha in French Morocco Leather (ISBN: 0521509556 — out of print)
The REB is my favorite Bible translation, but the number of printed editions has always been somewhat limited. I was able to purchase a new copy of the French Morocco REB with Apocrypha direct from Cambridge Bibles several years ago (it was apparently the last copy they had). It’s an excellent size (quite similar in footprint and thickness to the NRSV-CE Personal Size edition from Catholic Bible Press). Since it’s a rare edition and has gold-gilded page edges (which I don’t want to damage), I usually leave this edition at home and bring a hardcover copy of the REB with me when I want to take it with me to church. It’s worth noting that although the REB does not have an imprimatur listed on the copyright page, it was officially sponsored by the Catholic bishops of England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, and the joint recommendation by the committee of sponsoring churches qualifies in lieu of an imprimatur, under the 1987 Guidelines for Interconfessional Cooperation in Translating the Bible (section 2.8).
Thanks for the reviews. I’d like to go over two of my favorite bibles.
1. Douay-Rheims Version by Saint Benedict Press
This is leather bound with gilt edges. Easily the most beautiful book in my collection. I appreciate the family register in the front. I did some ancestry before and some of the sources were old German family bibles which write out the baptisms. Made me want to do so. And as for the typesetting. It’s my favorite. I won’t be able to describe it like an expert but font choice looks great, I appreciate having book and chapter at the top of the pages for quick flipping. If there’s one thing I did not like as much it’s that the verses are always a separate line. There’s no paragraphs in this Bible. It would make it easier to find a specific verse though.
2. New Livjng Translation – Catholic Ediition by Tyndall
I actually use this one a lot because it’s very readable. The pages are large. 5.9×9.2 apparently. The verse numbers are small. Combined with the NLTs goal of favoring modern readable English word choice, it also has full color maps in the back.
My favorite NABRE these days is the white dust jacketed hardcover that Catholic Bible Press puts out. It has been around for a while and I think was first called the Harper One NABRE. I have never seen the page layout of a Fireside NABRE, but to me this is the edition with the most helpful cross references. Besides the letter, each cross section at the bottom is marked by a chaper and verse citation, so one can see how the cross references interact with the test in both directions without having to hunt down tiny superscript letters. I am holding out hope for a translation outside the Jerusalem Bible family to use marginal cross references, but until then this may be the best we get.
As for the New Jerusalem Bible, any version with the full notes is the best version. I would say look for a hardcover with a slipcase. It really is amazing. Best cross references in any Catholic Bible. Henry Wansbrough thought they were too many and scaled them back for the RNJB, but here they are in all their glory. A monk who taught me lectio divina highly suggested this edition. The actual text is an undpeakably massive improvement on the JB but is too loosely rendered for modern tastes in biblical readership. The RNJB has a better text, but is a small step down in every other way, from binding to cross references to notes.
I spent a lot of time with the NRSV in the spring and summer. I am hlad to report it is much, much better than its reputation suggests…but I just think the NABRE is better at everything the NRSV attempts besides a. Ecumenical pedigree and b. Acceptance by the academy. For the NRSV, the Catholic Bible Press Illustrated Catholic Bible is wonderful and can be found discounted. (I think I got it for 35 dollars.) Of course there is also the St John’s Bible, but that is an entirely different kettle of fish.
Who knows what the future holds for those editions as the NRSVue takes over. I do not think I will be getting one.
I like the RSV and ESV a lot too, but I don’t have strong opinions on those editions. My main opinion is that I do not care for red ink in the text of my bibles.