Welcome to the twentieth week of comparing the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE) with the Revised English Bible (REB) for the second reading at Sunday’s Mass. This is a chance to compare a strongly literal translation like the NABRE New Testament with a much more dynamic translation like the REB. As the translators continue to work on revising the NABRE New Testament, it also provides a chance to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of the current translation (which was completed in 1986).
Sunday, October 28th, 2018 — Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)
Second Reading: Hebrews 5:1-6
NABRE:
Every high priest is taken from among men and made their representative before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring, for he himself is beset by weakness and so, for this reason, must make sin offerings for himself as well as for the people. No one takes this honor upon himself but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. In the same way, it was not Christ who glorified himself in becoming high priest, but rather the one who said to him:
“You are my son;
this day I have begotten you”;
just as he says in another place:
“You are a priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek.”
REB:
For every high priest is taken from among men and appointed their representative before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to bear patiently with the ignorant and erring, since he too is beset by weakness; and because of this he is bound to make sin-offerings for himself as well as for the people. Moreover nobody assumes the office on his own authority: he is called by God, just as Aaron was. So it is with Christ: he did not confer on himself the glory of becoming high priest; it was granted by God, who said to him, ‘You are my son; today I have become your father’; as also in another place he says, ‘You are a priest for ever, in the order of Melchizedek.’